Studies on some giant crab spiders of the family Heteropodidae

The spiders of the family Heteropodidae are known as Giant Crab spiders on account of their large size and the attitude of the legs Crab like. The knowledge of Indian heteropodid spiders is very Iesse Some scanty information on Indian forms provided by the previous workers like Simon (1864). Thorell (1895), Pocock (1900), Hogg (1902), Gravely (1931), Dyal (1935), Patel (1972), Tikader (196075). But they did not emphasis the anatomy of genitalia which is the most important morphological character of species differentiation. Latreille (1804) eracted the genus Heteropoda with the type species Heteropoda vanatoria (Linnaeus 1766). But it was kept under Thomisidae upto (1880). Though Thorell (1873) denominated the family Heteropodidae. Simon (1885) kept genus Heteropoda under sparassidae family. Further Thorell (1895) in his paper Spiders of Burma kept Heteropodidae as family status, Pocock (1900) described in his Fauna of British India Arachn. the subfamily Heteropodinae under family Clubionidae. Platnick and Levi (1973) discussed in details regarding the validity of family name as Heteropodidae, Eusparassidae, Sparassidae the conclusion has come Heteropodidae name for the family status must be used. This paper deals with the systematic studies of the genus Heteropoda Latreille, Olios Walckenar, Spariolenus Simon

MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION OCCASIONAL PAPER NO 93 Records of the Zoological Survey of India Studies on some "giant crab spiders of the family Heteropodidae from India VeeDa D Sethi B K Tekader Issued by the Director Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta RECORDS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION OCCASIONAL PAPER NO 93 STUDIES ON SOME GIANT SPIDERS OF THE FAMILY HETEROPODIDAE FROM INDIA By VEENA D SETHI Western Regional Station, Zoological Survey of India, Poona and B K TIKADER Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta ~\Jr'd Edited by the Director, Zoological Survey of India 1988 © Copyright, Government of India, 1988 Published : March, 1986 Price : Inland: Rs 45·00 Foreign: £ 5·00 PRINTED IN INDIA AT IMPRINTA, 243/2B, $ 7·50 A P C ROAD, CALCUTTA-6 AND PUBLISHED BY THE DIRECTOR, ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, CALCUTTA RECORDS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION OCCASIONAL PAPER No 93 1988 Pages 1-94 CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION GENERAL TAXONOMIC CHARACTERS OF SPIDERS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE FAMILY HETEROPODIDAE FAMILY HETEROPODIDAE Genus Spariolenus Simon Key to the species of the genus Spareolenus Simon Spario/enus petricola Gravely Spariolenus tigris Simon Genus Heteropoda Latreille Key to the species of the genus Heteropoda Latreille Heteropoda phasma Simon 12 H kuluensis sp nov 13 H Jahrei Simon 14 15 H andamanensis Tikader H.prompta (0 P Cambridge) 15 H venatoria (Linnaeus) H rohusta Fage 16 10 H malitiosa Simon 17 18 [ ii ] 11 H shillongensis 12 H leprosa Simon 20 13 H hampsoni Pocock 14 15 H languida Simon H akashi sp nov 21 21 16 H sexpunctata Simon 23 17 H lutea Thorell H lentula Pocock 24 26 20 H kandiana Pocock H nilgirina Pocock 21 H sikkimensis Gravely 22 H nicobarensis Tikader 23 H bhaikakai Patel & Patel 24 H plebeja Thorell 18 19 Spa 19 nov 22 25 26 ' 28 Genus Olios Walckenaer Key to the species of the genus Olios Walckenaer 25 Olios iranii (Pocock) 26 O bhavnagarensis Spa nov 27 O xerxes (Pocock) 28 O milleti (Pocock) 29 O obesulus (Pocock) 30 o punctipes 31 32 O kiranae SPa nov O sensillis Simon 33 O tener (Thorell) 34 o hampsoni (Pocock) 35 O.fuligineus (Pocock) 36 O admiratus (Pocock) 37 O gravelyi Spa nov 38 O phipsoni (Pocock) 39 O stimulator (Simon) 40 O wroughtoni (Simon) Simon ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES ••• 27 29 30 30 31 33 34 35 35 36 37 38 39 • •• • •• 40 41 42 •••• 42 • •• 43 44 , ••• 4S ••• 45 46 ••• 46 STUDIES ON SOME GIANT CRAB SPIDERS OF THE FAMILY HETEROPODIDAE FROM INDIA By VEENA D SETHI Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Station, Poona AND B K TIKADER Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta INTRODUCTION The spiders of the family Heteropodidae are known as Giant Crab spiders on account of their large size and the attitude of the legs Crab like The knowledge of Indian heteropodid spiders is very I esse Some scanty information on Indian forms provided by the previous workers like Simon (1864) Thorell (1895), Pocock (1900), Hogg (1902), Gravely (1931), Dyal (1935), Patel (1972), Tikader (1960-75) But they did not emphasis the anatomy of genitalia which is the most important morphological character of species differentiation Latreille (1804) eracted the genus Heteropoda with the type species Heteropoda vanatoria (Linnaeus 1766) But it was kept under Thomisidae upto (1880) Though Thorell (1873) denominated the family Heteropodidae Simon (1885) kept genus Heteropoda under sparassidae family Further Thorell (1895) in his paper Spiders of Burma kept Heteropodidae as family status, Pocock (1900) described in his Fauna of British India Arachn the sub-family Heteropodinae under family Clubionidae Platnick and Levi (1973) discussed in details regarding the validity of family name as Heteropodidae, Eusparassidae, Sparassidae the conclusion has come Heteropodidae name for the family status must be used This paper deals with the systematic studies of the genus Heteropoda Latreille, Olios Walckenar, Spariolenus Simon We are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study the types of many Heteropodidae spiders which were described by Simon, Pocock & Gravely and are deposited in the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Parise, British Museum (Natural History) London and National collection of Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta The description and illustration of all known species have been made on the basis of types or authenticated identified female specimens in our collection The type specimens will be deposited in National Collection of Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta Other named and Identified will be deposited in Western Regional Station, Zoological Survey of India, Poona REC ZOOL SURV INDIA, Oce PAPER No 93 GENERAL TAXONOMIC CHARACTERS OF SPIDERS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE FAMILY HETEROPODIDAE The body of the spider is divisible into a distinctive cephalothorax and abdomen, joined together by a narrow pedicel The cephalothorax is covered dorsally by a hard sclerotic, the carapace, and ventrally by the sternum as in text-figs and the anterior margin of sternum articulates· movably with the labiuln With few exceptions there is a deep transverse groove, forming a kind of hinge, between the sternum and the labium The legs are articulated in the pleural membrance between the lateral edges of the carapace and sternum On the cephalic region six to eight simple eyes are present The eyes are generally of two kinds, viz., black or diurnol and white or nocturnal eyes When only one type is present, the condition is described as homogeneous, in contrast to the heterogeneous, when both the types are present The eyes are usually arranged in a double row, viz., the anterior row and the posterior row Each row usually contains four eyes The rows of eyes are frequently curved If the curvature is such that the lateral eyes are further forward than the medium eyes, the row is called procur~'ed, and if further back, recurved as in text-fig According to their position, the yes are described as the anterior medians, the posterior medians, the anterior laterals and the posterior laterals The cephalic area, occupied by the eyes, is termed as ocular quad The area between the anterior row of eyes and the anterior margin of carapace is clypeus There is often a depression in the middle of the thorax, called throacic groove or fovea as in text-fig I There are six pairs of appendages on the cephalothorax The first pair of appendages are the chelicerae Each chelicers bears a curved fang at its apex The inner surface of chelicera may be finely denticulate and may also have a groove, into which the fang can be closed when not in use This groove may also be armed with tooth on each side ; the outer margin of this groove is described as promargin and the inner margin as retron1argin There are sometimes long stout hairs on the pro margin to constitute the so called fang scapulae, as in text-fig The pedipalps are the second pair of appendages The palp proper is composed of six segments, viz., coxa, trochanter, femur, patel/a, tibia and tarsus as in text-fig In females the tarsus is simple and mayor may not be with a single claw The basal segment, the coxa of palp expands into a plate like structure called maxilla, each side of which is generally provided with thick tuft of hairs called scapulae as in text-fig In mature males the tarsus of palp is modified to carry a complicated copulatory organ Generally, the tibia, sometimes also the patella constitute apophysis of the palp (which is of different shapes in different species) and is