Trichothyse loricata ( Kritscher, 1996 ), 2025

Sankaran, Pradeep M., Haddad, Charles R. & Tripathi, Rishikesh, 2025, A review of the ground spider genus Trichothyse Tucker, 1923 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 5583 (1), pp. 39-70 : 66

Trichothyse loricata ( Kritscher, 1996) comb. nov.

Poecilochroa loricata Kritscher, 1996: 143 , fig. 7 (holotype and paratypes ♂: FRANCE: Malta: east of Marsaxlokk [35°50’N, 14°32’E, 1 m a.s.l.], 08.VI.1990, leg. Erich Kritscher & Karl Bilek, NHMW—not examined); Bauer 2022: 97 , figs 1a–e, 2a–c.

Description. Male. For description of the male, see Bauer (2022).

Female. Unknown.

Justification of transfer. Holotype images are provided in Bauer (2022: fig. 1) and were used for comparison. These figures are consistent with the palps of male Trichothyse species: distomedially originating broad conductor with prolateral fold, apically originating claw-like embolus (but lacks a broad base as per the illustrations referred to here), medially contiguous sperm duct with single loop, and robust RTA with apical bifurcation (cf. Bauer 2022: figs 1c–e, 2a–c and Simon 1914: fig. 398, Fage 1929: fig. 1, Di Franco 2001: figs 3–4, Levy 1999: fig. 10, 2009: fig. 45, Fomichev & Marusik 2021: fig. 23 and Figs 109–110, 112 , 116–117 herein). We therefore propose the transfer of P. loricata to Trichothyse .

Distribution. Known only from Malta in Mediterranean Europe ( Fig. 121 ).

Figures

FIGURE 121. Distribution records of the known Palaearctic Trichothyse species.

FIGURES 109–115. Genitalic morphology of Trichothyse jodhpurensis (Gajbe, 1993) comb. nov.: 109–112. Male left palp: 109. Ventral view; 110. Same, retrolateral view; 111. Same, dorsal view; 112. RTA enlarged, retrolateral view. 113–115. Female genitalia: 113. Intact epigyne, ventral view; 114. Epigyne after clearing in 10% KOH, ventral view; 115. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 116–119. Genitalic morphology of Trichothyse jodhpurensis (Gajbe, 1993) comb. nov.: 116–117. Male left palp: 116. Ventral view; 117. Same, retrolateral view. 118–119. Female genitalia: 118. Epigyne, ventral view; 119. Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: A, atrium; C, conductor; CD, copulatory duct; CyF, cymbial flange; E, embolus; EB, embolic base; FD, fertilisation duct; ME, median extension of anterior epigynal margin; PS, primary spermatheca; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; SD, sperm duct; SS, secondary spermatheca; T, tegulum. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.