Trichothyse antineae ( Fage, 1929 ), 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 : 41-42

Trichothyse antineae ( Fage, 1929) comb. nov.

Poecilochroa antineae Fage, 1929: 248 , fig. 1 (holotype ♂: MALI: Asselar [Asler] [18°52’N, 00°15’E], 21.XII.1927, collector unknown, #596, repository unknown—not examined.

Description. Male. For description of the male, see Fage (1929).

Female. Unknown.

Justification of transfer. The illustrations of the holotype palp provided in Fage (1929: fig. 1) are diagnostic and were used for comparison. Even though we did not examine the holotype of P. antineae , the original illustrations of the palp have all of the typical 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 a robust RTA with apical bifurcation (cf. Figs 1–8 , 54–55 , 109–112 , 116–117 and Fage 1929: fig. 1). Based on these observations, we propose transferring P. antineae to Trichothyse .

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 120 ).

Figures

FIGURE 120. Distribution records of the known Afrotropical 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.