of very SETHl & TIKADER: Crab Spiders of the family Heteropodidae important taxonomic value Generally the tarsus has a bowl-shaped cavity on its ventral surface and is called cymbiurn In many groups mature males are provided with an appendage, the paracymbium The complex structure of mature male palp is very important for generic or specific identification of spiders The complicated palpal organ consists of many parts, but that is a matter beyond the scope of this fauna There are four pairs of legs designated as I, II, III and IV respectively Each leg is composed of seven segments, viz coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, matatarsus and tarasus as in tex-fig The legs are variously clothed with spines, spinules, bristles and hairs of various types The distal ends of tarsi are provided with two or three claws A characteristic tuft of hair called claw-tuft is sometimes found just above the claw Spines on the dorsal sides of legs are distinguished as dorsal spines and those on the ventral side as ventral spines, as in text-fig Spiders usually have at least two claws at the end of each tarsus In many families a single median ventral third claw is present as in text-fig The paired claws may be provided with a few teeth The abdomen is produced posteriorly into a conical anal tubercle and bears three pairs of spinnerets ventrally, viz., the first or the anterior pair, the second or the median and the third or the posterior pair of spinnerets as in text-fig In a number of families there is present in front of the anterior (ventral) spinnerets a seive-like plate, called the cribellum The special type of silk is omitted from this organ and is combed by a series of curved bristles comprising the calamistrum borne on metatarsus IV In many families of spiders which not possess the cribellum, a conical appendage called the colulus, lies between the basis of the anterior spinnerets The ventral surface of abdomen is provided with one or two pairs of lung-books, followed by one or two paired spiracles The female/ genital organ is epigynum, is situated just anterior to a transverse fold, known as epigastric furrow as in text-fig In many cases the epigynum is provided with a tongue like sclerotic projection caned scape But in most cases the epigynum is plate like, single plate or pairs of plates Sometimes these paired genital plates are called lateral lobes as in case of heteropodid spiders, a median sclerptic piece is often present in between the paired ~aterallobes as it is seen here in Olios fuligineus (Pocock), in text-fig 11 Epigynum having two external openings which lead to the spermathecas inside and a pair of narrow curved tubes called fertilization tubes originate from the posterior margin of spermathecae as in text-fig 12 Sometimes the ducts of spermathecae are very convoluted and complicated type REe ZOOL SVRV INDIA, Dcc PAPER No 93 The tarsi of spider are often armed with hairs of the type known as tenent hairs, i.e., hairs dilated at their tips In some families, spiders have very fine hairs called as pubescence Sometimes the hairs are modified as spinyhairs or macrosetae Apart from the above mentioned general characters, the heteropodid spiders are possessing some special morphological characters having highly taxonomic importance as stated below Carapace generally longer than wide but in the genera Heteropoda and Spariolenus it is little wider than long Cephalic part distinctly elevated and sometimes separated by semicircular grooves In Palystes the cephalic part not distinctly separated from thoracic part which is high and convex In the heteropodid spider the thoracic groove is longitudinal and distinct except Olios where this groove is indistinct and fine In Thelcticopis the carapace is very high so the cephalic part is strongly convex Eyes of posterior row are very important in this family of spiders for their separation into different genera Posterior row or eyes recurved' in Heteropoda, Spariolenus, Torania and Panarelus but straight in Palystes Posterior median eyes are generally subequal to the posterior laterals in this family except in Heteropoda and Torania where it is smaller than laterals Ocular quad generally narrow anteriorly so as to form a trapezium or in some cases it is nearly square as in Olios and Torania Sternum heart shaped in general but in Panaretus ignichelis it is oval shaped Maxilla shows distinct longitudinal crest in Spariolenus only Labium almost longer than wide but in Olios and The/clicopis canesums the labium is wider than long Chelicerae moderately or highly