Genus Dictis L. Koch, 1872

Dictis L. Koch, 1872: 294 (type species Dictis striatipes L. Koch, 1872, by original designation and monotypy).

Soeuria Saaristo, 1997: 55 (type species Soeuria soeur Saaristo 1997, by original designation and monotypy). Syn. n.

Diagnosis. Species of the genus Dictis differ from those of Scytodes in having only two tarsal claws (Figs 1E–F, 11E–F) (vs. three in Scytodes).

Synonymy. The synonymy of Soeuria and Dictis is based on the comparison of type and non-type material of S. soeur, with the type species of Dictis, D. striatipes. All examined material have only two tarsal claws, considered diagnostic for the genus. Males of both species have very similar palps with embolus bearing subdistal prolateral pick and a retrolateral hyaline membrane (Figs 8F–G; 11G–K) and females show the typical vulva of Dictis with outer spermathecae on long stalks and inner spermathecae shorter and cylindrical (Figs 9A, C; 12B–D).

Composition. Dictis soeur (Saaristo, 1997) comb. n., D. elongata Dankittipakul & Singtripop, 2010, and D. striatipes L. Koch, 1872.

Distribution. Pantropical (Figs 15, 16).

Notes. At least three species from Thailand and one from Malaysia were considered new by Dankittipakul & Singtripop (2010). Nevertheless, because they are known from only one sex, they were illustrated and only provisionally described using “open nomenclature” (species A, B, and C). We did not examine this material, but since these species were not formally named and no type material was established, they are not considered valid and within the genus composition. Furthermore, a single female specimen collected in Coetivy, Seychelles was identified by Saaristo (1997) as “ Dictis sp. ”; although we examined this specimen and noticed its considerably larger size in comparison to the rest of the material studied, the absence of males does not allow us to make further taxonomic decisions.