Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 ), 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 : 67-68

Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) comb. nov.

Drassus senilis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872: 236 , plate XV, fig. 13 (syntype ♀♀: ISRAEL: Jordan [30°35’N, 36°14’E], collector unknown, date unknown, repository OUMNH (B. 243, t. 51) and from EGYPT: near Alexandria, collector unknown, date unknown, repository OUMNH (B. 241, t. 102)—neither examined).

Drassus campestratus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874: 392 , plate LI, fig. 17.

Prosthesima rufipes Thorell, 1875a: 82 , 1875b: 110.

Drassus dimidiatus Simon, 1878: 153 .

Drassus flavo-maculatus L. Koch, 1878: 40 , plate I, fig. 2.

Prosthesima incompta Pavesi, 1880: 350 .

Scotophaeus senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge) : Simon, 1893: 371.

Poecilochroa campestrata Simon, 1893: 372 .

Poecilochroa subincompta Strand, 1908: 66 .

Poecilochroa dimidiata Simon, 1914: 185 , 221, figs 347, 400.

Poecilochroa senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge) : Levy, 1999: 431, figs 6–9 (for complete bibliography, see World Spider Catalog 2024).

Description. Male and female. For description of the male and female, see Levy (1999).

Justification of transfer. The illustrations of the male and female genitalia in Levy(1999:figs 6–9) are diagnostic and were used for comparison. Even though we did not examine the types of P. senilis , subsequent illustrations of its genitalia are diagnostic and share all of the diagnostic features of male and female Trichothyse species, instead of Poecilochroa sensu stricto and Macarophaeus : distomedially originating broad conductor with prolateral fold, apically originating claw-like embolus with broad embolic base, medially contiguous sperm duct with single loop, robust RTA with apical bifurcation, epigyne with median extension and vulva with short copulatory ducts, large, bean-shaped primary, and small secondary spermathecae (cf. Figs 1–20 , 54–57 , 109–119 and Levy 1999: figs 6–9). Based on these observations, we propose transferring P. senilis to Trichothyse .

Distribution. Known from Asia, Africa and Europe ( Fig. 121 ). This is the only Palaearctic species that has a distribution extending into Africa.

Figures

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

FIGURES 1–8. Palpal morphology of male Afrotropical Trichothyse species in ventral (1–4) and retrolateral (5–8) views. 1, 5. T. fontensis Lawrence, 1928, holotype from Sesfontein; 2, 6. T. fontensis from Ndumo; 3, 7. T. karoo Haddad & Sankaran sp. nov. from Jagerskraal; 4, 8. T. zuluensis (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov. from Ndumo. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 9–20. Epigyne morphology of Afrotropical Trichothyse species in ventral (9–14) and dorsal (15–20) views. 9, 15. T. fontensis Lawrence, 1928 from Ndumo; 10, 16. T. hortensis Tucker, 1923, lectotype from Waterberg; 11, 17. T. karoo Haddad & Sankaran sp. nov., paratype from Jagerskraal; 12, 18. T. subtropica Lawrence, 1927, lectotype from Kunene River; 13, 19. T. zuluensis (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov. from Ndumo; 14, 20. ‘T.’ africana (Tucker, 1923) from Dereham. Arrows indicate epigynal atrium. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 54–57. Genitalic morphology of Trichothyse karoo Haddad & Sankaran sp. nov.: 54–55. Holotype male left palp: 54. Ventral view; 55. Retrolateral view. 56–57. Paratype female: 56. Epigyne, ventral view; 57. Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: A, atrium; C, conductor; CD, copulatory duct; E, embolus; EB, embolic base; FD, fertilisation duct; PL, posterior lobe; PS, primary spermatheca; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; SD, sperm duct; SS, secondary spermatheca; T, tegulum. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

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.