strong, vertical and non-divergent, fang furrow armed with and teeth on outer and inner margins respectively but in Torania it is and 5, and in Spariolenus it is and 5-6 Legs are laterigrade, crab like; tarsus and metatarsus may have thick scopulae on the ventral side, paired tarsal claws armed with teeth Legs generally long and strong but in Thelcticopis they are less laterigrade, strong and stout, tarsi and metatarsi are short in length covered with thick scopulae ventrally Apex of metatarsus of heteropodid spiders provided with a soft trilobate membrane allowing hyperextension of the tarsus Palpal organ of male spider is highly complicated and variable from genus to genus, species to species Palpal organ of Olios phipsoni is illustrated in the text-fig 13 where the structures are as follows The cymbium is a concave plate like and peracymbium is only a prominent spur like structure arising straight from the axis of the base of the cymbium but separated from the cymbium as in text-fig There are three kinds of books called apophysis, according to their position in the genital SETHI & TIKADER: Crab Spiders of the fal1zily Heteropodidae bulb they are terminal apophysis, subterminal apophysis and median apophysis These apophysis are provided with spurs at the endal POS]tlon and are varied extremely in different genera The embolum is long and witiding and supported by conductor as in text-fig 13 Tegulum is ring like sclerite bearing terminal apophysis, sometimes it is modified to knob like structure There is one striking structure haemotodocha which is a sac like structure, the wall of haematodocha consists of elastic connective tissue and ~uring mating it is distended with blood In Torania g/oriosa the embolus is much coiled and freely encircles the whole genital bulb and turns upwards One pair of smooth tibial apophysis are found in the The/cticopis Abdomen of heteropodids is oval shaped, covered witl-; small hairs in general But in Torania the abdomen is some-what pentagonal and in Spariolenus it is pear shaped In some Palystes patches of long erectile h~irs are seen Spinnerets are normal in this family but in The/cticopis one peculiar character is found, where the spinnerets are supported on a membranous stalk strengthened by a hairy chitinous ring Epigynum is species specific structure and it is well established that the differences in the structure of both external and internal are the best way for separating females in spider The lateral lobes epigynum mayor may not be well sclerotised In Heteropoda and Spariolenus the lateral lobes are separated and non-fused longitudinally, except Heteropoda venatoria where the lateral lobes are in close contact mid-longitudinally throughout their length, but not fused together In Olios the epigynal lateral lobes fused anteriorly, but in The/cticopis these lateral lobes are fused widely at the anterior end leaving a deep cavity in between In Palystes f1avidus the epigynum having with a V-shaped heavily sclerotised median piece in between the lateral lobes at the centre In Torania g/oriosa this median piece is present at the anterior end of the lateral lobes FAMILY HETEROPODIDAE ( Giant Crab-spiders) Heteropodidae Thorell, Nova Act Reg Soc Sci Upsaliae (3) : 606 Heteropodidae: Thorell Descriptive catalogue of the spiders of Burnla : 265 Sparassidae: Simon, Hisl Nat Araignees, (1) : 48 Ensparassidae: Jarvi, Ann Acad Sci Fenn., (1) : 1-131 Ensparassidae: Gravely, Rec.lndian Mus., 33 (3): 237 Sparassidae: DyaJ, Bull Zool Panjab Univ., : 204 Heteropodidae: Comstock, The Spid~r book, : 564 Heteropodidae: Bonnet, Biblic Aran~arum, (3) : 2202 1954 Eusparassidae: Roewer, Kat der Araneae, (A) : 671 1873 ] 895 1897 1912 1931 1935 1942 1951 REC ZOOL SURV INDIA, OCC PAPER 80 IS 152 m.m ,2m.m L.' J m m 155 '56 Figs 152-156 Olios blzavnagarensis Spa nov 152 153 154 155 156 Dorsal view of female, legs omitted Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth Ventral view of labium and maxillae~ Epigynum, ventral view Internal genitalia, dorsal view No 93 SBTHI & TIKJ\DER: Crab Spiders of the family Heteropodidae , , , '1 I _ ~ '1 \ ,1 ~;': ~ , '.t I ' ,I ,, , I i , /' \ \I.,;., •" :.'