Ctenus indicus Gravely, 1931

Figs 1C, F, 2C–E, 7, 8

Ctenus indicus Gravely, 1931: 234, fig. 2J–L (description and illustrations of female). Tikader & Malhotra 1981: 114, fig. 6A– C (description and illustrations of female).

Type material. Two female syntypes of Ctenus indicus Gravely, 1931 from INDIA: Kerala: Palakkad: Parambikulam (10o23'34.29''N, 76o46'32.24''E), 597 m alt.; F.H. Gravely leg.; 16–24 September 1914; repository ZSI; voucher numbers 1505/18; unspecified number of female syntypes from Thrissur: Kavalai (10o16'23.89''N, 76o32'13.03''E), 390 m alt.; F.H. Gravely leg.; date and repository unknown; 1 female syntype from Tamil Nadu: Ooty (formerly Ootacamund) (11o24'23.09''N, 76o41'35.68''E), 2246 m alt.; F.H. Gravely leg.; date and repository unknown, all not examined.

Note. The species was identified using the illustrations given by Gravely (1931) and Tikader & Malhotra (1981).

Material examined. INDIA, Kerala: Ernakulam, Kothamangalam, Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary), 10o7'48.3''N, 76o41'43.24''E, 96 m alt., 22 May 2013, M.S. Pradeep leg., from ground, by hand: 1 subadult female (ADSH 201031); Kollam, Kulathupuzha Forest Reserve, 8o54'6.37''N, 77o3'51.70''E, 134 m alt., 31 July 2013, M.S. Pradeep leg., from ground, by hand: 1 subadult female (ADSH 201032) and 11 January 2015: 1 subadult female (ADSH 201033); Pathanamthitta, Gavi, 9o26'9.07''N, 77o9'56.78''E, 1201 m alt., 21 December 2013, M.S. Pradeep leg., from ground, by hand: 1 subadult female, (ADSH 201034); Trivandrum, Kallar in Ponmudi, 8o45'35.79''N, 77o7'00.75''E, 920 m alt., 4 October 2014, M.S. Pradeep leg., from ground, by hand: 1 female (ADSH 201035); Kollam, Thenmala, 8o57'30.7''N, 77o10'38.9''E, 567 m alt., 10 January 2015, M.S. Pradeep leg., from ground, by hand: 1 female (ADSH 201036).

Diagnosis. Females of C. indicus can be separated from the females of other species by the following combination of characters: epigynal teeth lying away from the lateral epigynal margin, epigynal plate with broad anterior part and epigynum with strongly sclerotized lateral plates (Fig. 7A–C).

Redescription. Female (based on ADSH 201037, Figs 1C, F, 2C–E). Carapace reddish-brown with broad pale brown median band; thoracic part provided with narrow, longitudinal, pale brown medio-lateral bands and patches. Fovea long (1.87), dark. Eye field blackish except between PLEs, which is pale brown. Clypeus, chelicerae, fangs, endites, labium, and sternum brownish. Dorsum of chelicerae covered with long brownish hairs; promargin with a thick layer of short, inwardly curved hairs, with three teeth; retromargin with four teeth. Sternum covered with black hairs. Opisthosoma oval, hirsute, greyish-brown; dorsum antero-laterally with a pair of black patches. Spinnerets brownish. Leg and palpal segments brownish to blackish-brown. All femora with white spots and patches, femur IV retro-basally with a few small humps, each consists of numerous tiny, smooth tubercles (Fig. 2C–E); 2/3rd of tibia I and 1/3rd of tibia II scopulated, tibiae III and IV lack scopulae; all metatarsi with scopulae, I and II entire, III and IV only on distal half; all tarsi scopulated, tarsal scopula complete. Body length 21.10. Carapace length 10.92, width 8.76. Opisthosoma length 10.18, width 6.91. Eye diameters: ALE 0.32. AME 0.42. PLE 0.51. PME 0.60. Eye interdistances: ALE–ALE 1.88. ALE–PME 0.25. AME–ALE 0.18. AME–AME 0.28. PLE–PLE 2.28. PME–PME 0.32. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.28, at ALEs 1.04. Chelicerae length 4.77. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 11.57 [4.13, 2.11, 2.69, 2.64], I 28.16 [8.01, 4.24, 7.32, 6.64, 1.95], II 26.59 [7.81, 4.16, 6.31, 6.42, 1.89], III 22.60 [6.71, 3.48, 4.78, 5.94, 1.69], IV 31.69 [8.70, 3.73, 7.11, 9.92, 2.23]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination of palp: femur pld 2 do 2 rld 1, patella pl 1, tibia pl 2 rl 1 rld 1, tarsus pl 2 pld 1 rl 1 rld 1; legs: femur I pld 2 plv 1 do 3 rld 3, II pl 1 pld 3 do 3 rld 3, III pld 4 do 3 rld 4, IV pld 4 do 3, rld 2; patellae I–II spineless, III–IV pl 1 rl 1; tibiae I–II plv 5 rlv 5, III pl 2 pld 2 plv 3 do 1 rl 2 rlv 3, IV pl 2 plv 3 do 3 rl 2 rlv 3; metatarsi I–II plv 3 rlv 3, III pl 3 pld 1plv 3 rl 3 rld 2 rlv 3, IV pl 2 pld 1 plv 3 rl 2 rld 3 rlv 4; tarsi I–IV spineless. Epigynum (Fig. 7A–C): Median field of epigynal plate nearly triangular with circular epigynal field, with a median bulging (Fig. 7A, C), with strongly sclerotized lateral plates, first concave, second straight (Fig. 7A, 1 st & 2nd arrows); epigynal lateral folds moderately distinct (Fig. 7B), with a broad tooth (Fig. 7A). Copulatory openings hidden behind proximal part of epigynal teeth (Fig. 7A, 3 rd arrow). Copulatory ducts short, lying beneath the lateral folds (Fig. 7B). Spermathecae nearly peanut-shaped, obliquely oriented, widely separated, with two differently sized chambers (Fig. 7B). Fertilization ducts short, narrow with slightly upturned apical part (Fig. 7B). Male: Unknown.

Distribution. India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu) (Fig. 8).