Asceua cingulata

Asceua cingulata (Simon, 1905)

Figs 1–6, 17

Suffucia cingulata Simon, 1905: 174 (♀).— Gravely, 1921: 409, fig. 2d (♁ ♀).

Type material. Lectotype (here designated) ♀ and paralectotypes 2 ♀♀ from INDIA: Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry), 11°56’N 79°48’E, 5 m a.s.l., date unknown, leg. M.M. Maindron, repository MNHN, Paris (AR9978), examined based on photographs.

Other material examined. INDIA: Andaman Islands: Ross Island, 11°40’N 92°45’E, 41 m a.s.l., 29 March 1911, leg. Paiva: 2 ♀♀ (NZC-ZSI 2718 /H2). West Bengal: Hooghly, Serampore, 22°45’N 88°20’E, 9 m a.s.l., July 1919, leg. Drake: 1 ♀ (NZC-ZSI 2719 /H2). Tamil Nadu: Chennai (formerly Madras), 13°04’N 80°16’E, 4 m a.s.l., 12 March, leg. Ramuni Menon: 1 ♀ (only prosoma) (NZC-ZSI 2720 /H2). Odisha (formerly Orissa): Ganjam, Chilika Lake (= Chilka Lake), Barkuda Island (formerly part of Madras Presidency), 19°33’N 85°08’E, 13 m a.s.l., 3-19 August 1919, leg. F.H. Gravely: 2 ♁♁, 4 ♀♀ (NZC-ZSI 2721 /H2). Kerala: Malappuram, Nilambur, Canolly’s Plot, 11°16’06.17’’N 76°12’22.21’’E, 20 m a.s.l., 16 May 2013, on the ground, by hand, leg. M.S. Pradeep: 3 ♀♀, 1 subadult ♁, 1 juvenile (ADSH192); Ernakulam, Karimpani, Bhoothathankettu Forest Reserve, 10°08’N 76°40’E, 24 m a.s.l., 8 September 2013, on the ground, by hand, leg. M.S. Pradeep: 1 ♀ (ADSH193); Ernakulam, Illithodu, 10°11’55.94’’N 76°33’00.57’’E, 24 m a.s.l., 25 February 2014, on the ground, by hand, leg. M.S. Pradeep: 1 ♁, 2 ♀♀, 1 juvenile (ADSH194).

Diagnosis. Males of A. cingulata are closely related to those of A. thrippalurense sp. nov. by the shape of retrolateral, ventral and prolateral tibial apophyses, cymbium with basomedial conical process extending between ventral and retrolateral apophyses and embolus with similar course of running, but can be distinguished by the smaller cymbial retrolateral fold with less modified basoretrolateral extremity (vs. highly modified in A. thrippalurense sp. nov.), anterolateral margin of cymbial fold less prominent (vs. prominent in A. thrippalurense sp. nov.), retrolateral process of conductor directed at 3-o’ clock ventrally and basally acute (vs. 2-o’ clock and basally rounded in A. thrippalurense sp. nov.), median apophysis with long proximal part (vs. short in A. thrippalurense sp. nov.), and embolus with distal loop (vs. absent in A. thrippalurense sp. nov.) (compare Figs 4A–C, 5A–D with Figs 9A–C, 10A–D). Females are closely related to the females of Asceua similis Song & Kim, 1997 in the general shape and orientation of copulatory ducts, but can be separated from the latter by epigyne with anterior plate (vs. absent in A. similis), and spherical spermathecae (vs. irregular in A. similis) (compare Figs 4D–F, 5E–F with Song & Kim 1997: figs 14–15).

