Seven new species of Psechrus and additional taxonomic contributions to the knowledge of the spider family Psechridae (Araneae)
Author
Bayer, Steffen
text
Zootaxa
2014
2014-05-16
3826
1
1
54
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3826.1.1
e7c519fb-b07e-452b-91a5-efdec51eb764
1175-5326
286429
B6414C18-599A-44CE-9FCA-F20C845DE79D
Psechrus crepido
Bayer,
2012
Figs
29
D,
33
B
Psechrus torvus—
Reimoser
1934
:
467
, (record of ♀ from Pumbarai,
India
, misidentified).
Psechrus ghecuanus—
Levi
1982
:
122
, figs
29–33
, ad part, figs
32–33
misidentified (figs
32–33
: illustration of ♀).
Psechrus crepido
Bayer
2012
:
137
, figs
76
a–d,
77
a–h,
83g
,
86
j,
89
k,
92
k (Description & illustration of ♂ and ♀).
Material examined
(
1
♀
):
INDIA
:
Tamil Nadu Prov
.:
Poombarai
(
Pumbarai
), ca.
10
°
15
'N
,
77
°
24
'E
,
1700–2100 m
,
J. Carl
and
K. Escher
leg.
31
.III.
1927
,
♀
(
SB
1219
),
MHNG
.
Remarks.
In the first description of
P. crepido
Bayer (
2012
)
mentioned that
Reimoser (
1934
)
and
Levi (
1982
)
had already examined material of this species sub
P. t o r v u s
(
O
. Pickard-Cambridge,
1869
) and
P. ghecuanus
Thorell,
1897
, respectively, in fact the female listed above. This female, deposited in
MHNG
, was not available for the study of
Bayer (
2012
)
as it was overlooked at the time it was requested. According to the accurate illustrations in
Levi (
1982
)
,
Bayer (
2012
)
recognised the female as belonging to the species
P. crepido
, newly described therein. Fortunately this female was available for the present study and its affiliation to
P. crepido
can be confirmed. The individual character states of its epigyne and vulva can also be discussed in the context of intraspecific variability. On one of the labels in the vial says: “
Psechrus pumbarai
LEVI
;
Type
!”. However, a description of this “species” was never published. It is clear that this specimen does not have type-status. Apparently H.W. Levi originally intended to describe a new species based on this specimen, but later changed his decision and treated the respective specimen as
P. ghecuanus
(
Levi
1982
)
. Prior to the submission of the present manuscript I contacted H.W. Levi concerning this destined “
type
specimen”. He informed me that he, prior to
1982
, had no intention, and still has no intention of describing a new species on the basis of that female and that he (prior to
1982
) had just forgotten to remove/change the respective label (H.W. Levi, pers. comm.).
Concerning its measurements, spination, colouration, cheliceral dentition etc. this female (SB
1219
) ranges among the females examined in
Bayer (
2012
)
.
Intraspecific variation of female copulatory organs.
The epigyne of SB
1219
shows few differences to the female
paratypes
. The posterior edge of its median septum is slightly broader (
Fig.
29
D) and its epigynal slits reach minimally further anteriorly. Concerning the course of the slits clearly diverging anteriorly, it resembles the female
paratype
SB
646
(
Bayer
2012
, fig.
77
a
). The vulva of SB
1219
mostly corresponds to those of the
paratypes
, but the spermathecal heads (
Fig.
33
B) are slightly smaller.
Distribution.
(Southern)
India
.