Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 18 May 2020 | 12(7): 15711–15766
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5758.12.7.15711-15766
#5758 | Received 06 February 2020 | Final
received 18 April 2020 | Finally accepted 29 April 2020
Spider (Arachnida: Araneae) fauna
of the scrub jungle in the Madras Christian College campus, Chennai, India
John T.D. Caleb
Department of Zoology, Madras
Christian College (affiliated to the University of Madras), Tambaram, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu 600059, India.
Abstract: A total of 108 species of spider
species belonging to 84 genera and 25 families were identified from the scrub
jungle of the Madras Christian College campus.
Pagida
salticiformis (O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1883) is recorded for the first time from India. Langona tigrina (Simon, 1885) is
rediscovered 135 years since its first description and the unknown male is
described and illustrated. A new
combination, Langona davidi (Caleb, Mungkung & Mathai, 2015) comb.
nov. is proposed for the species previously placed in Phlegra. Three new synonymys have been recognized: Clubiona
foliata Keswani & Vankhede, 2014 and Clubiona pashabhaii Patel
& Patel, 1973 are junior synonyms of Clubiona filicata O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 and Myrmarachne megachelae Kumar &
Mohanasundaram, 1998 is a junior synonym of Myrmaplata plataleoides (O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1869). Distribution
records of several species have been updated and as many as 31 species are
recorded for the first time from Tamil Nadu State. The family Salticidae is the most diverse
with 28 species belonging to 22 genera followed by Araneidae with 19 species in
11 genera. Guild structure analysis
revealed seven feeding guilds of which, stalkers and orb-web weavers are the
dominant feeding guilds followed by ground runners, ambushers, and scattered
line weavers, respectively.
Keywords: Diversity, guild structure, new
combination, new record, new synonym, taxonomy, tropical dry evergreen forest.
Abbreviations: AER—anterior eye row length; ALE—anterior lateral eye;
AME—anterior median eye; EFL—eye field length; MCC—Madras Christian College,
Tambaram, Chennai; NCBS—National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru;
NHMW—Natural History Museum, Vienna (curator Christoph Hörweg); PER—posterior
eye row length; PLE—posterior lateral eye; PME—posterior median eye; RTA—retrolateral
tibial apophysis; SRC-ZSI—Southern Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India,
Chennai; VTA—ventral tibial apophysis; WILD—Wildlife Information Liaison
Development, Coimbatore.
Editor:
Anonymity requested. Date of
publication: 18 May 2020 (online & print)
Citation: Caleb, J.T.D. (2020). Spider (Arachnida: Araneae) fauna of the scrub jungle
in the Madras Christian College campus, Chennai, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(7): 15711–15766.
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5758.12.7.15711-15766
Copyright: © Caleb 2020.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction,
and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to
the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Self funded.
Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests.
Author details: Dr. John T.D. Caleb is an arachnologist whose research
mainly focuses on the spider diversity, taxonomy and DNA barcoding. He has described 35 new spider species across
India and has about 50 research papers on an extensive range of taxonomic
research on Indian spiders. His passion
towards the systematics and biogeography of salticids got him the “Herbert Levi
Fund for Arachnological Research” (HLMFAR) in 2017 by the American
Arachnological Society (AAS) for studying the Salticids of India. He is presently working as a Research
Associate in the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Acknowledgements: I would like to express my
thanks to Dr. Manu Thomas Mathai, Associate Professor and Head, Dept. of
Zoology, MCC, for his encouragement and support during the work. Thanks to Dr. R.W. Alexander Jesudasan,
Principal, MCC, for providing facilities to carry out the research work which
is a part of my Ph.D. Thesis. Dr.
Narasimhan, Associate Professor, Dept. of Plant Biology & Plant
Biotechnology, MCC, is thanked for his encouragement, and imparting his knowledge
on plant diversity in the Madras Christian College campus. I express my sincere and profound gratitude
to Prof. Dr. Jerzy Prószyński (Poland) for his meticulous guidance,
encouragement and invaluable inputs regarding salticid taxonomy. His database, “Global species database of
Salticidae” served as an excellent platform for quick learning and easy
comparison. I express my gratitude to
Late Dr. Ganesh Vankhede, and his students Drs. Atul Bodkhe, Seema Keswani,
Rajoria, Priyanka Hadole of the Indian Society of Arachnology, Amravati, for
their hospitality during my visit and allowing me to use the facilities at the
Arachnology Museum and access their literature collection. My sincere gratitude goes to Dr. Krushnamegh
Kunte, National Center for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, for the microscope facility
and helping in depositing some of the type specimens. Thanks to Dr. B.A. Daniel, WILD/Zoo outreach
organization for his words of inspiration and kind hospitality during my visit
to their organization. I also record my
thanks to Late Dr. Gajbe U.A., Ex-Scientist, ZSI for his generous advice on
taxonomic identification. Many thanks to
M. Freudenshuss, for providing photographs of the type specimen of S.
lesserti and to Christoph Hörweg (Austria) for sharing details of the
specimen deposited in NHMW, Vienna, Austria.
Thanks to Drs. Robert Raven and Manju Siliwal for their support in
identifying myaglomorphs and sharing literature. I would like to thank Drs. Peter Jäger, Christa
L. Deeleman-Reinhold, Barbara Baehr, Tamas Szüts, Wanda Wesołowska, Rudy
Jocque, Dinendra Raychaudhuri, Souvik Sen, Samson Davis, Matthew M.J., Sunil
Jose, Karthikeyani R., and Sanjay Molur for sharing rare literature. Thanks to Kannadasan Narasimmarajan for
discussion on vegetation structure and sharing relevant literature. I am much
obliged to Job Daniel J.R. for his kind assisting during field collection. I thank Zeeshan Mirza for preparing the map
and Amos Shem Samuel for his kind help in proofreading the manuscript. My heartfelt gratitude go to my parents,
brother, wife and daughter for their constant support (both moral and
financial) and encouragement during the course of this work. I am grateful to the anonymous reviewes for
their comments which greatly improved the manuscript.
INTRODUCTION
With over 48,000 described
species (World Spider Catalog 2020) and over 1,20,000 expected species
(Agnarsson et al. 2013) spiders are one of the most diverse
invertebrates that can be found in almost all terrestrial habitats except
Antartica (Turnbull 1973). Their
diversity in India is represented by 1,830 species in 470 genera and 60
families (Caleb & Sankaran 2020; World Spider Catalog 2020).
The spider fauna of the tropical
dry evergreen forests (TDEF) from Chennai and its surrounding regions is known
only by a few early works of Pocock (1900, 1901), Sherriffs (1919, 1927),
Gravely (1921–1935), and Phanuel (1963).
There was, however, a great lapse thereon for about more than half a
century until further studies took place.
Recent studies added considerably to the knowledge of the group with
numerous new discoveries including the description of new species, new records
and rediscovery of species (Caleb & Mathai 2013, 2014a,b, 2015, 2016a;
Caleb et al. 2015, 2020), indicating that there is more to explore from these regions. The present work aims to provide an overview
of spider diversity known from the scrub jungle enclosed within the Madras
Christian College campus, Tambaram, India.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS
Study area
Spider specimens were collected
from within the Madras Christian College (MCC) campus from 2010 to 2015. MCC is one of Asia’s oldest educational
institutions in Chennai established in 1837. It is presently situated on a
365acre (1.48km2) campus, at Tambaram (12.923–12.920 °N & 80.120–80.123
°E), on the southwestern extremity of Chennai City (Images 1A–B). The campus has various habitat structures
including open grasslands, thick forest patches, scrub jungle patches, and
water bodies (Images 2A–H). It has a
rich, diverse and ever-changing scrub, because of the broad, dense corridor in
the south leading to the Vandalur Reserve Forest. The vegetation type is a true scrub jungle
(sub-type 7/DS1) ‘tropical dry evergreen scrub’ which is a remnant of the
tropical dry evergreen forest along the Coromandel Coast (Champion & Seth
1968) with dissymmetric climate (Meher-Homji 1974, 2007). The campus has a remarkable species diversity
of both flora and fauna (Sanjeeva Raj 2011).
Flora of over 400 species of plants from 95 families both native
and exotic has been recorded. They occur
as discontinuous or dense scrub-woodlands and thickets (Lal & Livingstone
1978; Amirthalingam 2005).
Collection, preservation, and
identification
Live specimens were photographed
in the field and then collected. They
were then taken to the lab and photographed using a Nikon D60 DSLR 18–55 mm,
for macro capability the regular lens was removed, reversed and mounted on the
body with the help of a ring attachment.
Collected specimens were preserved in 70% alcohol. Specimens were later examined in detail using
a NIKON SMZ1000 stereoscopic microscope.
Male palps were detached, examined and kept in a separate vial along
with the original specimen and female genitalia were excised using fine
surgical scalpel. The epigyne was then
cleared in 10% KOH aqueous solution. Leg measurements are given as total length
(femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus).
All measurements are in millimetres (mm).
Identification was made by the
help of taxonomic keys and diagnostic illustrations provided by Pocock (1900,
1901), Gravely (1921a,b, 1924, 1931), Tikader (1980a,b, 1982), Tikader &
Malhotra (1980), Tikader & Biswas (1981), Sethi & Tikader (1988),
Proszynski (1992, 2016) and other relevant literatures. The specimens studied are deposited at the
Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai, Wildlife
Information Liaison Development, Coimbatore, National Centre for Biological
Sciences, Bengaluru, and Southern Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India,
Chennai. The terminology follows the
World Spider Catalog (2020). Taxonomic
references pertaining only to Indian records have been mentioned for each
species. For detailed taxonomic records
refer the World Spider Catalog (2020).
SURVEY OF SPECIES
Family Araneidae Clerck
Genus Anepsion Strand
Anepsion maritatum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877 (Image
24A)
Cyrtarachne keralensis Jose, 2011: 322, figs. 1a–g.
Anepsion maritatum Malamel et al., 2015: 478, figs.
1A–O, 2A-I.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA430, 1 male,
08.ii.2013; MCC-ARA478, 1 female, 21.ii.2013; MCC-ARA764, 1 female, 06.i.2014,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Thailand,
Japan, and China to Indonesia (Sulawesi).
Distribution in India: Kerala and Tamil Nadu (new
record).
Genus Araneus Clerck
Araneus bilunifer Pocock, 1900 (Image 24B)
Araneus bilunifer Pocock, 1900: 227, fig. 74.
Araneus bilunifer Patel, 1975: 162, figs. 3a–c.
Araneus bilunifer Tikader & Bal, 1981: 43,
figs. 91–94.
Araneus bilunifer Tikader, 1982: 221, figs.
428–431.
Specimens examined: None (known only from previous
descriptions and photographic records).
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
Araneus viridisomus Gravely, 1921 (Images 3A,B, 24C)
Araneus viridisoma Gravely, 1921a: 415, fig. 3c.
Araneus viridisomus Caleb & Mathai, 2014b: 3,
figs. 1–9.
Araneus viridisomus Patil & Uniyal, 2016: 172,
figs. –111
Specimen examined: NCBS-QA456, 1 female,
13.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.; NCBS-QA457, 1 female, 03.xii.2013,
coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Odisha, Maharashtra, and Tamil
Nadu.
Genus Argiope Audouin
Argiope aemula (Walckenaer, 1841) (Image 24D)
Argiope aemula Tikader, 1970: 29.
Argiope aemula Gajbe, 2007: 512. figs. 269–272.
Argiope aemula Sen et al., 2015: 111, figs.
642–646, pl. 21.
Argiope aemula Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 8, figs. 18–22, 169.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA101,
1 female, 06.iii.2012; MCC-ARA44, 1 female, 09.i.2011; MCC-ARA329, 1 female,
23.xi.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India to Philippines, Indonesia
(Sulawesi), and Vanuatu.