Redescription. Male in alcohol (ADSH194) (Figs 2A–J). Body length 1.57. Carapace 0.87 long, 0.70 wide. Opisthosoma 0.74 long, 0.62 wide. Carapace, eye region, clypeus, chilum, chelicerae, endites, labium, sternum yellowish brown; leg segments creamy-white to yellowish brown; palp segments yellowish brown to brown; dorsal scutum brownish, opisthosoma shiny, greyish black with two pairs of large dull yellow patches (Fig. 2D), lateral and rear end black with creamy-white patches, streaks and dots (Figs 2C–D), venter creamy-white with yellow anterior part (Fig. 2B); spinnerets creamy-white (Fig. 2H); carapace, clypeus, chelicerae, margins of sternum, leg segments with black mottling. Carapace glossy; cephalic part without long black setae. Fovea short, longitudinal, straight, dark brown. Clypeus high (Fig. 2E). Chilum inverted triangular, unipartite (Fig. 2E). Cheliceral promargin with two tiny teeth, retromargin without tooth visible (Fig. 2F). Sternum glossy, shield-shaped with posterior end truncated, rebordered, provided with scattered black setae, with coxal and intercoxal extensions (Fig. 2G). Opisthosoma oval in dorsal view, dorsal scutum complete, without long black setae (Fig. 2D); rear and lateral opisthosoma with corrugations. Colulus and anal tubercle prominent (Figs 2C, H). Femur I without retrolateral striae; metatarsi II–III with distal preening brush (Fig. 2I); all metatarsi and tarsi without scopula (Fig. 2J); all tarsi with reduced claw tuft (Figs 2I–J). Eye diameters and interdistances: ALE 0.06, AME 0.08, PLE 0.07, PME 0.05; AME–ALE 0.03, AME– AME 0.05, AME–PME 0.05, ALE–PLE 0.04, PME–PLE 0.08, PME–PME 0.07. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.29, at ALEs 0.24. Chelicerae 0.25 long. Sternum 0.45 long, 0.44 wide. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 1.02 [0.35, 0.15, 0.10, 0.42], I 2.54 [0.66, 0.23, 0.61, 0.62, 0.42], II 2.10 [0.59, 0.23, 0.45, 0.50, 0.33], III 2.03 [0.58, 0.20, 0.41, 0.54, 0.30], IV 2.79 [0.72, 0.23, 0.62, 0.83, 0.39]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination of palp: femur do 2, patella spineless, tibia spineless, tarsus/cymbium spineless; legs: femora I–IV do 1; patellae I–IV spineless; tibiae I–IV spineless; metatarsi I–III spineless, IV plv 1 rlv 1; tarsi I–IV spineless. Palp (Figs 4A–C, 5A–D). Tibia with short retrolateral, broad ventral and narrow, finger-like prolateral apophyses (Figs 4A, C, 5A, C–D); RTA having triangular distal part (Fig. 5C); RTA and VTA enclose large concavity in which fits basomedial projection of cymbium (Figs 4C, 5C). Cymbium modified, with prominent cymbial retrolateral fold having less prominent anterolateral margin and less modified posteroretrolateral extremity (Figs 4B–C, 5B–D), with basomedial conical process extending between RTA and VTA (Fig. 5C). Tegulum broad, with posteromedian extension (Figs 4B, 5B). Median apophysis with broad proximal and long, slender, prolaterally oriented distal parts (Figs 4A–C, 5A–C), lying adjacent to retrolateral process of conductor (Figs 4B, 5B). Conductor broad, sclerotized, with retrolateral and mediolateral, blunt processes (Figs 4B, 5B). Embolus long, filiform, basal to tegulum, with short base, at first running anteriad along prolateral side of cymbium, then turning retrolaterad, then to posterolaterad forming distal loop, with blunt tip directed at 1-o’ clock ventrally (Figs 4A–B, 5A–B).

Female in alcohol (ADSH194) (Figs 3A–I). Body length 2.00. Carapace 0.96 long, 0.68 wide. Opisthosoma 1.04 long, 0.88 wide. Habitus and details as in male except for the following: opisthosoma without scutum and corrugations (Fig. 3A); dorsum with three pairs of large patches, numerous tiny spots, and a single median patch at the rear end in front of anal tubercle, all creamy-white (Fig. 3A); laterals without stripes or dots (Fig. 3C); venter uniformly creamy-white (Fig. 3B). Palp segments yellowish brown to brown. Eye diameters and interdistances: ALE 0.06. AME 0.07. PLE 0.04. PME 0.05; AME–ALE 0.04. AME–AME 0.03. AME–PME 0.07. ALE–PLE 0.04. PME–PLE 0.08. PME–PME 0.07. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.25, at ALEs 0.21. Chelicerae 0.33 long. Sternum 0.45 long, 0.43 wide. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 0.85 [0.27, 0.16, 0.16, 0.26], I 2.28 [0.64, 0.21, 0.54, 0.53, 0.36], II 1.94 [0.55, 0.22, 0.40, 0.48, 0.29], III 2.00 [0.54, 0.22, 0.40, 0.53, 0.31], IV 2.70 [0.69, 0.22, 0.61, 0.79, 0.39]. Leg formula: 4132. Spination of palp: tibia pld 1; tarsus pl 2 pld 1 v 2; legs: metatarsi II–IV plv 1 rlv 1. Genitalia (Figs 4D–F, 5E–F). Epigyne with convex posterior margin, with an anteromedial, sclerotized, transversely oval plate (Figs 4D–E, 5E). Copulatory openings situated anteriorly behind epigynal plate, lying close to each other (Figs 4E, 5E). Copulatory ducts long, slender, with multiple windings (Figs 4F, 5F). Spermathecae small, globular, lying adjacent to each other, situated posteriorly (Figs 4F, 5F). Fertilization ducts long, narrow, diverging (Figs 4F, 5F).

Variation. For checking variation in measurements, only the freshly collected specimens were considered. Female (n=6): body length 1.80–2.08. One of the female specimens collected from Malappuram presents a variation in the abdominal pattern as shown in Fig. 3J, and its epigyne also shows variation in the shape of the epigynal plate as shown in Fig. 4G.

Remarks. All the specimens deposited in the NZC-ZSI, Kolkata are severely dried off due to bad preservation (Figs 6A–D).

Distribution. India (Andaman Islands (Rose Island), Kerala (new record), Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) (Gravely 1921; present data) (Fig. 17).