AMERICAN MUSEUM Novitates PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CENTRAL PARK WEST AT 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10024 Number 3018, 13 pp., 27 figures September 10, 1991 A Revision of the Ground Spider Family Cithaeronidae (Araneae, Gnaphosoidea) NORMAN I. PLATNICKI ABSTRACT The family Cithaeronidae includes relatively laysia), C. delimbatus Strand (East Africa), and plesiomorphic gnaphosoid spiders from the Old two new species, C. reimoseri (Ethiopia) and C. World. Two genera are recognized, Cithaeron 0. jocqueorum (Ivory Coast). Three specific names P.-Cambridge and the new genus Inthaeron, es- are newly synonymized with C. praedonius: C. tablished for a new species, L rossi, from India. limbatus (Simon), C. semilimbatus (Simon), and Four species of Cithaeron are recognized: C. prae- C. pallidus Denis. Adult males and females of C. donius 0. P.-Cambridge (found from Libya to Ma- delimbatus are described for the first time. INTRODUCTION The family Cithaeronidae is one ofthe most with their relatively large eyes, procurved obscure groups of spiders. Until very recent- posterior eye row, long legs, and pseudoseg- ly, only a handful of specimens were known, mented tarsi, they closely resemble members and most arachnologists are unfamiliar with of the Old World gnaphosid genus Mega- these animals. Nor, at first glance, are they myrmaekion (but differ in lacking the en- particularly striking. With their flattened and larged piriform gland spigots on the anterior irregularly shaped posterior median eyes, their lateral spinnerets that are synapomorphic for obliquely depressed endites, and their heavi- gnaphosids). ly sclerotized anterior lateral spinnerets, they The first known specimens were described are easily placed as members of the super- (as Cithaeron) by 0. P.-Cambridge (1872), family Gnaphosoidea. In general appearance, who considered them "to connect" zodariids I Chairman and Curator, Department of Entomology, American Museum of Natural History; Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, City College, City University of New York; Adjunct Professor, Department of Entomology, Cornell University. Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 1991 ISSN 0003-0082 / Price $1.90 2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 3018 and agelenids. Simon (1878) subsequently re- as an unidentified female from India- described the same species in the new genus thought possibly to belong to a second ci- Tephlea, placing it in the "Drassidae" (= thaeronid genus-has numerous large cylin- Gnaphosidae) near Cybaeodes Simon, an ob- drical gland spigots, arranged in two parallel scure taxon currently assigned to the "Clu- rows, on the posterior median spinnerets. bionidae." Subsequently, Simon (1893) syn- Subsequent study has confirmed this pos- onymized Tephlea with Cithaeron, sibility. The only adequate series of cithae- mentioning similarities of the spiders to zo- ronids that seems ever to have been collected dariids and palpimanids but erecting a sub- was obtained from Ethiopia, over recent years, family Cithaeroninae, placed in the Gna- by Dr. A. Russell-Smith. When they were phosidae (adjacent to his subfamily first encountered, he reported (in litt., 16 June Cybaeodinae). The Cithaeroninae were ele- 1986) that: vated to familial status by Caporiacco (1938), who united the group with the (non-gnapho- If these are cithaeronids I suspect the reason they are soid) Homalonychidae in a superfamily relatively uncommon in collections is that they are Homalonychiformia, an arrangement fol- extremely fast-moving when disturbed and thus dif- lowed by Roewer (1955a). ficult to catch! I have lost at least as many as are here The only recent consideration ofthe family because Ijust was not quick enough. All the specimens was a byproduct of a of I have found have been in silk retreats on the under- survey gnaphosoid side of stones except for the female from Awash Na- spinneret morphology and its phylogenetic tional Park which was under a pile of grass. In the implications (Platnick, 1990). In that paper, specimens from the hill near Nazret the male was in a second genus (Bobineus Roewer) that had the same silken retreat as the subadult female. subsequently been added to the family by Roewer (1955b) was transferred to the Gna- Examination ofthis fine series, as well as the phosidae and placed as a junior synonym of relatively few specimens scattered among Pterotricha Kulczyn'ski. The results of that other collections, supports the recognition of survey indicated that the familial status of the Indian female as a member of a second the cithaeronids seems to be warranted. Al- genus, described below as Inthaeron. Fortu- though clearly a gnaphosoid, Cithaeron dif- nately, the single known specimen has its fers from true gnaphosids and prodidomids