~ , , I' If ')7 lm.m , ~- \6, I 6." Figs 157-162 Olios xerxes (Pocock) 157 158 159 160 161 162 Dorsal view of female, legs omitted Inner view of left chelicera showi ng arrangements of teeth Ventral view of labium and maxillae Ventral view of left male palp Epigynum, ventral view Internal genitalia dorsal view 81 82 REc ZOOL SURV INDIA, OCC PAPER No 93 I b4 L.mm 1mm , 1m m Figs 163-168 Olios mil/eti (Pocock) 163 Dorsal view of female legs omitted 164 Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth 165 Ventro-Iateral view of right male palp 166 Ventral view of labium and maxillae 167 Epigynum ventral view, 168 Internal genitalia, dorsal view SETHI & TIKADER: 83 Crab Spiders of the falnily Heteropodidae 170 1m.m 169 lm.m 172 ,2m.m, ··1 m.m 173 Figs 169-174 Olios obesulus (Pocock) 169 Dorsal view of female, legs omitted 170 Ventral view of labium and maxillae 171 Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth 172 Lateral view of right male palp 173 Epigynum ventral view 174 Internal genitalia, dorsal view 84 REC ZOOL SURV INDIA, Oce PAPER No 93 2mm ~m.rn, :11.1]) 180 , I, '/ 2mm \78 L-_ l Figs 175-180 Olios punctipes Simon Dorsal view of female leis omitted Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth Ventral view of labium and maxillae Ventral view of right male palp Epigynum, ventral view 180 Internal genitalia dorsal view 175 176 177 178 179 SETHI & TIKADER: Crab Spiders of the family Heteropodidae , 1m.m i 85 18 Ie 84 181 lm.m 2m.m Figs 181-185 Olios kiranae sp nov 181 182 183 184 185 Dorsal view of female legs omitted Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth Ventral view of labium and maxi lIae Epigynum, ventral view Internal genitalia, dorsal view 185 REC ZaOL SURV INDIA, OCC PAPER 86 J I l 3m.m 87 '·5m.m 188 I 1m.m 190 189 Figs 186-190 Olios sensilis Si mon 186 187 188 189 190 Dorsal view of female legs omitted Inner view of right chelicera showing arrangements of teeth Ventral view of labium and maxillae Epigynum, ventral view Internal genitalia, dorsal view No 93 SETHI & TIKADER: Crab Spiders of the family Heteropodldae 87 192 1m.m ;, ' I ;; :i _,4;_ , • 194 ' 2m.m 1m.m 19' ,95 Figs 191-196 191 192 193 194 195 196 Olios tener ( Thorell) Dorsal view of female, legs omitted Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth Ventral view of labium and maxillae Epigynum, ventral view Ventro-Iateral view of right male palp Internal genitalia, dorsal view ,96 REC ZOOL SURV INDIA, 88 Dcc PAPER 198 f 99 ,3m.m., I lm.m 200 20' Figs 197-20 I Olios hampsoni (Pocock) 197 Dorsal view of female, legs omitted 198 Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth 199 Ventral view of labium and maxillae 200 Epigynum, ventral view 20 I Internal genitalia, dorsal view No 93 SETHI & TIKADER : Crab Spiders of the faIntly Heteropodidae 89 Of ,\ \ 2mm 03 202 l.mm ~ , I :: ~" -~ '!' - ~'- ~,~ \ ,, ,, :.,: , ~ ' ~ l_ lmm •• 206 205 Figs 202-206 Olios /uligilleus (Pocock) 202 Dorsal view of female, legs omitted 203 Ventral view of labium and maxillae 204 Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth 205 Epigynum, ventral view 206 Internal genitalia, dorsal view \ I \ • REC ZaOL SURV INDIA, 90 Occ PAPER 208 2m.m 207 209 L mm I ••• L- 1m.m J 2I1 10 Figs 207-211 Olios admiratlls (Pocock) 207 208 209 210 I l Dorsal view of female, legs omitted Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth Ventral view of labium and maxillae Epigynum, ventral view Internal genitalia, dorsal view No 93 SETHI & TIKADER: 91 Crab Spiders of the family Heteropodidae " 21~ I 1m.m -t 213 212 m.m 2·1 212 213 214 215 216 Figs 212-216 Olios gravelvi sp nov Dorsal view offemale, legs omitted Inner view of left chelicera showing arrangements of teeth Ventral view of labium and maxillae Epigynum, ventra I view Internal genitalia dorsal view 216 REC ZOOL SURV INDIA, 92 Oce 2m.m, 217 ~ 3m.m· Figs 217-218 Olios phipsoni (Pocock) 217 218 Dorsal view of male, legs omitted Ventro-Iateral view of left male patp PAPER No 93 SBTHI & TIKADER: Crab Spiders of the family Heteropodidae , , J \ \ "" \ ~ • , "I ,~ 4m.m 2m.m 22 21S Figs 219-220 Olios stimulator (Simon) 219 220 Dorsal view of male, legs omitted Ventral view of right male palp 93 94 REC ZOOL SURV~ INDIA, J Fig 221 2mm 2·21 Olios wroughtoni (Simon) 221 Dorsal view of male, legs omitted 221 Ventro-Iateral view of right male palp Dcc PAPER- No- 93 ... spiders of the family Heteropodidae are known as Giant Crab spiders on account of their large size and the attitude of the legs Crab like The knowledge of Indian heteropodid spiders is very I esse Some. ..RECORDS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION OCCASIONAL PAPER NO 93 STUDIES ON SOME GIANT SPIDERS OF THE FAMILY HETEROPODIDAE FROM INDIA By VEENA D SETHI Western Regional... (Natural History) London and National collection of Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta The description and illustration of all known species have been made on the basis of types or authenticated identified