Synaphosus Platnick & Shadab 1980

Synaphosus Platnick & Shadab, 1980

Synaphosus Platnick et Shadab, 1980: 21; Ovtsharenko et al. 1994: 2; Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: 535; Murphy 2007: 378; Marusik & Fomichev 2016: 429.

Type species: Nodocion syntheticus Chamberlin, 1924 from California.

Diagnosis. Synaphosus species found in Southeast Asia can be distinguished from other gnaphosids known in the region by the combined presence of a preening brush (but not comb) on metatarsi III, lack of median apophysis, long whip-like circular embolus embedded into the fold of the complex conductor, large conductor almost entirely hiding the tegulum, epigyne with an anterior hood or scape, and long and coiled copulatory ducts.

Relationships. Synaphosus remains unassigned to any subfamily or tribe of Gnaphosidae, belonging only to the informal Echemus group of genera (Murphy 2007).

Species grouping: Three species groups were recognized by Ovtsharenko et al. (1994) in the genus: syntheticus, gracillimus and kakamega. Marusik & Fomichev (2016) recognized one more group among species occurring in Southeast Asia, the femininis group. This group unites S. cangshanus Yang, Yang & Zhang, 2013 and S. femininis Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001. Three other species known from the region have copulatory organs very different from each other and may each represent their own species group.