spinnerets well extruded and preserved; the in having anterior lateral spinnerets that (1) anterior lateral spinnerets closely resemble are conical (rather than tubular) in shape, (2) those of Cithaeron in the four details listed are not widely separated at their base, (3) above, despite the differences in the arrange- retain a sclerotized subdistal ring, and (4) have ment ofthe cylindrical gland spigots on their unmodified, rather than widened or elongat- posterior median spinnerets. ed, piriform gland spigots. Comments on sep- Those four anterior lateral spinneret char- arating cithaeronids from the other currently acters are all presumably plesiomorphic for recognized gnaphosoid families can be found the Gnaphosoidea, however, which raises the in the familial diagnosis below. question ofwhether Cithaeron and Inthaeron Platnick (1990) also pointed out that the together form a monophyletic group. The best posterior median spinnerets of Cithaeron fe- indication that they do is provided by chel- males are highly modified; instead ofthe large iceral morphology. The chelicerae of Cithae- cylindrical gland spigots found in other gna- ron are unusual in lacking teeth on either phosoids and many outgroup genera, the pos- margin of the fang furrow; most other gna- terior portion of the PMS is covered with phosoids have teeth on one or both of those numerous small cylindrical gland spigots. The margins. The promargin, however, bears a only other gnaphosoid examined to date that cluster of stiff setae, first noted by Simon approaches this condition is Drassodella (1893: 385, fig. 312). Examination by scan- Hewitt (now placed in the family Gallieniel- ning electron microscopy (figs. 1, 2) indicates lidae), which has multiple rows ofcylindrical that (at least in Cithaeron) these setae are gland spigots. However, Platnick indicated situated behind an elevated ridge, and each that the cylindrical gland spigot arrangement originates from an elevated and notched base of Cithaeron might be only a generic feature, and bears several feathery branches. Al- 1991 PLATNICK: CITHAERONIDAE 3 Figs. 1-4. Cithaeron delimbatus Strand, female. 1. Chelicera, posterior view, 260 x. 2. Modified setae on cheliceral promargin, posterior view, 1300 x. 3. Cheliceral gland pores, posterior view, 2000 x. 4. Serrula, anterior view, 375 x. though the single known female ofInthaeron Rudy Jocque, and Darrell Ubick for helpful has not been scanned, detailed examination comments on a draft of the manuscript. by light microscopy indicates that it con- forms to Cithaeron in cheliceral morphology COLLECTIONS EXAMINED as well as such other unusual features as the re- AMNH American Museum ofNatural History, pseudosegmented tarsi (fig. 7) and greatly including material kindly donated by A. duced leg spination. Russell-Smith I am indebted to the curators and collectors BMNH Natural History Museum, London, P. listed below for access to specimens, to Mo- Hillyard hammad U. Shadab of the American Mu- CAS California Academy of Sciences, San seum of Natural History for help with illus- Francisco, W. Pulawski trations, and to Gershom Levy, John Murphy, CJK J. K. H. Koh, Singapore 4 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 3018 w m'B5;_ r- Figs. 5-8. Cithaeron delimbatus Strand, female. 5. Tarsal organ from leg I, dorsal view, 5860 x. 6. Trichobothrial base from tarsus I, dorsal view. 7. Tarsus I, dorsolateral view, 500 x. 8. Feathery setae on tarsus I, lateral view, 1000 x. CJM J. and F. Murphy, Hampton, England NMW Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, J. CRS A. Russell-Smith, Harleston, England Gruber HDO Hope Entomological Collegctions, Ox- ford University, I. Lansbury HUJ Hebrew University, Jerusalem, G. Levy SYSTEMATICS MNHN Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CITHAERONIDAE Paris, J. Heurtault and C. Rollard SIMON MRAC Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Cithaeroninae Simon, 1893: 341, 384 (type genus Tervuren, R. Jocque by monotypy Cithaeron 0. P.-Cambridge). - NMB Naturhistorisches Museum Basel, W. Bonnet, 1956: 1095. Wittmer Cithaeronidae: Caporiacco, 1938: 63. - Roewer, NMK National Museums ofKenya, J. M. Rit- 1955a: 475. - Brignoli, 1983: 584. - Platnick, chie, R. K. Bagine 1989: 456. 1991 PLATNICK: CITHAERONIDAE 5 DiAGNosIs: Cithaeronids can be distin- strong anterolateral serrula (fig. 4); labium as guished from other gnaphosoids as follows: wide as long or wider, truncated distally, not from the Gnaphosidae, Prodidomidae, and rebordered; sternum shield-shaped, with Ammoxenidae by the presence of conical heavily sclerotized lateral (but not posterior) (rather than tubular) and narrowly separated margins, sparsely coated with long, dark, stiff anterior lateral spinnerets bearing a subdistal setae, with sclerotized extensions to and be- sclerotized ring and unmodified