On the identity of Cryptothele collina Pocock, 1901, and comment on the preepigyne and pre-vulva in Cryptothele L. Koch, 1872 (Araneae, Zodariidae Cryptothelinae) Author Sankaran, Pradeep M. Division of Arachnology, Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin, Kerala 682 013, India. Author Joseph, Mathew M. 0000-0002-6432-9660 Division of Arachnology, Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin, Kerala 682 013, India. & mathewmj @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6432 - 9660 mathewmj@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2022 2022-04-04 5124 3 397 400 journal article 53647 10.11646/zootaxa.5124.3.9 d149b4f5-bb0a-4f2a-887a-d005b62b9895 1175-5326 6414635 8717ADB6-ED52-4ADF-9581-086C26AA87FD Cryptothele collina Pocock, 1901 Fig. 1 Cryptothele collina Pocock, 1901: 498 (sex or stage not specified). Type material. Holotype ♀ (damaged) from INDIA : Tamil Nadu : Nilgiris : Ooty / Udhagamandalam (=Ootacamund) ( 11°24'N , 76°41'E ; 2251 m alt.), date unknown, G.F. Hampson leg., repository NHM (no register number), examined based on photographs. FIGURE 1. Cryptothele collina Pocock, 1901 , holotype female. A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Epigyne, ventral view. D. Original labels in the holotype vial. Figures provided without scales. © NHM, London. Diagnosis. Females of C . collina are closely related to the females of Cryptothele alluaudi Simon, 1893 as the epigyne of both share broad, paired lateral plates and narrow median septum. However, it can be separated from the latter by anterior epigynal hood (vz. absent in C . alluaudi ) and epigyne without lateral pockets (vz. present in C . alluaudi ) (compare Fig. 1C with Marusik & Omelko 2012 : fig. 4). Redescription. Female ( holotype , Fig. 1A–B ) in alcohol (after Pocock 1901 ): overall body with thick cover of mud and soil particles, except for mouth parts and epigyne ( Fig. 1A–B ). Prosoma high, with abruptly sloped thoracic part. Cephalic part with distinct, transversely oval pit behind PER. Thoracic part with sinuous margin ( Fig. 1A ). AMEs largest. Labium unfused with sternum ( Fig. 1B ). Sternum oval, with anterior concavity ( Fig. 1B ). Opisthosoma globular ( Fig. 1A ). Body length 10.00. Carapace 4.50 long. Epigyne ( Fig. 1C ): sclerotized, with anterior hood and broad, paired lateral plates having posterolateral horny lobes, with narrow heart-shaped median septum. Copulatory openings indistinct. Male . Unknown. Note. The NHM collection has a single female specimen ( holotype ) and the original description of this species was based on it (J. Beccaloni, pers. comm.) ( Fig. 1 ). It lost its legs, except for the femur and patella of anterior right leg II ( Fig. 1A–B ). Details of vulva are unknown as we were not allowed to dissect and examine it. FIGURE 2. Cryptothele sp. , subadult female (ADSH191). A. Habitus with dirt encrusted body, dorsal view; B. Same after removing dirt, dorsal view; C. Same, frontal view; D. Cephalic area showing pit behind PER, dorsal view. E. Pre-epigyne, ventral view. F. Pre-vulva, dorsal view. Arrow indicates pit on cephalic area. Scale bars: A–B, 2 mm; C–D, 1 mm; E–F, 0.2 mm. Comments. Pre-epigyne and pre-vulva in Cryptothele species : pre-epigynes and pre-vulvae are illustrated several times for many spider families ( Bayer 2011 ). However, up to now, no information regarding pre-epigyne and pre-vulva in Zodariidae are available. Recently the first author had an opportunity to examine a few individuals of a Cryptothele species collected from the Kottayam district of the southern Indian state of Kerala (ADSH191) ( Fig. 2 ). These specimens are subadult females that had developed some faintly sclerotized sculpturing in the genital area ( Fig. 2E–F ). The preepigyne and pre-vulva are clearly apparent in these specimens ( Fig. 2E–F ) and, compared to the epigynes of adult Cryptothele species , are structurally quite distinct. The pre-epigyne is weakly sclerotized, with a broad median septum and paired lateral circular atria ( Figs 2E , 3A ) (compare with Fig. 1C and also Koch 1872 : fig. 2g ; Workman 1896 : fig. 77f; Kulczyński 1911 : plate XXI, figs 30–32; Marusik & Omelko 2012 : fig. 4). Copulatory openings indistinct as in the case of adult stages. As of yet, the vulva of Cryptothele species is not illustrated and comparison of pre-vulva illustrated here is not possible. Copulatory ducts of pre-vulva hyaline, moderately long, wide, longitudinally oriented ( Figs 2F , 3B ). Spermathecae roughly globular, sclerotized ( Figs 2F , 3B ). Fertilisation ducts long, converging ( Fig. 3B ).