Thelcticopis picta ( Thorell, 1887 )

Sankaran, Pradeep M., Sherwood, Danniella & Jäger, Peter, 2024, On the identity of species of the huntsman spider genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 (Araneae: Sparassidae: Sparianthinae) from India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 5463 (3), pp. 301-338 : 322-323

Thelcticopis picta ( Thorell, 1887)

Figs 16 , 26

Seramba picta Thorell, 1887: 254 (♀).

Thelcticopis pictus ( Thorell) : Pocock 1900: 271. Jäger 2005: 87, figs 1–5 (♀). Type material. Holotype ♀, MYANMAR: Kachin: Schwego [=Shwegu; ca. 24°12’N, 96°47’E; 116 m a.s.l.] Myo, L. Fea leg., 1885 ( MCSN; examined).

Additional material examined. 1 ♀, MYANMAR: Kachin: Myitkyina [ca. 25°23’40.80”N, 97°22’57.67”E; 145 m a.s.l.], D.N. Marks leg., 1945, APO 218 ( AMNH) .

Diagnosis. Females of T. picta are very similar to those of T. severa in having a ‘Y’-shaped median septum and a similarly shaped internal duct system with three large coils and smaller windings within the functionally last part, but can be distinguished by (1) first windings of copulatory ducts anteriorly narrow and extending distinctly beyond the rest of the duct system (vs. first windings anteriorly wide and extending only slightly beyond the rest of the internal duct system in T. severa ); (2) median longitudinal ridge distinctly pointed posteriorly (vs. ridge not pointed in T. severa ); and (3) epigynal posterior projections long, i.e., as long as median septum at posterior margin wide (vs. short, i.e., less long than median septum at posterior margin wide in T. severa ) ( Figs 16A–D vs. Zhu et al. 2020: figs 2E–F).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Myanmar (Kachin State) ( Fig. 26 ).

Remarks. From the distribution records close to that of T. bicornuta and from the overall similarity of somatic characters, like opisthosomal colouration as well as of genitalia resemblance between males of T. bicornuta and T. severa as well as T. picta and T. severa , it might well be that T. bicornuta turns out as a junior synonym of T. picta . As pointed out in the remarks of the former species, it may theoretically also be that both species are synonyms of a widely distributed T. severa . Future studies should include molecular analyses as well as more material from this species complex to find out about the status of all species involved. We retain the original names until all issues are clarified.

Figures

FIGURES 16A–G. Thelcticopis picta (Thorell, 1887), holotype female.A Epigyne, ventral; B, D Vulva (B dorsal, D lateral); C Schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal; E Eye arrangement, dorsal; F Opisthosoma, dorsal; G Left and right chelicerae, ventral. Drawings by Peter Jäger (modified after Jäger 2005).

FIGURE 26. Distribution of species of the genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 in Myanmar, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. For species in southern India and Sri Lanka (except for T. kirankhalapi), see Fig. 27.