Distribution in India: Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Argiope anasuja Thorell, 1887 (Image 24E)
Argiope anasuja Gravely, 1921a: 412, fig. 3a.
Argiope anasuja Tikader, 1982: 127, figs.
239–242.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA130, 1 female,
26.iii.2012; MCC-ARA304, 1 female, 08.xi.2012; MCC-ARA727, 1 female,
14.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Seychelles, Maldives, Iran,
Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Australia (Cocos Is.).
Distribution in India: Bihar, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Argiope pulchella Thorell, 1881 (Images 24F, 32A)
Argiope pulchella Gravely, 1921a: 412, fig. 3b.
Argiope pulchella Tikader, 1970: 27, fig. 17a.
Argiope pulchella Sen et al., 2015: 110, figs.
637–641, pl. 21.
Argiope pulchella Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 8, figs. 23–27, 170.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA88, 1 female, 14.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA265, 1 female, 26.x.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India to China and Indonesia.
Distribution in India: Andaman Islands, Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Lakshadweep Islands, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Manipur, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Genus Cyclosa Menge
Cyclosa confraga (Thorell, 1892) (Image 24G)
Cyclosa confraga Tikader, 1982: 193, figs.
372–376.
Cyclosa confraga Gajbe, 2007: 519, figs. 287–291.
Cyclosa confraga Keswani, 2013: 64, figs. 2A–F.
Cyclosa confraga Sen et al., 2015: 116, figs.
709–714, pl. 22.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA273, 1 female, 02.xi.2012;
MCC-ARA535–ARA536 1 female & 1 male, 25.iii.2013; MCC-ARA766, 1 male,
06.i.2014, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Bangladesh to
Malaysia.
Distribution in India: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Assam, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu (new record).
Cyclosa hexatuberculata Tikader, 1982 (Images 24H,
32B)
Cyclosa hexatuberculata Tikader, 1982: 197, figs.
382–387.
Cyclosa hexatuberculata Sen et al., 2015: 115, figs.
688–694, pl. 22.
Cyclosa hexatuberculata Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 20, figs. 102–107, 186.
Cyclosa hexatuberculata Dixit & Ade, 2017: 948, pl.
3A–I, 7A–I.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA102, 1 female,
06.iii.2012; MCC-ARA258, 1 female, 18.x.2012; MCC-ARA276, 1 female, 02.xi.2012;
MCC-ARA765, 1 female, 06.i.2014, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and Pakistan
Distribution in India: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Cyclosa neilensis Tikader, 1977 (Image
24I)
Cyclosa neilensis Tikader, 1977: 179, figs. 11A–D.
Cyclosa neilensis Tikader, 1982: 199, figs.
388–393.
Cyclosa neilensis Sen et al., 2015: 115, figs. 681–687,
pl. 22.
Cyclosa neilensis Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 20, figs. 108–114, 187.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA272, 1 female, 02.xi.2012,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Andaman Islands, Meghalaya,
Sikkim, Tamil Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Genus Cyrtophora Simon
Cyrtophora cicatrosa (Stoliczka, 1869) (Images 24J,
32D)
Epeira cicatrosa Stoliczka, 1869: 242, pl. 20,
fig. 5
Araneus cicatrosa Pocock, 1900: 226.
Cyrtophora cicatrosa Tikader, 1982: 179, figs.
341–345.
Cyrtophora cicatrosa Gajbe, 2007: 516, figs. 278–282.
Cyrtophora cicatrosa Sen et al., 2015: 118, figs.
728–736, pl. 23.
Cyrtophora cicatrosa Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 14, figs. 58–62, 178.
Cyrtophora cicatrosa Tyagi et al., 2019: Supplement,
figs. S2.8, S3.23–24.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA94, 1 female, 28.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA133, 1 female, 26.iii.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D
Global distribution: Pakistan to Australia (Northern
Territory)
Distribution in India: Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar
Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Genus Eriovixia Archer
Eriovixia excelsa (Simon, 1889) (Images 3C, 24K,
32E)
Neoscona excelsus Tikader & Bal, 1981: 25,
figs. 50–54.
Araneus excelsus
Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 20, figs. 16– 18.
Neoscona excelsus Tikader, 1982: 261, figs.
520–524.
Eriovixia excelsa Sen et al., 2015: 120, figs.
754–758, pl. 23.
Eriovixia excelsa Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 10, figs. 43–47, 174.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA231, 1 female, 12.x.2012;
MCC-ARA260, 1 female, 18.x.2012; MCC-ARA267, 1 male, 26.x.2012; MCC-ARA279, 1
male, 05.xi.2012; MCC-ARA305, 1 male, 08.xi.2012; MCC-ARA797, 1 female,
25.iv.2014, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Pakistan, China, Taiwan,
Philippines, and Indonesia
Distribution in India: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala,
Bihar, Eastern Himalaya, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Eriovixia laglaizei (Simon, 1877) (Images 24L, M)
Neoscona laglaizei Tikader & Bal, 1981: 27,
figs. 55–58.
Neoscona laglaizei Tikader, 1982: 263, figs.
525–528.
Eriovixia laglaizei Sen et al., 2015: 120, figs.
748–753, pl. 23.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA92, 1 female, 24.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA425, 1 male, 29.i.2013; MCC-ARA521, 1 male, 21.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John
Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Bangladesh, China to
Philippines, and New Guinea.
Distribution in India: Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Gasteracantha Sundevall
Gasteracantha geminata (Fabricius, 1798) (Images 3D,
24N)
Gasteracantha geminata Pocock, 1900: 233, figs. 79.
Gasteracantha geminata Tikader, 1982: 53, figs.
107–110.
Gasteracantha geminata Sankaran, Jobi & Sebastian,
2015: 147, figs. 1A–F, 2A–F.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA86, 1 female, 14.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA107, 1 female, 06.iii.2012; MCC-ARA169, 1 female, 30.vii.2012;
MCC-ARA312, 1 female, 14.xi.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil
Nadu.
Genus Larinia Simon
Larinia chloris (Audouin, 1826) (Image 24O)
Larinia chloris Tikader, 1982: 206, figs.
404–407.
Larinia chloris Gajbe, 2007: 521, figs. 296–298.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA269, 1 male, 26.x.2012;
MCC-ARA538, 1 female, 25.iii.2013; MCC-ARA793, 1 female, 22.iv.2014, MCC, coll.
John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Northern and eastern Africa to
Israel, Turkey, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Distribution in India: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and
Tamil Nadu (new record).
Genus Neoscona Simon
Neoscona molemensis Tikader & Bal, 1981 (Images
3E–F, 25A)
Neoscona molemensis Tikader & Bal, 1981: 22,
figs. 40–44.
Neoscona molemensis Tikader, 1982: 257, figs.
510–514.
Neoscona molemensis Barrion & Litsinger, 1995:
627, figs. 396a–e.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA464–ARA465, 2 females,
14.ii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Bangladesh, India to Philippines,
and Indonesia
Distribution in India: Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu (new record).
Neoscona mukerjei Tikader, 1980 (Image 25B)
Neoscona mukerjei Tikader, 1980b: 247, figs. 1–23.
Neoscona mukerji Gajbe, 2007: 528, figs. 312–316.
Neoscona mukerjei Sen et al., 2015: 125, figs.
805–810, pl. 24.
Neoscona mukharji Ade & Dixit, 2016: 730,
figs. 4a–i.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA332, 1 female, 03.xii.2012,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal
Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Tamil Nadu (new record),
and West Bengal.
Neoscona vigilans (Blackwall, 1865) (Images
3G–I, 25C)
Araneus rumpfi Pocock, 1900: 228.
Neoscona rumpfi Tikader & Bal, 1981: 18,
figs. 31–35.
Neoscona rumpfi Gajbe, 2007: 529, figs. 317–321.
Neoscona rumpfi Sen et al., 2015: 126, figs.
811–816, pl. 24.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA198, 1 female, 10.x.2012;
MCC-ARA235, 1 female, 16.x.2012; MCC-ARA290, 1 female, 06.xi.2012;
MCC-ARA325–ARA326, 1 female & 1 male, 23.xi.2012; MCC-ARA459, 1 female,
13.ii.2013; MCC-ARA482, 1 female, 21.ii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Africa and Asia (without Russia).
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Genus Parawixia F.O.P.
Cambridge
Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall, 1859) (Images 3J–L,
25D, 32F)
Araneus dehaani Pocock, 1900: 225, fig. 72.
Parawixia dehaanii Tikader, 1982: 212, figs.
414–418.
Parawixia dehaani Sen et al., 2015: 119, figs.
743–747, pl. 23.
Parawixia dehaani Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 22, figs. 127–131, 190.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA96, 1 female, 28.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA98, 1 female, 29.ii.2012; MCC-ARA129, 1 female, 26.iii.2012, MCC, coll.
John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India to Philippines, Indonesia,
and New Guinea.
Distribution in India: Karnataka, Kerala, Sikkim, Tamil
Nadu (new record) and West Bengal.
Genus Poltys C.L. Koch
Poltys nagpurensis Tikader, 1982 (Images 3M–Q, 25E)
Poltys nagpurensis Tikader, 1982: 169, figs.
321–325.
Poltys illepidus Keswani, 2015: 8, figs. 1–4.
Poltys illepidus Rajoria, 2015: 6, figs. 1–7.
Poltys nagpurensis Zamani et al., 2019: 4, figs.
1a–f, 2a–g, 3a–h.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA503, 1 female,
06.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Iran and India.
Distribution in India: Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (new
record).
Family Cheiracanthiidae Wagner
Genus Cheiracanthium C.L.
Koch
Cheiracanthium sp. (Image 25F)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA28, 1 female, 20.vii.2010;
MCC-ARA108, 1 female, 15.iii.2012; MCC-ARA259, 1 male 18.x.2012;
MCC-ARA306–ARA307, 1 female & 1 male, 08.xi.2012; MCC-ARA467, 1 female,
14.ii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Family Clubionidae Wagner
Genus Clubiona Latreille
Clubiona filicata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874
(Images 4A–F, 25G)
Clubiona filicata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874: 413,
pl. 52, fig. 35.
Clubiona filicata Gravely, 1931: 261, fig. 16D.
Clubiona pashabhaii Patel & Patel, 1973: 2,
figs. 1a–c. Syn. nov.
Clubiona filicata Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 69,
figs. 120–121.
Clubiona filicata Majumder & Tikader, 1991:
23, figs. 30–35.
Clubiona filicata Dankittipakul et al., 2012: 59,
figs. 25–31.
Clubiona foliata Keswani & Vankhede, 2014:
36, figs. 1–13. Syn. nov.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA318, 1 female,
15.xi.2012; MCC-ARA537, 1 female, 25.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan,
Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and China.
Distribution in India: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Remarks: Clubiona foliata Keswani & Vankhede, 2014 was
described based on a holotype female, an allotype male and six paratypes from
Vidarbha, Maharashtra, India. The type
material could not be studied; however, the illustrations are of good quality
and sufficient for comparison. The
epigyne matches unambiguously with that of C. filicata (cf. figs 1–6 in
Keswani & Vankhede (2014) with figs 29–31 in Dankittipakul et al. (2012)
and Images 4A–F herein) and no significant differences could be found in the
male palp except that it is in an expanded state and has rotated clockwise (cf.
figs 12–13 in Keswani & Vankhede (2014) with figs 25–28 in Dankittipakul et
al. (2012).
Another species, Clubiona
pashabhaii Patel & Patel, 1973 was described based on a holotype female
and a paratype female from Vallabh Vidhyanagar, Gujarat. The original illustrations of the species
show the abdominal pattern and characteristic epigynal morphology which match
with that of C. filicata (cf. figs 1a,b in Patel & Patel (1973) with
figs 29–31 in Dankittipakul et al. (2012) and Images 4D, E herein).
