Trichothyse furcata ( Simon, 1914 ), 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 : 59

Trichothyse furcata ( Simon, 1914) comb. nov.

Poecilochroa furcata Simon, 1914: 184 , 221, figs 393–394; Di Franco, 2001: 203, figs 3–4 (holotype ♂: FRANCE: Provence [44°00’N, 06°12’E], date and collector unknown, MNHN—not examined.

Description. Male. For redescription of the male, see Di Franco (2001).

Female. Unknown.

Justification of transfer. The illustrations of the palp provided in Simon (1914: fig. 393) and Di Franco (2001: figs 3–4) are diagnostic and were used for comparison. Even though we did not examine the holotype of P. furcata , the original illustrations of the palp of this species are consistent with the diagnostic features of male Trichothyse species, in contrast to 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 and robust RTA with apical bifurcation (cf. Di Franco 2001: figs 3–4 and Figs 1–8 , 54–55 , 109–112 , 116–117 ). We therefore propose the transfer of P. furcata to Trichothyse .

Distribution. Recorded from three countries in Mediterranean Europe, i.e. France, Greece, and Italy ( Fig. 121 ).

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 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.