On the taxonomic validity of Indian ground spiders: II. Genera Drassyllus Chamberlin, 1922 and Nodocion Chamberlin, 1922 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) Author Sankaran, Pradeep M. 0AEC69AA-7E17-401F-B83B-280C2F04AC6E Division of Arachnology, Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin, Kerala 682 013, India. & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 0 AEC 69 AA- 7 E 17 - 401 F-B 83 B- 280 C 2 F 04 AC 6 E & Corresponding author: pradeepmspala @ rediffmail. com pradeepmspala@rediffmail.com Author Caleb, John T. D. 2B3052EB-5000-4A94-8E38-F88CC308ECAD Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700 053, India. & Email: caleb 87 woodgate @ gmail. com & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 2 B 3052 EB- 5000 - 4 A 94 - 8 E 38 - F 88 CC 308 ECAD caleb87woodgate@gmail.com Author Sebastian, Pothalil A. C22767DA-4C75-4685-B77E-2AB058C1091D Division of Arachnology, Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin, Kerala 682 013, India. & Email: drpothalil @ rediffmail. com & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: C 22767 DA- 4 C 75 - 4685 - B 77 E- 2 AB 058 C 1091 D drpothalil@rediffmail.com text European Journal of Taxonomy 2020 2020-06-24 673 1 14 journal article 21603 10.5852/ejt.2020.673 de4f2e41-d1c5-47c8-98af-548b7f9842bb 2118-9773 3908345 3A281D69-7AB3-47DB-8A38-923A9B54760B Cryptodrassus ratnagiriensis ( Tikader & Gajbe, 1976 ) comb. nov. Fig. 4 Drassyllus ratnagiriensis Tikader & Gajbe, 1976: 431 , figs 1–4. Drassyllus ratnagiriensis – Tikader 1982: 514 , figs 495–499. Diagnosis Cryptodrassus ratnagiriensis comb. nov. can be distinguished from all other known species of Cryptodrassus by a disto-medially placed small, circular epigynal atrium and uniformly thick, C-shaped copulatory ducts that are confronting each other ( Fig. 4 C–D). Material examined Holotype INDIA • ♀ ; Maharashtra , Ratnagiri , Chiplun , Kashedi Ghats ; 17°54′14.77″ N , 73°26′00.67″ E ; 386 m a.s.l. ; 14 Feb. 1973 ; M. Babu Rao leg.; NZC-ZSI, Kolkata 5042/18 . Supplementary description Female ( holotype , Fig. 4 ) Body length 8.58. Prosoma: length 2.77, width 2.43. Opisthosoma: length 5.81, width 3.07. Eye diameters: ALE 0.15, AME 0.16, PLE 0.14, PME 0.21. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.06, AME– PME 0.13, PME–PLE 0.04. Chelicerae length 0.87. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 2.84 [1.08, 0.53, 0.45, 0.78], III 6.19 [1.69, 1.00, 1.17, 1.53, 0.80], IV 11.78 [3.27, 1.42, 2.75, 3.10, 1.24]. Palpal tarsus bears spines. Epigyne ( holotype , Fig. 4 C–D): Epigynal plate membranous, with circular atrium, with paired anterior hoods ( Fig. 4C ). Copulatory openings indistinct. Copulatory ducts short, thick, weakly twisted ( Fig. 4D ). Receptacles small, globular, contiguous, lying adjacent to posterior epigynal margin ( Fig. 4D ). Fertilization ducts narrow, diverging ( Fig. 4D ). Male Unknown. Justification of the transfer Tikader & Gajbe (1976) described this species on the basis of a female specimen collected in Maharashtra . Like all the former species, this species also resembles Drassyllus spp. only in the posterior median eyes ( Fig. 4B ). A detailed examination of the holotype of D. ratnagiriensis revealed that its features fit those of Cryptodrassus spp. as noted for previous species. We therefore propose to transfer D . ratnagiriensis to Cryptodrassus . Remarks The ZSI collection has one glass bottle for this species, labeled as ‘holotype’ (5042/18), containing a female specimen in fairly good condition, with only left legs III and IV. The same bottle has a small glass vial containing the dissected epigyne.