C. filicata was originally described from
Bombay (Mumbai) (O.P.-Cambridge, 1874) and was later recorded from other
locations from southeastern Asia. Based
on the observations mentioned above and considering their proximity to the type
locality of C. filicata, both C. foliata Keswani
& Vankhede, 2014 and C. pashabhaii Patel & Patel, 1973
are to be considered junior synonyms of C. filicata.
Family Corinnidae Karsch
Genus Aetius O.
Pickard-Cambridge
Aetius decollatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897
(Images 5A–F, 25H)
Aetius decollatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897:
1077, pl. 52, fig. 1.
Aetius decollatus Reimoser, 1934: 491.
Aetius decollatus Majumder & Tikader, 1991:
161, figs. 338–342.
Aetius decollatus Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: 336,
figs. 496–501.
Aetius decollatus Sudhin et al., 2016: 490, figs.
1–8.
Aetius decollatus Caleb & Mathai, 2016b: 36, figs. 1–20.
Specimens examined: SRC-ZSI I/SP 21, 1 male, 11.x.2012;
SRC-ZSI I/SP 22, 1 female, 18.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Cambalida Simon
Cambalida flavipes (Gravely, 1931) (Images 6A–F,
25I)
Castianeira flavipes Gravely, 1931: 275, figs. 20D–E.
Castianeira flavipes Tikader, 1981: 260, figs. 5–8.
Castianeira flavipes Majumder & Tikader, 1991: 135,
figs. 276–281.
Castianeira flavipes Sen et al., 2015: 71, figs.
386–393, pl. 18.
Cambalida flavipes Murthappa et al., 2016: 533.
Cambalida flavipes Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 53, figs. 201–208, pl. 20.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA39, 1 female, 30.vii.2010;
MCC-ARA280, 1 female, 05.xi.2012; MCC-ARA324, 1 female, 23.xi.2012; MCC-ARA424,
1 female, 29.i.2013; MCC-ARA714, 1 female, 03.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb
T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Karnataka, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Coenoptychus Simon
Coenoptychus pulcher Simon, 1885 (Images 5G–L, 25J)
Coenoptychus pulcher Simon, 1885a: 37.
Coenoptychus pulcher Gravely, 1931: 276, figs. 20G.
Coenoptychus pulcher Majumder & Tikader, 1991:
145, figs. 306–310.
Coenoptychus pulcher Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: 329,
figs. 486–488.
Coenoptychus pulcher Paul et al., 2018: 165, figs.
1A–D, 2A–H, 3A–F, 4A–C, F–K.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA470, 1 female, 14.ii.2013;
MCC-ARA505, 1 female, 11.iii.2013; MCC-ARA606–ARA607, 1 female & 1 male,
18.vii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Corinnomma Karsch
Corinnomma severum (Thorell, 1877) (Images 6G–J,
25K)
Castaneira himalayensis Gravely, 1931: 275, fig. 20C.
Corinnomma harmandi Gravely, 1931: 276, fig. 20F.
Castianeira himalayensis Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 72,
figs. 127–128.
Castianeira himalayensis Tikader, 1981: 265, figs. 14–16.
Castianeira himalayensis Majumder & Tikader, 1991:
137, figs. 282–286.
Castianeira himalayensis Sen et al., 2015: 71, figs.
394–398, pl. 18.
Castianeira himalayensis Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 55, figs. 219–223, pl. 20.
Corinnomma severum Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian,
2019: 334, figs. 2A–C,E.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA685, 1 female, 05.xi.2013;
MCC-ARA308, 1 female, 08.xi.2012; MCC-ARA85, 1 female, 02.ii.2012; MCC-ARA113,
1 female, 21.iii.2012; MCC-ARA740, 1 male, 16.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb
T.D.
Global distribution: India to China, Philippines, and
Indonesia (Sumatra, Sulawesi).
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu (new record) and
West Bengal.
Family Deinopidae C.L. Koch
Genus Asianopis Lin &
Li
Asianopis liukensis (Yin, Griswold & Yan,
2002) (Images 25L,M, 32H)
Deinopis scrubjunglei Caleb & Mathai, 2014a: 2,
figs. 1–20.
Asianopis liukensis Lin et al., 2020: 74, figs 2B,
E, F, I, 4–8, 19, 21A, 22A, G, 23.
Specimen examined: Types of D. scrubjunglei:
SRC-ZSI I/SP 19, Holotype male, MCC, 5.xii.2013, coll. John Caleb
T.D.; SRC-ZSI I/SP 20, paratype female, 22.iv.2014, MCC, coll. John
Caleb T.D. and Karthy.
Global distribution: India and China.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Family Eresidae C.L. Koch
Genus Stegodyphus Simon
Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch, 1891 (Images 25N,
33A)
Stegodyphus sarasinorum Pocock, 1900: 209, fig. 65.
Stegodyphus sarasinorum Bradoo, 1975: 239, figs. 9, 11.
Stegodyphus sarasinorum Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 15,
figs. 5–7.
Stegodyphus sarasinorum Kraus & Kraus, 1989: 204,
figs. 21–27, 103, 110, 117, 120, 125, 139–141.
Stegodyphus sarasinorum Gajbe, 2007: 428, figs. 16–19.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA319, 1 female, 15.xi.2012;
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and
Myanmar.
Distribution in India: Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
Odisha, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and
northwestern Himalaya.
Stegodyphus tibialis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869)
(Images 7A–G, 25O)
Stegodyphus socialis Pocock, 1900: 209.
Stegodyphus tibialis Phanuel, 1963: 305, figs. 1–9.
Stegodyphus tibialis Kraus & Kraus, 1989: 226,
figs. 199, 208, 218–223.
Stegodyphus tibialis Gunti, Srinivasulu &
Devender, 2016: 1, fig. 1.
Stegodyphus tibialis El-Hennawy, 2016: 33, figs.
1–10.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA283, 1 female, 05.xi.2012,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Myanmar, Thailand, and
China.
Distribution in India: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Family Gnaphosidae Pocock
Genus Poecilochroa
Westring
Poecilochroa tridotus Caleb & Mathai, 2013 (Image
26A)
Poecilochroa tridotus Caleb & Mathai, 2013: 2,
figs. 1a–f.
Specimens examined: SRC-ZSI I/SP 17, holotype female,
MCC, 18.iii.2013, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Zelotes Gistel
Zelotes tambaramensis Caleb & Mathai, 2013 (Images
26B)
Zelotes tambaramensis Caleb & Mathai, 2013: 5,
figs. 2a–f.
Specimens examined: SRC-ZSI I/SP 18, holotype female,
MCC, 11.iii.2013, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Family Hersiliidae Thorell
Genus Hersilia Audouin
Hersilia savignyi Lucas, 1836 (Images 8A–E, 26C)
Hersilia calcuttensis Stoliczka, 1869: 216, pl. 20,
fig. 9.
Hersilia savignyi Simon, 1885a: 19, pl. 10, figs.
18–19.
Hersilia savignyi Pocock, 1900: 241, fig. 82.
Hersilia savignyi Gravely, 1922: 1050, pl. 5, fig.
13.
Hersilia savignyi Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 47,
figs. 74–76.
Hersilia savignyi Baehr & Baehr, 1993: 29,
figs. 5, 22a–f.
Hersilia savignyi Gajbe, 2007: 434, figs. 26–30.
Hersilia aadi Pravalikha, Srinivasulu &
Srinivasulu, 2014: 5554, images 1a–j, 2, 3a–f, figs. 1a–c.
Hersilia savignyi Caleb et al., 2017: 396, figs.
1–3.
Hersilia savignyi Tyagi et al., 2019: Supplement,
figs. S2.23, S3.25.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA199, 1 male, 10.x.2012;
MCC-ARA277–ARA278, 1 female & 1 male, 02.xi.2012; MCC-ARA659, 1 female,
18.x.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Sri Lanka and India to
Philippines.
Distribution in India: Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Kerala,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West
Bengal.
Hersilia tibialis Baehr & Baehr, 1993
(Images 8F–H, 26D)
Hersilia pectinata Sinha, 1951b: 123, fig. 2.
Hersilia tibialis Baehr & Baehr, 1993: 51,
figs. 7, 34a–f.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA42, 1 female, 30.x.2010;
MCC-ARA200, 1 female, 10.x.2012; MCC-ARA274–ARA275, 2 females, 02.xi.2012, MCC,
coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Family Idiopidae Simon
Genus Idiops Perty
Idiops constructor (Pocock, 1900) (Images 9A–G,
26E, F)
Acanthodon constructor Pocock, 1900: 163.
Titanidiops constructor Simon, 1903: 890.
Idiops constructor Schwendinger, 1991: 240, figs.
14, 16, 19.
Specimens examined: WILD-13-ARA-1235, 1 male,
13.v.2010, MCC, coll. Sam Thomas; WILD-13-ARA-1234, 1 female, 29.i.2013, MCC,
coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil
Nadu.
Family Liocranidae Simon
Genus Oedignatha Thorell
Oedignatha scrobiculata Thorell, 1881 (Images 10A–F,
26G)
Oedignatha scrobiculata Gravely, 1931: 268, figs. 18C–D.
Castianeira bengalensis Biswas, 1984: 120, figs. 4–6.
Castianeira bengalensis Majumder & Tikader, 1991:
141, figs. 297–301.
Oedignatha scrobiculata Majumder & Tikader, 1991:
116, figs. 240–245.
Oedignatha scrobiculata Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian,
2019: 338, figs. 5A–E,H.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA517, 1 female,
18.iii.2013; MCC-ARA574, 1 male, 10.vi.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Seychelles, Reunion, India,
Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan. Introduced to Germany.
Distribution in India: Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu,
and West Bengal.
Family Lycosidae Sundevall
Genus Draposa Kronestedt
Draposa atropalpis (Gravely, 1924) (Image 26H)
Pardosa atropalpis Gravely, 1924: 610, fig. 5B.
Pardosa atropalpis Tikader & Malhotra, 1980:
325, figs. 153–156.
Draposa atropalpis Kronestedt, 2010: 34, figs. 1–2,
8–9, 12–14, 19–20, 23, 29.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA194, 1 male, 09.x.2012;
MCC-ARA690, 1 female, 23.xi.2013; MCC-ARA542–ARA543, 1 male & 1 female,
25.iii.2013; MCC-ARA712–ARA713, 1 male & 1 female, 03.xii.2013; MCC-ARA504,
1 female, 6.iii.2013; MCC-ARA575, 1 female, 10.vi.2013; MCC-ARA588, 1 male,
21.vi.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D & Soreiphy Mungkung.
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Genus Hippasa Simon
Hippasa greenalliae (Blackwall, 1867) (Images 11A-G,
26I, 33B)
Lycosa greenalliae Blackwall, 1867: 387.
Hippasa greenalliae Simon, 1885a: 31, pl. 10, fig.
6.
Hippasa pantherina Pocock, 1899: 752.
Hippasa pantherina Pocock, 1900: 250.
Hippasa pantherina Gravely, 1924: 594, fig. 1F.
Hippasa greenalliae Tikader & Malhotra, 1980:
277, figs. 72–76.
Hippasa greenalliae Sen et al., 2015: 47, figs.
188–192, pl. 14.
Hippasa greenalliae Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 69, figs. 317–321, pl. 23.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA132, 1 female,
26.iii.2012; MCC-ARA266, 1 female, 26.x.2012; MCC-ARA463, 1 female, 13.ii.2013;
MCC-ARA507, 1 female, 11.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Hippasa madraspatana Gravely, 1924 (Images 11H–L, 26J)
Hippasa madraspatana Gravely, 1924: 595, figs. 1J.
Hippasa madraspatana Tikader & Malhotra, 1980:
289, figs. 93–96.
Hippasa madraspatana Sen et al., 2015: 46, figs.
177–182, pl. 14.
