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Occurrence, Distribution and Biological Description of Loxosceles Rufescens (Dufour, 1820) (Araneae: Sicariidae) from Western India”

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Occurrence, Distribution and Biological Description of Loxosceles Rufescens (Dufour, 1820) (Araneae: Sicariidae) from Western India” “OCCURRENCE, DISTRIBUTION AND BIOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF LOXOSCELES RUFESCENS (DUFOUR, 1820) (ARANEAE: SICARIIDAE) FROM WESTERN INDIA” VARSHA TRIVEDI 1* AND PARIN DAL 2 1, 2 Animal Ecology & Conservation Biology Research Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, UGC Centre of Advance Studies, Saurashtra University, Rajkot 360005, Guj, India Email: 1*[email protected] ; [email protected] *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820), a relatively cosmopolitan, synanthropic species with toxic venom which can occasionally cause dermatological injuries in humans; are commonly known as the circum - Mediterranean spider species, their native range covers the Mediterranean Basin and Near East. The present communication highlights the evidence in detail confirmation on biological identity, local habitat preference and distribution of L. rufescens in Western India. Spider diversity survey from July to December 2015 and October 2016 to February 2017; the population of L. rufescens were largely (N=51) occurred in residential and educational buildings in the Kathiawar (viz: Amreli and Rajkot), Gujarat, Western India. In buildings occurrence of microhabitats were corner of wall, boxes of book storage, unused wooden and iron cupboard and their crevices making irregular web, typically in close association with Common Indian Black Ant and Common Indian large Ant. L. rufescens is a medium sized (7-8mm) light to medium brownish, with long and slender legs; bites and their potentiality to humans are less harmful (Nentwig et al. 2017). Key Words: L. rufescens, biology, building, distribution, toxic, Western India Communicating author e-mail: [email protected] 1 INTRODUCTION The six-eyed venomous spider family Sicariidae is known for their notorious bites, which occasionally produce a suit of symptoms known as loxoscelism, characterized by severe necrotic dermatologic injuries (Swanson and Vetter 2006, Yigit et al. 2007) and interesting of medical significance. The family Sicariidae currently represented by three genera, Hexophthalma (06 species), Loxosceles (133 species) and Sicarius (21 species) around the world (World Spider Catalog 2018, Version 19). The genus Loxosceles (Heineken and Lowe, 1832) characterized with slanted legs (Cameron, 2005), most species are known by violin or fiddle back; recluse spiders in North America and brown spiders in South America. Much of the Loxosceles taxonomic literatures since 1834 through 1983 (Lucas, 1834; Gertsch, 1958, 1967; Gertsch & Ennik, 1983) described their origin and evolution. The original range of L. rufescens is in circum- Mediterranean region, spread widely in many temperate and tropical areas including the islands of the Atlantic, Madagascar, the Hawaiian islands, Australia, Mexico and the United States (Gertsch & Ennik 1983) due to human activity (Harvey 1996, Vetter and Barger 2002, Veet 2008). Recently, L. rufescens geographical range with African origin; L. rufescens itself originated in North Africa, Morocco; has spread by human transport for >5000 years within the Mediterranean basin (Duncan et al., 2010; Planas and Ribera, 2014). In India, L. rufescens has been recorded (Tikader 1963, Sebastian & Peter 2009, Solanki 2016), in Iran (Mirshamsi et al. 2013), in Thailand (Chomphuphuang et al. 2016), today L. rufescens is globally spread by human activity and rarely bites human and the bites are less harmful (Nentwig et al., 2017). Here, we report the finding of the large population of L. rufescens near human habitation from Kathiawar Peninsular, Western India; yet there is no any record from Kathiawar. We document the distribution of L. rufescens in Western India provide occupancy sites in human habitation for public awareness, confirmation of identical biological descriptions and propose how it may have arrived in Western India. METHODOLOGY Total 51 spiders were collected by hand picking during an IQAC sponsored Spider Project Survey [MRP ref. No. IQAC/GJY/MRP/SEPT/2016/1646; Dt.30 September 2016], Among all 30 male, 12 female and 3 young spiders were caught during month of September and October 2015 and January 2017 respectively from Saurashtra University Campus (latitude 22.290 N, longitude 70.740 E and at altitude 138 m MSL, spread over 1457km2), Rajkot, Gujarat and 3 2 adult male and 3 female spiders from Village Chalala (latitude 21.400 N, longitude 71.160 E), Amreli, Gujarat. Collected spiders were brought and studied in laboratory; preserved in 70% alcohol and Identified using Gertsch and Ennik (1983), Greene et al. (2009), Lotz (2012), Chomphuphuang et al. (2016). The genitalia of females were