Hippasa madraspatana Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 68, figs. 306–311, pl. 23.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA197, 1 female, 9.x.2012;
MCC-ARA366, 1 male, 12.xii.2012; MCC-ARA466, 1 female, 14.ii.2013; MCC-ARA506,
1 female, 11.iii.2013; MCC-ARA610, 1 male, 18.vii.2013; MCC-ARA717, 1 female,
3.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D. & Soreiphy Mungkung.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and West
Bengal.
Genus Lycosa Latreille
Lycosa bistriata Gravely, 1924 (Image 26K)
Lycosa bistriata Gravely, 1924: 600.
Lycosa bistriata Sinha, 1951a: 21.
Lycosa bistriata Tikader & Malhotra, 1980:
385, figs. 261–263.
Lycosa bistriata Buchar, 1997: 26, figs. 29.
Lycosa bistriata Gajbe, 2007: 506, figs. 257–259.
Lycosa bistriata Sen et al., 2015: 53, figs.
264–268, pl. 16.
Lycosa bistriata Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 83, figs. 443–447, pl. 24.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA316, 1 male, 14.xi.2012;
MCC-ARA547, 1 female, 25.iii.2013; MCC-ARA720–ARA721, 1 female & 1 male,
5.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D. & Soreiphy Mungkung.
Global distribution: India and Bhutan.
Distribution in India: Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
West Bengal.
Lycosa indagatrix Walckenaer, 1837 (Image 26L)
Lycosa catula Simon, 1885b: 459, pl. 10, fig.
4.
Lycosa indagatrix Gravely, 1924: 599, figs. 2A,
3A.
Hogna catula Reimoser, 1934: 471, fig. 4.
Lycosa catula Sinha, 1951a: 20, f.
Lycosa indagatrix Tikader & Malhotra, 1980:
411, figs. 306–310.
Lycosa indagatrix Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 80, figs. 404–409, pl. 24.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA646–ARA647, 2 females,
12.viii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Wadicosa Zyuzin
Wadicosa fidelis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)
(Image 26M)
Lycosa fidelis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872: 319.
Lycosa birmanica Gravely, 1924: 607, fig. 4J.
Pardosa bhatnagari Sadana, 1971: 226, figs. 1–4.
Pardosa birmanica Buchar, 1976: 206, fig. 4H.
Pardosa birmanica Tikader & Malhotra, 1980:
329, figs. 163–167.
Pardosa birmanica Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 52,
figs. 82–83.
Pardosa birmanica Gajbe, 2007: 499, figs. 235–239.
Pardosa birmanica
Sen et al., 2015: 50, figs. 224–228, pl. 15.
Wadicosa fidelis Lu et al., 2016: 137, figs.
9A–H, 10A–D, 11A–D, 12E–F.
Pardosa birmanica Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 74, figs. 353–357, pl. 25.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA837, 2 females,
27.ix.2014; MCC-ARA858–ARA860, 1 male & 2 females, 4.x.2014, MCC, coll.
John Caleb T.D. & Soreiphy Mungkung.
Global distribution: Macaronesia, northern Africa,
southern Europe, Caucasus, Middle East, central Asia, China, Japan, Pakistan,
India, Bangladesh, Philippines, and Indonesia (Sumatra).
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya,
Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West
Bengal.
Wadicosa quadrifera (Gravely, 1924) (Images 12A–G,
26N–O)
Lycosa quadrifera Gravely, 1924: 608, fig. 4K.
Lycosa quadrifer Tikader & Malhotra, 1980:
422, figs. 324–326
Wadicosa quadrifer Kronestedt, 1993: 314, figs.
1–6.
Wadicosa quadrifera Kronestedt, 2017: 296, figs. 2,
4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17–18.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA99, 1 female, 29.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA202–ARA203, 2 females, 10.x.2012; MCC-ARA201, 1 male, 10.x.2012;
MCC-ARA722–ARA723, 1 female & 1 male, 5.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb
T.D. & Soreiphy Mungkung
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil
Nadu.
Family Oecobiidae Blackwall
Genus Oecobius Lucas
Oecobius putus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876
(Image 27A)
Oecobius putus Tikader, 1962: 682, figs. 1a–d.
Oecobius putus Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 12,
figs. 1–4.
Oecobius putus Gajbe, 2007: 427, figs. 11–15.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA89, 1 female, 14.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA38, 1 female, 30.vii.2010; MCC-ARA431–ARA432, 1 male & 1 female,
8.ii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Egypt, Sudan to Iran, Azerbaijan,
and India. Introduced to USA and Mexico.
Distribution in India: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Family Oxyopidae Thorell
Genus Hamataliwa Keyserling
Hamataliwa sp. 1 (Images 13A–G, 27B)
Specimens examined: NCBS-QA463, 1 female,
18.iii.2013; NCBS-QA465, 1 male, 20.xi.2013; NCBS-QA464, 1 female, 19.vii.2013;
MCC-ARA658, 1 female, 18.x.2013; NCBS-QA467, 1 male, 28.ii.2014: MCC, all coll.
John Caleb T.D.
Natural History: Found among low vegetation at
MCC campus. This species is usually
found about the ground level. The female
makes an elongated pod shaped egg sac.
Eggs are usually laid on a dry leaf and covered with silk and suspended
on a strand of silk while the female guards the egg sac clinging in an
upside-down position (Image 13G).
Variations in the external appearance occur among individuals depending
upon the age. Older spiders are mostly
darker while younger ones are brightly coloured.
Hamataliwa sp. 2 (Images 13H–M, 27C)
Specimens examined: NCBS-QA459, 1 female, 10.x.2012;
NCBS-QA462, 1 male, 03.xii.2013; NCBS-QA460, 1 female, 8.xi.2012; NCBS-QA461, 1
female, 25.iii.2013; NCBS-QA458, 1 female, 12.vi.2010: MCC, all coll. John
Caleb T.D.
Genus Oxyopes Latreille
Oxyopes hindostanicus Pocock, 1902 (Images 14A–E, 27D)
Oxyopes hindostanicus Pocock, 1901: 482.
Oxyopes hindostanicus Sherriffs, 1951: 657, figs. 8–13.
Oxyopes hindostanicus Sherriffs, 1955: 304, fig. 34.
Oxyopes hindostanicus Gajbe, 2008: 51, figs. 102–105.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA368, 1 female,
23.xii.2012; MCC-ARA468, 1 female, 14.ii.2013; MCC-ARA715, 1 female,
3.xii.2013, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Oxyopes sp. (Image 27E)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA104, 1 female,
6.iii.2012; MCC-ARA29, 1 female, 20.vii.2010; MCC-ARA321, 1 female, 15.xi.2012,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Peucetia Thorell
Peucetia viridana (Stoliczka, 1869) (Image 27F)
Sphasus viridanus Stoliczka, 1869: 220, pl. 20,
fig. 1.
Peucetia viridana Pocock, 1900: 255, figs. 86.
Peucetia viridana Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 65,
figs. 110–111.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA204, 1 female, 10.x.2012;
MCC-ARA322, 1 female, 15.xi.2012; MCC-ARA511–ARA512, 1 male & 1 female,
11.iii.2013; MCC-ARA724, 1 female, 5.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Distribution in India: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West
Bengal.
Family Philodromidae Thorell
Genus Tibellus Simon
Tibellus elongatus Tikader, 1960 (Image 27G)
Tibellus elongatus Tikader, 1960: 176, figs. 3a–b.
Tibellus elongatus Tikader, 1971: 82, figs. 20E–F.
Tibellus elongatus Tikader, 1980a: 217, figs.
288–289.
Tibellus elongatus Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 88,
figs. 152–153.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA40, 1 female,
30.vii.2010; MCC-ARA602, 1 female, 27.vi.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Family Pholcidae C.L. Koch
Genus Artema Walckenaer
Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837 (Image 27H)
Artema atlanta Pocock, 1900: 239, fig. 81.
Artema atlanta Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 18,
figs. 12.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA686–ARA687, 1 male & 1
female, 15.xi.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Northern Africa and Middle East.
Introduced elsewhere (mainly tropical and subtropical regions).
Distribution in India: Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Genus Crossopriza Simon
Crossopriza lyoni (Blackwall, 1867) (Images 27I,J)
Crossopriza lyoni Pocock, 1900: 240.
Crossopriza lyoni Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 18,
figs. 13–15.
Crossopriza lyoni Sen et al., 2015: 88, figs.
514–518, pl. 19.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA87, 1 male, 14.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA284, 1 female, 5.xi.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Africa. Introduced to USA,
Venezuela, Germany, China, Japan, Korea, tropical Asia, and Australia.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Genus Pholcus Walckenaer
Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775) (Image 27K)
Pholcus phalangioides Sen et al., 2015: 88, figs.
509–513, pl. 19.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA286–ARA287, 2 females,
5.xi.2012; MCC-ARA288, 1 male, 5.xi.2012; MCC-ARA426, 1 female, 29.i.2013, MCC,
coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Western Asia. Introduced to both
Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous islands.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Pholcus sp. (Image 27L)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA311, 1 female,
14.xi.2012; MCC-ARA427, 1 female, 29.i.2013; MCC-ARA114, 1 female, 21.iii.2012,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Family Salticidae Blackwall
Genus Bianor Peckham &
Peckham
Bianor balius Thorell, 1890 (Images
15A–C, 27M)
Bianor carli Reimoser, 1934: 506, fig. 27.
Bianor incitatus Logunov, 2001: 236, figs.
87–104.
Bianor balius Logunov, 2019: 102, figs. 12–16.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA210, 1 female, 11.x.2012;
MCC-ARA421, 1 male 21.i.2013; MCC-ARA500, 1 female, 27.ii.2013, MCC,
coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, China,
Japan (Ryukyu Is.), Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kiribati
(Caroline Is.)
Distribution in India: Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh,
Meghalaya, and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Brettus Thorell
Brettus cf. adonis Simon, 1900
(Images 15D, 27N)
Brettus adonis Simon, 1900: 32.
Portia adonis Simon, 1901: 402.
Brettus adonis Wanless, 1979: 186, figs.
1B,D,F,H; 2D–E; 3A.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA550, 1 female, 7.v.2013,
MCC, coll. Nagoor Meerasa Mohammed
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Carrhotus Thorell
Carrhotus viduus (C.L. Koch, 1846) (Image 27O)
Carrhotus viduus Pocock, 1904: 804, pl. 66, fig.
8.
Carrhotus viduus Jastrzębski, 1999: 4, figs.
8–11.
Plexippus gajbei Karthikeyani & Kannan, 2013:
43, figs. 1a–c, images 1–2.
Carrhotus viduus Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2016: 18, figs. 14A–E, 25C, 27J.
Carrhotus viduus Caleb, 2016a: 273, figs. 1–5.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA207, 1 male, 11.x.2012;
MCC-ARA458, 1 female, 13.ii.2013; MCC-ARA502, 1 female, 27.ii.2013, MCC, coll.
John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India to China.
Distribution in India: Assam, Lakshadweep Islands,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Genus Chrysilla Thorell
Chrysilla volupe (Karsch, 1879) (Image 28A)
Chrysilla volupe Caleb, 2016a: 271.
Chrysilla volupe Caleb et al., 2018: 144, figs.
1–25.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA30, 1 male, 20.vii.2010,
MCC, Chennai, coll. Sam Thomas.
Global distribution: Sri Lanka, India, and Bhutan.
Distribution in India: Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
Genus Cyrba Simon
Cyrba ocellata (Kroneberg, 1875) (Images 15E–G,
28B)
Cyrba micans Simon, 1885b: 457.
Cyrba ocellata Wanless, 1984: 455, figs. 7A–F,
8A–G, 18A–C.
Cyrba ocellata Talwar et al., 2017: 139, figs.
1–13.
Cyrba ocellata Majagi et al., 2018: 16, figs.
1–6.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA31, 1 male, 20.vii.2010,
MCC, coll. Sam Thomas.
Global distribution: Eastern Africa to India and
Indonesia, Caucasus to central Asia, and China. Introduced to Australia
(Queensland).
Distribution in India: Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Harmochirus Simon
Harmochirus exaggeratus Caleb & Mathai, 2015 (Images
15H–K, 16A–C, 28C)
Harmochirus exaggeratus Caleb & Mathai, 2015: 117,
figs. 1–26.
Specimens examined: NCBS-QA471, holotype male, MCC,
27.ii.2014; NCBS-QA472, allotype female, 12.viii.2013; NCBS-QA468, 1 paratype
male, 10.vi.2013; NCBS-QA470, 1 male, 19.vii.2013; NCBS-QA473, 1 female,
27.vi.2013: all coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Natural History: Found among grass and leaf litter
in the scrub.
Harmochirus zabkai Logunov, 2001 (Images 16D–E, 28D)
Harmochirus brachiatus Tikader, 1976: 410, figs. 1–5.
Harmochirus zabkai Logunov, 2001: 260, figs.
248–256.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA429, 1 male, 29.i.2013,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka,
Nepal, Laos, and Vietnam.
Distribution in India: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab,
and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Hasarius Simon
Hasarius adansoni (Audouin, 1826) (Image 28E)
Hasarius adansoni Prószyński &
Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010: 168, figs. 79–84.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA589, 1 male, 21.vi.2013,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Africa. Introduced to both
Americas, Europe, India, Laos, Vietnam, China, and Japan
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu (new record) and West
Bengal.
Genus Hyllus C.L. Koch
Hyllus manu Caleb et al., 2014 (Images 16F–H,
28F–G)
Hyllus manu Caleb et al., 2014: 635, figs.
1–10.
Specimens examined: Holotype: SRC-ZSI I/SP 12, 1 male,
10.vi.2013, MCC; paratypes from same location: SRC-ZSI I/SP 15, 1 male
12.xii.2013; SRC-ZSI I/SP 13, 1 female, 10.vi.2013; SRC-ZSI I/SP 14, 1
female, 12.viii.2013; NCBS-QA451, 1 female, 18.x.2013, coll. John Caleb T.D.
& Anulin Christudhas.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Hyllus semicupreus (Simon, 1885) (Image 28H)
Thyene semicuprea Simon, 1885a: 4, 29, pl. 10,
fig. 1.
Sandalodes semicupreus Simon, 1903: 689, figs. 820–821.
Phidippus indicus Tikader, 1974a: 122, figs. 5–9.
Phidippus indicus Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 92,
figs. 160–163.
Hyllus semicupreus Prószyński, 1992: 180, figs. 57,
60–64.
Hyllus semicupreus Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2016: 16, figs. 12A–E, 25A, 27H.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA264, 1 male, 18.x.2012;
MCC-ARA261, 1 female, 18.x.2012; MCC-ARA97, 1 male, 29.ii.2012; MCC-ARA109, 1
female, 15.iii.2012; MCC-ARA320, 1 female, 15.xi.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb
T.D.
Global distribution: India, Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat,
Tamil Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Genus Langona Simon
Langona albolinea Caleb & Mathai, 2015 (Image
28I)
Langona albolinea Caleb & Mathai, in Caleb,
Mungkung & Mathai, 2015: 3, figs. 6–15.
Specimens examined: NCBS-QA455, holotype male,
MCC, 12.viii.2013, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Langona davidi (Caleb, Mungkung & Mathai,
2015) comb. nov. (Images 17H–J, 29C)
Mashonarus davidi Caleb, Mungkung & Mathai,
2015: 5, figs. 16–25.
Phlegra davidi Logunov & Azarkina, 2018:
112, figs. 504–506.
Specimens examined: NCBS-QA483, holotype male,
04.x.2014, MCC, coll. Soreiphy Mungkung & John Caleb T.D.; NCBS-AU138, 1
male, 13.ix.2016, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Remarks: The species was originally
described in the genus Mashonarus but was later transferred to Phlegra
by Logunov & Azarkina (2018). It is
assigned to Langona based on the presence of a single RTA accompanied by
thick long setae (Fig. 17J) which is characteristic of the genus.
Langona tigrina (Simon, 1885) (Images 18A–I, 28J)
Aelurillus tigrinus Simon, 1885b: 456, pl. 10, fig.
9.
Langona tigrina Heciak & Prószyński, 1983:
228, figs. 17,32,39.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA195, 1 female, 9.x.2012;
MCC-ARA285, 1 female, 5.xi.2012; MCC-ARA469, 1 male, 14.ii.2013; MCC-ARA508, 1
male, 11.iii.2013, MCC-ARA590–ARA591, 1 female & 1 male, 21.vi.2013, MCC,
coll. John Caleb T.D.
Diagnosis. The male palp resembles L.
bhutanica but can be distinguished by the absence of flattened scale-like
bristles at the edge of the tibial junction (present in L. bhutanica)
(cf. fig 10 in Heciak & Prószyński 1983 with Image 18E). Females can be readily distinguished by its
abdominal pattern with a median lighter stripe with lateral dark streaks (cf.
fig. 39 in Heciak & Prószyński 1983 with Image 18F).
Description. Male (in mm; Images
18A–E). Total length: 4.60; carapace: 2.46 long, 1.84 wide; abdomen: 2.14 long,
1.32 wide. Clypeus height 0.21. Eye measurements: AME 0.33, ALE 0.19, PME
0.07, PLE 0.17, AER 1.10, PER 1.11, EFL 0.82. Leg measurements: I 3.49 (1.24,
0.76, 0.60, 0.46, 0.43); II 3.40 (1.14, 0.75, 0.65, 0.50, 0.36); III 4.62
(1.47, 0.86, 0.78, 0.94, 0.57); IV 4.81 (1.46, 0.67, 1.20, 0.95, 0.53). Leg formula: 4312. Carapace reddish-brown, eye field densely
covered with golden-brown hairs.
Posterior part of the carapace with a pair of faint white stripes. Outer margin of carapace lined by a broad
band of white hairs (Image 18A). Clypeus
covered with white hairs (Image 18B).
Anterior eyes surrounded by yellow-white scales. Sternum oval, yellow brown. Chelicerae yellowish-brown, with a single
tooth on the promargin and toothless on the retromargin; labium and maxillae
brown with paler margins. Legs yellowish
except brown femora, tibiae and metatarsi of leg I. Abdomen brownish with a mid-longitudinal
darker patch in the cardiac area. Lateral margins covered with white
hairs. Spinnerets yellow, covered with
white hairs dorsally (Image 18A). Palps
yellow-brown; embolus thin, bulbus with a proximal projection; RTA single
accompanied with long black setae; VTA blunt, directed anteriad (Images 18C-E).
Female (in mm; Images
18F–I). Total length: 5.67; carapace: 2.38 long, 1.91 wide; abdomen:
3.29 long, 2.27 wide. Clypeus height 0.22. Eye measurements: AME 0.31, ALE
0.19, PME 0.05, PLE 0.16, AER 1.14, PER 1.19, EFL 0.81. Leg measurements: I
3.54 (1.27, 0.87, 0.59, 0.38, 0.43); II 3.32 (1.16, 0.84, 0.56, 0.38, 0.38);
III 4.60 (1.40, 0.91, 0.82, 0.90, 0.57); IV 5.12 (1.42, 0.87, 1.03, 1.20,
0.60). Leg formula: 4312. Colour same as in males (Image 18F) but
differs in the following: the clypeus brownish-yellow; thin white stripe
originates between the AMEs and ALEs gently moves laterally and joins the
lateral white band (Image 18G). Abdomen
brownish, with a median lighter band with lateral darker streaks broken by
diagonal branches (Image 18F). Epigyne
as in Image 18H; copulatory ducts long; spermathecae pear-shaped (Image 18I).
Remarks: Hęciak & Prószyński (1983)
redescribed the species based on the single holotype female originally
described by Simon in 1885. There are no
additional records of this species in the literature. The species was known hitherto by the female
sex only and the male is described here for the first time. The species is discovered and redescribed 135
years after its first description.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Menemerus Simon
Menemerus bivittatus (Dufour, 1831) (Images 28K,L)
Menemerus bivittatus Sen et al., 2015: 33, figs.
87–91, pl. 13.
Menemerus bivittatus Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 30, figs. 43–47, pl. 17.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA196, 1 male, 9.x.2012;
MCC-ARA209, 1 male, 11.x.2012; MCC-ARA330, 1 male, 23.xi.2012; MCC-ARA433, 1
female, 8.ii.2013; MCC-ARA539, 1 female, 25.iii.2013; MCC-ARA645, 1 male,
12.viii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Africa. Introduced to North, central,
and South America, southern Europe, China, Japan, Australia, and Pacific
Islands.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu (new record) and West
Bengal.
Genus Myrmaplata Prószyński
Myrmaplata plataleoides O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869
(Image 28M)
Myrmarachne plataleoides Bhattacharya, 1937: 426, fig. 3.
Myrmarachne daitarensis Prószyński, 1992: 185, figs.
80-81, 83–89.
Myrmarachne megachelae Kumar & Mohanasundaram,
1998: 27, 5 unnumbered figs. Syn. nov.
Myrmarachne plataleoides Sen et al., 2015: 42, figs. 147–151,
pl. 14.
Myrmarachne plataleoides Benjamin, 2015: 2646, figs.
29A–D, 30A–D, 31A–E.
Myrmarachne plataleoides Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2016: 25, figs. 21A–G, 26A, 28A–C.
Myrmarachne plataleoides Caleb, 2016b: 411, figs. 31–54.
Specimens examined: NCBS-AR134, 1 male, 25.iii.2013;
NCBS-AR133, 2 males, 09.v.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D. & Nagoor Meerasa
Mohammed.
Global distribution: India, Sri Lanka, China, and
southeastern Asia.
Distribution in India: Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil
Nadu, and West Bengal.
Remarks: Myrmarachne megachelae
Kumar & Mohanasundaram, 1998 was described from Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu. From the original illustrations it
is apparent that the species corresponds to the darker form of M.
plataleoides as illustrated in Caleb (2016b) (cf. figs from Kumar &
Mohanasundaram (1998) with figs 37–40 in Caleb (2016b)). The species is identical in general
morphology and cheliceral pattern with dorsally flattened basal region and
swollen anterior region and dentition with 5 promarginal teeth. Therefore, M.
megachelae, is considered a junior synonym of M. plataleoides.
Genus Myrmarachne MacLeay
Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839 (Image 28N)
Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839: 11, pl. 1, fig.
4.
Myrmarachne orientales Tikader, 1973: 60, figs. 3–6.
Myrmarachne orientales Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 105,
figs. 193–194.
Myrmarachne orientales Sen et al., 2015: 42, figs.
152–156, pl. 14.
Myrmarachne melanocephala Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2016: 24, figs. 20A–F, 25I, 27R.
Myrmarachne melanocephala Caleb, 2016b: 410, figs. 20–30.
Myrmarachne melanocephala Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 39, figs. 105–109, pl. 17.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA205, 1 male, 10.x.2012;
MCC-ARA314–ARA315, 1 male & 1 female, 14.xi.2012; MCC-ARA630, 1 female,
27.vii.2013; MCC-ARA660, 1 female, 18.x.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Pakistan to Indonesia.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and West
Bengal.
Genus Phanuelus Caleb
& Mathai
Phanuelus gladstone Caleb & Mathai, 2015 (Images
17A–D, 28O)
Phanuelus gladstone Caleb & Mathai, in Caleb,
Mungkung & Mathai, 2015: 7, figs. 26–46.