dissected and cleared with a 4% KOH aqueous solution. L. rufescens is closely related and similar looking species to L. fontainei, L. foutadjalloni, L. rufipes and L. vonwredei; which is differing from L. fontainei, L. foutadjalloni and L. rufipes in the palp tibia length/height ratio being less than 2.0; differing from L. vonwredei in the palp tibia length/height ratio being less than 2.5 (Lotz, 2012) from Afrotropical region. All the spiders specimens were closely examined with a pair of binocular stereo zoom microscope (Stemi 305, Carl Zeiss) along with Tucsen Camera, (model ISH500) were used to photograph the diagnostic features. All measurements (millimeters) for morphometry were scaled under an ocular micrometer and TC Capture Software. Descriptions are based on one adult specimen for each sex and leg measurements of a single adult male and 2 adult female specimens (Table 1). The following abbreviations are used throughout the text: AME=Anterior Median Eye; ALE= Anterior Lateral Eye; PLE= Posterior Lateral Eye; AME-ALE & AME-PLE=distance between; CL=Carapace length; CW= Carapace width (measured at the widest point); LA= Labium; SL=Sternum length; SW=Sternum width, TL=Total length; SUBIOZ= Saurashtra University, Museum of Department of Biosciences, Zoology, W= West zone of Saurashtra University Campus. All voucher specimens are deposited at the Saurashtra University, Museum of Department of Biosciences, Zoology, Rajkot, Gujarat, India for future analysis. Natural habit, habitat and Occurrence: All the collected specimens with their natural macro and micro habitats were photographed and their avail food sources were observed and described. We have collected the information about how they arrived in Saurashtra University Campus, Rajkot? Behaviour: In captivity study: Preliminary breeding biology and behavioral activities of L. rufescens was studied in laboratory using glass jars. The glass jars was provisioned with a bed of dried twig and bottom filled with black soil to provide natural environ (Fig. 2A-E). The female specimen was kept in the glass jars for three months male spider also introduces for mating. The spider was fed on daily basis with 3 small ants, large ants and small cockroaches. The details pertaining to duration for egg laying, hatch times, number of spiderlings, resistance to starvation were recorded (Table 3, Fig. 2A-E). The detailed information about the records of this species and their distribution in Gujarat State, Western India are gathered with their locality, macro and microhabitat including GPS are reported. Medical Importance, Loxoscelism, Case study and public awareness: We intensively search for literature, Bulletin of the AMNH, WSC -2018, PubMed, about bites of L. rufescens and their medical importance. Biological Description: SYSTEMATICS Family: Sicaridae Keyserling, 1880 Subfamily: Loxoscelinae Genus: Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe, 1832 Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe, 1832 in Lowe, 1832: 321. Full synonymy: see Gertsch & Ennik (1983) and Platnick (2018, Version 19). Type Species - Scytodes rufescens Dufour, 1820, p. 203 and Bonnet (1957). Remarks: All 51 specimens of genus Loxosceles were examined the general diagnostic characters specially of female (33) and male (15) specimens except three due to young: Flattened carapace, longer than wide with a deep fovea (Fig. 3 & 4) clypeus porrect with hairs, six eyes in three diads with recurved transverse row; female pedipalp without a claw; legs long and slender (Fig. 4a); sternum longer than wide (Fig. 3d, 4c); abdomen oblong with spine like setae. A diagnostic character for the females of L. rufescens is the structure of the spermathecae (Gertch & Ennik, 1983; Duncan et al., 2009; Lotz, 2012, 2017), are characterized by receptacles of spermathecae closely spaced; wide copulatory tubes with lateral brown sclerotized area (Fig. 4e & f); male palps with a simple bulb that lacks a hematodocha and inward curved thin long embolus; male palp tibia length/height ratio is < 2.0 (Fig.3g, h) (Gertch & Ennik, 1983, Lotz, 2012, 2017). Loxoscles rufescens (Dufour, 1820) Scytodes rufescens: Dufour, 1820: 203, pl. 76, fig. 5. Full synonymy: see (WSC, 2018). Loxoscles rufescens: Simon, 1873: 38; Pavesi, 1876: 435; Simon, 1914: 75, fig. 127. Gertsch and Ennik, 1983: p.353-355, figs. 341-343, 348-351; Map 13. Full synonymy: see (WSC, 2018). 4 Materials examined: SUBIOZ82-WV27 (6) one male, 18 Sept 2015 and SUBIOZ82-WV29 (1) one female, 1 Oct. 2015, both male and female were caught from West Zone of Saurashtra University Campus, Sanskrit Bhavan’s Library Building, collected by Dal (Dal, 2016); SUBIOZ-EV20 (11) one female, 25 Feb. 2017, East Zone of Saurashtra University, Art Gallery Building, collected by Nadiyapara (Nadiyapara, 2017), Rajkot, Gujarat. Description of Male [SUBIOZ82-WV27 (6), Table 1, Fig. 3a-h]: TL = 6.90; Cephalothorax=2.7 long, 3.0 wide; abdomen length=3.40 long, width=3.30; morphometry
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