Specimens examined: NCBS-QA474, holotype male, MCC,
13.ix.2013, coll. John Caleb T.D.; paratypes: NCBS-QA475, 1 female, 13.ix.2013;
NCBS-QA476, 1 male, 27.vi.2013; NCBS-QA477, 1 male, 27.x.2014; NCBS-QA478, 1
male, 28.x.2014, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Natural history: The species is tiny and
cryptically coloured making it hard to notice.
Genus Phintella Strand
Phintella vittata (C.L. Koch, 1846) (Image 29A)
Salticus ranjitus Tikader, 1967: 117, figs. 1a–c.
Salticus ranjitus Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 89,
figs. 154–155.
Phintella vittata Prószyński, 1992: 200, figs.
148–152.
Phintella vittata
Sen et al., 2015: 37, figs. 10–111, pl. 13.
Phintella vittata Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2016: 18, figs. 15A–E, 25D, 27K.
Phintella vittata Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 34, figs. 73–77, pl. 18.
Phintella vittata Tyagi et al., 2019: Supplement,
figs. S2.54, S3.27–30.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA32, 1 female,
20.vii.2010; MCC-ARA262–ARA263, 2 females, 18.x.2012; MCC-ARA608, 1 male,
18.vii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India to Philippines.
Distribution in India: Goa, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu (new
record), and West Bengal.
Genus Phintelloides Kanesharatnam & Benjamin
Phintelloides jesudasi Caleb & Mathai, 2014 (Images
17E–G, 29B)
Phintelloides jesudasi Kanesharatnam & Benjamin,
2019: 41, figs. 3, 6E–H, 17A–E, 18A–D.
Specimens examined: SRC-ZSI I/SP 7, holotype male,
18.v.2014, Vanianchatiram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, coll. John Caleb T.D. &
John Thomas C.H.; SRC-ZSI I/SP 8, 1 female allotype (data same as holotype);
SRC-ZSI I/SP 9, 1 female paratype, 18.viii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Phlegra Simon
Phlegra prasanna Caleb & Mathai, 2015 (Images
19A–D, 29D)
Phlegra prasanna Caleb & Mathai, in Caleb,
Mungkung & Mathai, 2015: 11, figs. 47–56.
Specimens examined: NCBS-QA481, holotype male,
20.iii.2014, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.; Paratype: NCBS-QA482,1 male paratype,
06.x.2014, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Plexippus C.L. Koch
Plexippus paykulli (Audouin, 1826) (Image 29E)
Plexippus paykulli Tikader, 1967: 120, figs. 4a–c.
Marpissa bengalensis Tikader, 1974b: 211, figs.
11–12.
Marpissa mandali Tikader, 1974b: 213, figs.
13–16.
Plexippus paykulli Sen et al., 2015: 31, figs.
72–76, pl. 13.
Plexippus paykulli Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2016: 16, figs. 13A–E, 25B, 27I.
Plexippus paykulli Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 27, figs. 20–27, pl. 18.
Plexippus paykulli Tyagi et al., 2019: Supplement,
figs. S2.57, S3.33–36.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA111, 1 male, 15.iii.2012;
MCC-ARA513, 1 male, 11.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Africa. Introduced to both
Americas, Europe, Middle East, India, China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Papua
New Guinea, Australia, and Pacific islands.
Distribution in India: Lakshadweep Islands, Maharashtra,
Sikkim, Tamil Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Plexippus petersi (Karsch, 1878) (Image 29F)
Plexippus petersi Tyagi et al., 2019: Supplement,
figs. S2.56, S3.37–38.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA43, 1 male, 9.i.2011;
MCC-ARA576, 1 male, 10.vi.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Asia. Introduced to Africa and
Pacific islands.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu (new record) and West
Bengal.
Genus Rhene Thorell
Rhene flavicomans Simon, 1902 (Image 29G)
Rhene flavicomans Jastrzębski, 1997: 51, figs.
9–11.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA34, 1 female, 20.vii.2010;
MCC-ARA546, 1 female, 25.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, and Vietnam.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu (new record) and West
Bengal.
Genus Stenaelurillus Simon
Stenaelurillus lesserti Reimoser, 1934 (Images 19E–J,
29H)
Stenaelurillus lesserti Reimoser, 1934: 504, figs.
25–26.
Stenaelurillus lesserti Prószyński, 1984: 139.
Stenaelurillus lesserti Wesolowska, 2014: 248, figs.
1A–B, 2A–F, 3A–D.
Stenaelurillus lesserti Sebastian et al., 2015: 72,
figs. 4A–C, 5A–G, 6A–C, 7B, 10A–J, 11A–F.
Stenaelurillus lesserti Caleb & Sanap, 2016: 83,
figs. 1–11.
Stenaelurillus lesserti Logunov & Azarkina, 2018:
77, figs. 87–89, 336–337.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA579–ARA583, 1 male, 4
females, 10.vi.2013; MCC-ARA616, 1 female, 22.vii.2013;
NCBS-AR118, 1 male, 26.vi.2013; NCBS-AR119, 1 male,
21.vi.2013; NCBS-AR120, 1 male, 18.vii.2013; NCBS-AR121, 1 male,
02.vii.2013; NCBS-AR122, 1 female, 05.ix.2013: MCC, all coll. John Caleb
T.D.; NCBS-AR123, 2 females, 31.i.2014, coll. Karthy.
Type material: Type material kept at NHMW,
Vienna. Reg No: NHMW 21.890. Photographs of the types were obtained from NHMW
by Mr. M. Freudenshuss.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil
Nadu.
Stenaelurillus metallicus Caleb & Mathai, 2016 (Images
19K–N, 29I)
Stenaelurillus metallicus Caleb & Mathai, 2016a: 185,
figs. 1–22.
Specimens examined: NCBS-AR103, holotype male,
21.vi.2013, MCC , coll. John Caleb T.D.; paratypes (from same location):
NCBS-AR110, 1 male, 21.vi.2013; NCBS-AR109, 1 male, 18.vii.2013; NCBS-AR104
& AR113, 1 male & 1 female, 5.ix.2013; NCBS-AR112, 1 female 11.xi.2013;
NCBS-AR111, 1 male, 21.iv.2015, all coll. John Caleb T.D.; NCBS-AR105–AR108
& AR114–AR117, 4 males & 4 females, 30.i.2014, coll. Karthy
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Telamonia Thorell
Telamonia dimidiata (Simon, 1899) (Image 29J)
Phidippus pateli Tikader, 1974a: 124, figs.
10–11.
Phidippus pateli Tikader & Malhotra, 1978:
543, figs. 1–3.
Phidippus pateli Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 91,
figs. 156–159.
Telamonia dimidiata Prószyński, 1992: 207.
Telamonia dimidiata Sen et al., 2015: 38, figs. 117–121,
pl. 13.
Telamonia dimidiata Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2016: 12, figs. 10A–E, 24H, 27F.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA236,1 female, 16.x.2012;
MCC-ARA313, 1 female, 14.xi.2012; MCC-ARA90, 1 male, 15.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA327–ARA328, 1 male & 1 female, 23.xi.2012; MCC-ARA479, 1 male,
21.ii.2013; MCC-ARA514, 1 female, 11.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Bhutan, Malaysia, and
Indonesia (Sumatra).
Distribution in India: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
(new record), and West Bengal.
Genus Thyene Simon
Thyene imperialis (Rossi, 1846) (Images 29K, L)
Thyene imperialis Prószyński &
Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010: 184, figs. 154–156, 163.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA208, 1 male, 11.x.2012;
MCC-ARA480, 1 female, 21.ii.2013; MCC-ARA499, 1 male, 27.ii.2013;
MCC-ARA540–ARA541, 1 male & 1 female, 25.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John
Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Southern Europe, northern and
eastern Africa, Middle East to central Asia, China, India, and Indonesia
Distribution in India: Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
Family Scytodidae Blackwall
Genus Scytodes Latreille
Scytodes lugubris (Thorell, 1887) (Images 20A–D,
29M)
Dictis lugubris Thorell, 1887: 86.
Scytodes lugubris Rheims, Brescovit &
Durán-Barrón, 2007: 105, figs. 20–22, 90–93.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA233, 1 female, 16.x.2012;
MCC-ARA289, 1 female, 5.xi.2012; MCC-ARA323, 1 female, 15.xi.2012, MCC-ARA577,
1 female, 10.vi.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Tropical Asia. Introduced to
Hawaii, Mexico.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu (new record).
Family Sicariidae Keyserling
Genus Loxosceles Heineken
& Lowe
Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820) (Images 21A–H,
29N)
Loxosceles indrabeles Tikader, 1963: 23, figs. 1a–c.
Loxosceles rufescens Trivedi & Dal, 2019: 2,
figs. 1a–h, 2a–f.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA484–ARA486, 2 females
& 1 male, 25.ii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Southern Europe, northern Africa
to Iran. Introduced to USA, Mexico, Macaronesia, South Africa, India, China,
Japan, Korea, Laos, Thailand, Australia, Hawaii.
Distribution in India: Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil
Nadu (new record).
Family Sparassidae Bertkau
Genus Heteropoda Latreille
Heteropoda venatoria (Linnaeus, 1767) (Image 29O)
Heteropoda venatoria Gravely, 1931: 251, figs. 9C,
10D.
Heteropoda andamanensis Tikader, 1977: 189, figs. 16A–E
Heteropoda nicobarensis Tikader, 1977: 191, figs. 17A–D
Heteropoda andamanensis Sethi & Tikader, 1988: 15,
figs. 40–45.
Heteropoda nicobarensis Sethi & Tikader, 1988: 28,
figs. 130–134.
Heteropoda venatoria Sethi & Tikader, 1988: 16,
figs. 52–57.
Heteropoda venatoria Sen et al., 2015: 57, figs.
289–293, pl. 16.
Heteropoda venatoria Dhali, Saha & Raychaudhuri,
2017: 45, figs. 140–145, pl. 19.
Heteropoda venatoria Tyagi et al., 2019: Supplement,
figs. S2.63, S3.7–10.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA105–ARA106, 2 females,
6.iii.2012; MCC-ARA523, 1 male, 21.iii.2013; MCC-ARA584, 1 female, 10.vi.2013,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Tropical Asia. Introduced to
Pacific Is., North, Central and South America, Macaronesia, Europe, Africa
Distribution in India: Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and
almost all over India (Sethi & Tikader 1988).
Genus Olios Walckenaer
Olios lamarcki (Latreille, 1806) (Image 30A)
Sparassus lamarcki Pocock, 1900: 267.
Olios lamarcki Gravely, 1931: 241, figs. 5B,
6B–C.
Olios lamarcki Caleb, 2018: 339, figs. 1–17.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA35–ARA36, 2 females,
28.vii.2010; MCC-ARA644, 1 male, 8.viii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Madagascar to India, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh.
Distribution in India: Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West
Bengal.
Genus Palystes L. Koch
Palystes flavidus Simon, 1897 (Image 30B)
Palystes flavidus Pocock, 1900: 266.
Palystes flavidus Gravely, 1931: 258, figs. 14A–B.
Palystes flavidus Tikader & Sethi, 1990: 178,
figs. 38–43.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA37, 1 female, 30.vii.2010;
MCC-ARA232, 1 female, 12.x.2012, MCC-ARA237, 1 male, 16.x.2012; MCC-ARA601, 1
female, 27.vi.2013; MCC-ARA609, 1 male, 18.vii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Bihar, eastern Himalaya, Odisha,
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Family Tetragnathidae Menge
Genus Guizygiella Zhu, Kim
and Song
Guizygiella melanocrania (Thorell, 1887) (Images 30C,
33D)
Zygiella melanocrania Tikader & Bal, 1980: 243,
figs. 1–4.
Zygiella melanocrania Tikader, 1982: 215, figs.
419–422.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA795, 1 female, 22.iv.2014,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India to China, Laos.
Distribution in India: Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and
Tamil Nadu (new record).
Genus Leucauge White
Leucauge decorata (Blackwall, 1864) (Images 30D,
33C)
Tetragnatha decorata Blackwall, 1864: 44.
Nephila angustata Stoliczka, 1869: 241, pl. 20, fig.
7.
Leucauge decorata Simon, 1906: 282.
Leucauge decorata Gravely, 1921b: 451, 454, figs.
8d–e.
Leucauge decorata Tikader, 1970: 41, figs. d–f.
Leucauge decorata Gajbe, 2007: 509, figs. 263–265.
Leucauge decorata Sen et al., 2015: 102, figs.
595–600, pl. 21.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA45, 1 female, 9.i.2011;
MCC-ARA93, 1 female, 24.ii.2012; MCC-ARA718, 1 male, 03.xii.2013, MCC, coll.
John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh to
Thailand, Philippines, China, Japan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and
Australia.
Distribution in India: Assam, Bihar, Gujarat,
Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar
Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Genus Meta C.L. Koch
?Meta sp. (Image 30E)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA281, 1 female, 05.xi.2012;
MCC-ARA481, 1 female, 21.ii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Tetragnatha Latreille
Tetragnatha mandibulata Walckenaer, 1841 (Image 30F)
Tetragnatha mandibulata Pocock, 1900: 215, fig. 67.
Tetragnatha mandibulata Gravely, 1921b: 429, 441 figs.
1d, 3d–e.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA270, 1 female, 26.x.2012;
MCC-ARA309, 1 female, 8.xi.2012; MCC-ARA611, 1 male, 18.vii.2013, MCC, coll.
John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Central America, Caribbean, Guyana,
Brazil, West Africa, India to Philippines, and Australia.
Distribution in India: Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka,
Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Family Theraphosidae Thorell
Genus Sahydroaraneus Mirza & Sanap
Sahydroaraneus sp. (Images 22A–F, 30G)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA422, 1 female, 21.i.2013;
MCC-ARA428, 1 female, 29.i.2013; MCC-ARA509, 1 female, 11.iii.2013;
WILD-13-ARA-1236, 1 female, 01.viii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Family Theridiidae Sundevall
Genus Argyrodes Simon
Argyrodes argentatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1880
(Image 30H)
Argyrodes argentatus Javed, Srinivasulu & Tampal,
2010: 982, figs. 4–6.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA103, 1 female,
06.iii.2012; MCC-ARA551, 1 female, 07.v.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India, Indonesia to China.
Introduced to Hawaii.
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and
Tamil Nadu (new record).
Genus Ariamnes Thorell
Ariamnes sp. (Image 30I)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA524, 1 female, 21.iii.2013,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Meotipa Simon
Meotipa multuma Murthappa, Malamel, Prajapati,
Sebastian & Venkateshwarlu, 2017 (Image 30J)
Meotipa multuma Murthappa et al., 2017: 592,
figs. 3A–E, 4E–F.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA234, 1 female, 16.x.2012;
MCC-ARA423, 1 female, 23.i.2013, MCC-ARA462, 1 female, 13.ii.2013; MCC-ARA544,
1 male, 25.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (new record).
Genus Nihonhimea Yoshida
Nihonhimea mundula (L. Koch, 1872) (Images 30K, 33E)
Achaearanea mundula Chrysanthus, 1963: 741, figs.
76–77, 83.
Parasteatoda mundula Saaristo, 2006: 69, figs. 55–59.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA100, 1 female, 29.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA331, 1 female, 23.xi.2012; MCC-ARA460, 1 female, 13.ii.2013, MCC, coll.
John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: Seychelles, India to New
Caledonia.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu (new record).
Genus Rhomphaea L. Koch
Rhomphaea projiciens O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896
(Image 30L)
Argyrodes projiciens Patel, 1973: 152.
Rhomphaea projiciens Srinivasulu et al., 2013: 4486.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA510, 1 female,
11.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: USA to Argentina. Introduced to
India.
Distribution in India: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
(new record).
Family Thomisidae Sundevall
Genus Bomis L. Koch
Bomis khajuriai Tikader, 1980 (Image 30M)
Bomis khajuriai Tikader, 1980a: 141.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA612, 1 female, 18.vii.2013,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
(new record).
Genus Henriksenia Lehtinen
Henriksenia hilaris (Thorell, 1877) (Image 30N)
Misumenoides deccanes Tikader, 1965: 279, figs. 3a–b.
Misumenoides shulli Tikader, 1965: 280, figs. 4a–b.
Diaea jaintious Tikader, 1966: 59, figs. 5a–b.
Diaea jaintious Tikader, 1968: 108, figs. 4–5.
Diaea jaintious Tikader, 1971: 44, figs. 13C–D.
Misumenoides deccanes Tikader, 1971: 59, figs. 16J–K.
Misumenoides shulli Tikader, 1971: 59, figs. 16R–S.
Misumena decorata Tikader, 1980a: 103, figs.
145–146.
Diaea jaintious Tikader, 1980a: 105, figs.
147–148.
Misumenoides deccanes Tikader, 1980a: 152, figs.
216–217.
Misumenoides shulli Tikader, 1980a: 154, figs. 218–219.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA112, 1 female,
15.iii.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India to Philippines, Indonesia
(Sulawesi), and New Guinea.
Distribution in India: Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tamil
Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
Genus Indoxysticus Benjamin
Indoxysticus minutus (Tikader, 1960) (Image 30O)
Xysticus minutus Tikader, 1960: 173, figs. 1a–b.
Xysticus minutus Tikader, 1968: 113, figs. 18–20.
Xysticus minutus Tikader, 1971: 50, figs. 14K–M.
Xysticus minutus Tikader, 1980a: 120, figs.
165–167.
Xysticus minutus Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 80,
figs. 143–144.
Xysticus minutes Gajbe, 2007: 444, figs. 44–46.
Indoxysticus minutus Benjamin & Jaleel, 2010:
162, figs. 3–4, 8–15.
Xysticus minutus Sen et al., 2015: 67, figs.
364–368, pl. 17.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA282, 1 female, 05.xi.2012,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and Sri Lanka
Distribution in India: Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra,
Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Genus Pagida Simon
Pagida salticiformis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1883)
(Images 23A–B, 31A)
Palaephatus salticiformis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1883: 362,
pl. 37, fig. 7.
Pagida salticiformis Simon, 1895: 1000, figs.
1064–1065.
Pagida salticiformis Benjamin & Clayton, 2016:
361, figs. 4–16, 18–30, 34–37.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA95, 1 female, 28.ii.2012;
MCC-ARA741, 1 male, 16.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India (new record) and Sri
Lanka.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Runcinia Simon
Runcinia insecta (L. Koch, 1875) (Images 23C–F,
31B)
Thomisus cherapunjeus Tikader, 1966: 53, figs. 1a–b.
Thomisus cherapunjeus Tikader, 1968: 104, figs. 13–14.
Thomisus cherapunjeus Tikader, 1971: 24, figs. 8K–L.
Runcinia chauhani Sen & Basu, 1973: 103, figs.
1A–B.
Runcinia chauhani Tikader, 1980a: 60, figs. 89–90.
Thomisus cherapunjeus Tikader, 1980a: 54, figs. 82–83.
Thomisus cherapunjeus Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 78,
figs. 139–140.
Thomisus cherapunjeus Sunil Jose & Sebastian,
2001: 184, figs. 2A–B.
Thomisus cherapunjeus Gajbe, 2007: 440, figs. 40–41.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA367, 1 female,
12.xii.2012; MCC-ARA483, 1 female, 21.ii.2013; MCC-ARA545, 1 female
25.iii.2013; MCC-ARA716, 1 female 03.xii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb
T.D.
Global distribution: Africa and Asia. Introduced to
Australia.
Distribution in India: Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,
Meghalaya, and Tamil Nadu.
Genus Synema Simon
Synema decoratum Tikader, 1960 (Image 31C)
Synema decorata Tikader, 1960: 174, figs. 2a-c.
Synema decorata Tikader, 1971: 54, figs. 15J–M.
Synema decorata Tikader, 1980a: 136, figs.
192–195.
Synema decorata Gajbe, 2007: 447, figs. 50–53.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA33, 1 female, 20.vii.2010;
MCC-ARA501, 1 female, 27.ii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Global distribution: India and China.
Distribution in India: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil
Nadu (new record), and West Bengal.
Genus Thomisus Walckenaer
Thomisus pugilis Stoliczka, 1869 (Image 31D)
Thomisus pugilis Stoliczka, 1869: 225, pl. 19,
fig. 3.
Thomisus pugilis Tikader, 1971: 21.
Thomisus pugilis Tikader, 1980a: 48, figs. 71–72.
Thomisus pugilis Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 76,
figs. 135–136.
Thomisus pugilis Gajbe, 2007: 439.
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA134–ARA135, 1 female &
1 male, 26.iii.2012; MCC-ARA268, 1 female, 26.x.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb
T.D.
Global distribution: India.
Distribution in India: Punjab, Tamil Nadu (new record),
and West Bengal.
Thomisus sp. 1 (Image 31E)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA131, 1 female,
26.iii.2012, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Thomisus sp. 2 (Image 31F)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA271, 1 female, 26.x.2012,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Tmarus Simon
Tmarus sp. (Image 31G)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA317, 1 female, 14.xi.2012,
MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Family Uloboridae Thorell
Genus Uloborus Latreille
Uloborus sp. (Images 23G, 31H, 33F)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA41, 1 female, 30.vii.2010;
MCC-ARA91, 1 male, 15.ii.2012; MCC-ARA110, 1 female, 15.iii.2012; MCC-ARA136, 1
female, 28.iii.2012; MCC-ARA461, 1 female, 13.ii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb
T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Family Zodariidae Thorell
Genus Hermippus Simon
Hermippus sp. (Images 31I)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA578, 1 female, 10.vi.2013;
MCC-ARA794, 1 male, 22.iv.2014, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
Genus Tropizodium Jocqué
& Churchill
Tropizodium sp. (Images 31J)
Specimens examined: MCC-ARA522, 1 female,
21.iii.2013, MCC, coll. John Caleb T.D.
Distribution in India: Tamil Nadu.
RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION
The present study details the
diversity of spiders from the MCC campus, Tambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 25 families, 84 genera and 108
species were recorded during the study, amongst which, 10 species are new to
science, along with 31 being recorded for the first time from the state of
Tamil Nadu (Table 2).
Of the 60 families recorded in
the Indian region, 25 are found in the MCC campus. This represents 41% of the total families
recorded in India. Salticidae was the
most diverse with 28 species under 22 genera.
It is followed by Araneidae with 19 species belonging to 11 genera. Thomisidae (10 species), Lycosidae (seven
species), Oxyopidae (five species) and Theridiidae (five species) (Figure 1)
constitute other major families. Among the 469 genera recorded from the Indian
region, 84 (18%) have been recorded from MCC.
Maximum generic diversity was found in Salticidae (22 genera) followed
by Araneidae (11), Thomisidae (eight), Lycosidae (five) and Theridiidae (five)
(Figure 1). The 108 species correspond
to 5% of the total Indian diversity (1830 species) and 47% of the diversity
known from Tamil Nadu (226 species) (Karthikeyani et al. 2017). Twenty species (18%) are endemic to India, of
which, nine are from Salticidae, three from Araneidae, two from Gnaphosidae,
and one each from Corinnidae, Idiopidae, Lycosidae, Philodromidae, Sparassidae
and Theridiidae. Eleven species are endemic to the Indo-Sri Lankan region
(Table 2). Guild structure analysis
revealed seven feeding guilds (Uetz et al. 1999) (Table 1). Dominant feeding guild is constituted by the
stalkers (33%) followed by orb web weavers (24%), ground runners (19%),
ambushers (12%), scattered line weavers (9%), foliage runners (8%) and sheet
web builders (3%) (Figure 2). The
different web patterns of various spider families are illustrated in Images
32A–H & 33A–F.
The diversity of invertebrates
especially the arachnids have been understudied and poorly represented in the
region owing to a lack of up-to-date comprehensive studies. For instance, even large and speciose family
as Salticidae has been severely neglected with the vast majority of Indian
forms remaining undescribed or understudied.
The present study has recorded the highest number of species (28) from
this family, of which, eight were new to science. No large-scale work was undertaken in or
around Chennai for more than seven decades after the early studies carried out
by Sherriffs (1919, 1927) and Gravely (1921, 1924, 1931, 1935) in the early
half of the 20th century.
Many species were rediscovered
after several decades with no records or observations until the present study,
for example, Araneus viridisomus Gravely (described in 1921 and recorded
only in 2014; Caleb & Mathai 2014), Aetius decollatus O.
Pickard-Cambridge (recorded by Reimoser in 1934 and rediscovered in 2016; Caleb & Mathai 2016; Sudhin et al. 2016),
Coenoptychus pulcher Simon (recorded in 1931 by Gravely and rediscovered
in 2018; Paul et al. 2018 and present study).
Two species (Oxyopes hindostanicus Pocock, 1901 and Langona
tigrina (Simon, 1885)) were redescribed based on original type specimens
only and have not been recorded or collected again. These have been recorded and illustrated in
the present study. Such vast intervals between sightings/reports indicate the
poor state of faunistic studies in the Indian context.
MCC has a very rich and diverse
habitat structure (Images 2A–H). The
vegetation structure is predominantly tropical dry evergreen forest (Lal &
Livingstone 1978; Amirthalingam 2005).
Satellite data showed that over 99% of the area under scrub jungle
vegetation has been lost in Chengelpet, near Tambaram (Shankar-Raman et al.
1996). Currently 95% of the potential
area under evergreen type is under cultivation, 4.5% under thicket, and barely
0.5% remains under scrub-woodlands. This
5% group has been placed under Albizia amara plesioclimax community with
several sub-communities and transitions (Meher-Homji 1973).
Despite the rapid loss of habitat
and destruction around the MCC campus, the campus itself on the other hand has
conserved rapidly vanishing unique habitat of the scrub regions and the
tropical dry evergreen forest with much of the native flora and fauna intact
(Phillips & Jesudasan 2013). This
fact has been supported by the recent discovery of many new species of fungus
(Hosagoudar et al. 2009), white files (Phillips & Jesudasan 2013), and
spiders (Caleb & Mathai 2013, 2014a, 2015, 2016; Caleb et al. 2014, 2015,
2020) from the campus. During the recent
past, however, fragmentation and human interference is gradually taking its
toll in the campus for educational, housing, developmental activities and
recreational facilities. Therefore,
conservation and protection of these last left exclusive lifelines which are
home to several unique species is the need of the hour.
Table 1. Different functional guild structure of
spiders found in MCC campus.
|
Guilds |
Families
|
|
Orb web
weavers |
Araneidae,
Tetragnathidae, Uloboridae |
|
Ambushers |
Deinopidae,
Philodromidae, Thomisidae |
|
Stalkers |
Oxyopidae,
Salticidae |
|
Scattered
line weavers |
Pholcidae,
Theridiidae |
|
Sheet web
weavers |
Eresidae,
Oecobiidae |
|
Foliage
runners |
Clubionidae,
Cheiracanthiidae, Hersiliidae, Scytodidae, Sparassidae |
|
Ground
runners |
Corinnidae,
Gnaphosidae, Idiopidae, Liocranidae, Lycosidae, Sicariidae, Theraphosidae,
Zodariidae |
Table 2. Checklist of spider species found in the
Madras Christian College campus.
|
|
Family |
Species |
|
1 |
Araneidae |
Anepsion
maritatum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877# |
|
2 |
Araneus bilunifer Pocock, 1900* |
|
|
3 |
Araneus
viridisomus Gravely, 1921* |
|
|
4 |
Argiope aemula (Walckenaer,
1841) |
|
|
5 |
Argiope anasuja Thorell, 1887 |
|
|
6 |
Argiope pulchella Thorell, 1881 |
|
|
7 |
Cyclosa confraga (Thorell, 1892)# |
|
|
8 |
Cyclosa hexatuberculata Tikader, 1982# |
|
|
9 |
Cyclosa neilensis Tikader, 1977*# |
|
|
10 |
Cyrtophora cicatrosa (Stoliczka,
1869) |
|
|
11 |
Eriovixia
excelsa (Simon, 1889) |
|
|
12 |
Eriovixia laglaizei (Simon, 1877) |
|
|
13 |
Gasteracantha geminata (Fabricius,
1798)^ |
|
|
14 |
Larinia chloris (Audouin,
1826)# |
|
|
15 |
Neoscona molemensis Tikader &
Bal, 1981# |
|
|
16 |
Neoscona mukerjei Tikader, 1980# |
|
|
17 |
Neoscona vigilans (Blackwall,
1865) |
|
|
18 |
Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall, 1859)# |
|
|
19 |
Poltys nagpurensis Tikader, 1982#
|
|
|
20 |
Cheiracanthiidae |
Cheiracanthium sp. |
|
21 |
Clubionidae |
Clubiona filicata O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1874# |
|
22 |
Corinnidae |
Aetius decollatus O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1896^ |
|
23 |
Castianeira flavipes Gravely, 1931* |
|
|
24 |
Coenoptychus pulcher Simon, 1885^ |
|
|
25 |
Corinnomma
severum (Thorell, 1877)# |
|
|
26 |
Deinopidae |
Asianopis likuensis (Yin, Griswold
& Yan, 2002) |
|
27 |
Eresidae |
Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch, 1891 |
|
28 |
Stegodyphus
tibialis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869) |
|
|
29 |
Gnaphosidae |
Poecilochroa
tridotus Caleb & Mathai, 2013* |
|
30 |
Zelotes
tambaramensis Caleb & Mathai, 2013* |
|
|
31 |
Hersiliidae |
Hersilia savignyi Lucas, 1836 |
|
32 |
Hersilia tibialis Baehr &
Baehr, 1993^ |
|
|
33 |
Idiopidae |
Idiops constructor (Pocock,
1900)* |
|
34 |
Liocranidae |
Oedignatha scrobiculata Thorell, 1881 |
|
35 |
Lycosidae |
Draposa atropalpis (Gravely, 1924)^ |
|
36 |
Hippasa greenalliae (Blackwall,
1867) |
|
|
37 |
Hippasa madraspatana Gravely, 1924* |
|
|
38 |
Lycosa bistriata Gravely, 1924 |
|
|
39 |
Lycosa indagatrix Walckenaer,
1837^ |
|
|
40 |
Wadicosa fidelis (O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) |
|
|
41 |
Wadicosa
quadrifera (Gravely, 1924)^ |
|
|
42 |
Oecobiidae |
Oecobius putus O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1876# |
|
43 |
Oxyopidae |
Hamataliwa sp. 1 |
|
44 |
Hamataliwa sp. 2 |
|
|
45 |
Oxyopes hindostanicus Pocock, 1901 |
|
|
46 |
Oxyopes sp. |
|
|
47 |
Peucetia viridana (Stoliczka,
1869) |
|
|
48 |
Philodromidae |
Tibellus elongatus Tikader, 1960*# |
|
49 |
Pholcidae |
Artema atlanta Walckenaer,
1837 |
|
50 |
Crossopriza lyoni (Blackwall,
1867) |
|
|
51 |
Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin,
1775) |
|
|
52 |
Pholcus sp. |
|
|
53 |
Salticidae |
Bianor balius Thorell, 1890 |
|
54 |
Brettus cf. adonis Simon,
1900^ |
|
|
55 |
Carrhotus
viduus (C. L. Koch, 1846) |
|
|
56 |
Chrysilla volupe (Karsch, 1879) |
|
|
57 |
Cocalus sp. |
|
|
58 |
Cyrba ocellata (Kroneberg,
1875) |
|
|
59 |
Harmochirus
exaggeratus Caleb & Mathai, 2015* |
|
|
60 |
Harmochirus
zabkai Logunov, 2001 |
|
|
61 |
Hasarius adansoni (Audouin,
1826)# |
|
|
62 |
Hyllus manu Caleb et al.,
2014* |
|
|
63 |
Hyllus semicupreus (Simon, 1885)^# |
|
|
64 |
Langona albolinea Caleb &
Mathai, 2015* |
|
|
65 |
Langona davidi (Caleb,
Mungkung & Mathai, 2015)* |
|
|
66 |
Langona tigrina (Simon, 1885)* |
|
|
67 |
Menemerus
bivittatus (Dufour, 1831)# |
|
|
68 |
Myrmaplata plataleoides O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 |
|
|
69 |
Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839 |
|
|
70 |
Phanuelus gladstone Caleb &
Mathai, 2015* |
|
|
71 |
Phintella
vittata (C. L. Koch, 1846)# |
|
|
72 |
Phintelloides jesudasi (Caleb &
Mathai, 2014)^ |
|
|
73 |
Phlegra prasanna Caleb &
Mathai, 2015* |
|
|
74 |
Plexippus
paykulli (Audouin, 1826)# |
|
|
75 |
Plexippus
petersi (Karsch, 1878)# |
|
|
76 |
Rhene
flavicomans Simon, 1902# |
|
|
77 |
Stenaelurillus
lesserti Reimoser, 1934* |
|
|
78 |
Stenaelurillus metallicus Caleb &
Mathai, 2016* |
|
|
79 |
Telamonia
dimidiata (Simon, 1899)# |
|
|
80 |
Thyene imperialis (Rossi, 1846) |
|
|
81 |
Scytodidae |
Scytodes lugubris (Thorell, 1887)# |
|
82 |
Sicariidae |
Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820)#
|
|
83 |
Sparassidae |
Heteropoda venatoria (Linnaeus,
1767) |
|
84 |
Olios lamarcki (Latreille,
1806) |
|
|
85 |
Palystes flavidus Simon, 1897* |
|
|
86 |
Tetragnathidae |
Guizygiella melanocrania (Thorell,
1887)# |
|
87 |
Leucauge decorata (Blackwall,
1864) |
|
|
88 |
?Meta sp. |
|
|
89 |
Tetragnatha mandibulata Walckenaer,
1841 |
|
|
90 |
Theraphosidae |
Sahydroaraneus sp. |
|
91 |
Theridiidae |
Argyrodes argentatus O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1880# |
|
92 |
Ariamnes sp. |
|
|
93 |
Meotipa multuma Murthappa et
al., 2017*# |
|
|
94 |
Nihonhimea mundula (L. Koch, 1872)# |
|
|
95 |
Rhomphaea projiciens O.
Pickard-Cambridge, 1896# |
|
|
96 |
Thomisidae |
Bomis khajuriai Tikader, 1980# |
|
97 |
Henriksenia hilaris (Thorell, 1877) |
|
|
98 |
Indoxysticus minutus (Tikader, 1960)# |
|
|
99 |
Pagida
salticiformis (O.P.-Cambridge,
1883)##^ |
|
|
100 |
Runcinia insecta (L. Koch, 1875) |
|
|
101 |
Synema decoratum Tikader, 1960#
|
|
|
102 |
Thomisus pugilis Stoliczka, 1869# |
|
|
103 |
Thomisus sp. 1 |
|
|
104 |
Thomisus sp. 2 |
|
|
105 |
Tmarus sp. |
|
|
106 |
Uloboridae |
Uloborus sp. |
|
107 |
Zodariidae |
Hermippus sp. |
|
108 |
Tropizodium sp. |
*—Endemic to India | ^—Endemic
to India and Sri Lanka | #—New to Tamil Nadu | ##—New to
India.
For
figures & images - - click here
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