Available online at www.worldscientificnews.com WSN 47(2) (2016) 298-317 EISSN 2392-2192 Indian Lycosoidea Sundevall (Araneae: Opisthothelae: Araneomorphae) in Different States and Union Territories Including an Annotated Checklist Dhruba Chandra Dhali1,*, P. M. Sureshan1, Kailash Chandra2 1Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, Kozkhikore - 673006, India 2Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata - 700053, India *E-mail address: [email protected] ABSTRACT Annotated checklist of Lycosoidea so far recorded from different states and union territories of India reveals a total of 251 species under 38 genera belonging five families. The review cleared that diversity of lycosoid spider fauna is maximum in West Bengal followed by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and they are not distributed maximally in the states and union territories within Biodiversity hotspots. This fauna is distributed all over the country. There is nearly 69.35% endemism (in context of India). Keywords: Distribution; Lycosoidea; India; State; Union Territories; Annotated; checklist 1. INTRODUCTION Spiders, composing the order Araneae Clerck, 1757 is the largest group among arachnids and separated into two suborders: Mesothelae Pocock, 1892 (segmented spiders) World Scientific News 47(2) (2016) 298-317 and Opisthothelae Pocock, 1892 (includes all other spiders). Later one is further divided into two infraorders: Mygalomorphae Pocock, 1892 (ancient' spiders) and Araneomorphae Smith, 1902 (modern' spiders include the vast majority of spiders) (Coddington, 2005; WSC, 2015). Araneomorphae composed of 99 families and most of them can be divided into at least six clades and 11 super-families, though some are still unplaced in that system (Zhang, 2011). Zhang (2011) included 11 families under Superfamily Lycosoidea Sundevall, 1833 of the Clade ‘Amaurobioids’ including fossil records. Worldwide 4219 species of 286 genera distributed over 9 families (WSC, 2016) under the superfamily so far recorded while 248 species of 38 genera belonging five families under the superfamily so far recorded only from India (WSC, 2016). Lycosoidea are characterized by a grate shaped tapetum in the indirect eyes (Homann 1971; Levi 1982). Present list includes a total of 248 species of Lycosidea distributed over 38 genera under five families from India and their distribution in states and union territories. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present check-list is based on an examination of specimens deposited in the National Zoological Collection (NZC), Zoological Survey of India and on reviews of the published literatures, including several recent world catalogues of spiders (WSC, 2016), recent book (Sebastian and Peter, 2009), checklist (Siliwal et al., 2005; Siliwal and Molur, 2007; Keswani et al., 2012), monograph (Sen et al. 2015), published papers in different National and International journals (Tikader and Malhotra, 1980; Tikader and Biawas, 1981; Tikader, 1987; Biswas and Biswas, 1992, 2004,’ 06; Biswas, and Majumder, 1995; Bastawade and Borkar. 2008; Gajbe, 2004,’ 07,’ 08; Malamel et al., 2013; Ahmed et al., 2015). Abbreviations: AS = Assam, AP = Andhra Pradesh, AN = Andaman & Nicobar Islands, ARP = Arunachal Pradesh, BH = Bihar, CG = Chhattisgarh, ECI = Eastern Central India, GJ = Gujarat, GO = Goa, HP = Himachal Pradesh, HR = Haryana, OR = Orissa, MG = Meghalaya, MP = Madhya Pradesh, PJ = Punjab, JH = Jharkhand, JK = Jammu & Kashmir, RJ = Rajasthan, TG = Telangana, TN = Tamil Nadu, TP = Tripura, KL = Kerala, KA = Karnataka, MZ = Mizoram, MN = Manipur, SI = South India, MR = Maharashtra, PC = Pondicherry, WB = West Bengal, UK = Uttarakhand, UP = Uttar Pradesh, WSC = World Spider Catalogue. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION India has 29 states and seven union territories, from which only 27 states and two union territories lycosoids are recorded so far. A total of 251 species of lycosoids distributed over 38 genera belonging five families are known so far from India (Table 1). From West Bengal state maximum number of species recorded followed by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and so on (Figure 1 and Table 1). Among all the families, maximum number of species are recorded under Lycosidae followed by Oxyopidae and Pisauridae (Figure 2, Figure 5 and Table 1). Only seventy-six species are recorded from other countries i.e. almost 69.35% fauna are endemic to India. Eight species are known only from the Karakorum (in original literatures). Exact distribution of 11 species are unknown (* marked) viz. exact distribution -299- World Scientific News 47(2) (2016) 298-317 within India: Anahita smythiesi Simon, of Ctenidae; Arctosa lesserti Reimoser, Geolycosa carli (Reimoser) of Lycosidae; Oxyopes indicus (Walckenaer) and Peucetia elegans (Blackwall) of Oxyopidae; Euprosthenops ellioti (O. P.-Cambridge), Nilus phipsoni (F. O. P. Cambridge) and Perenethis dentifasciata (O. P. Cambridge) of Pisauridae and Psechrus ghecuanus Thorell, P. himalayanus Simon and P. torvus (O. P. Cambridge) of Psechridae. Arctosa lesserti Reimoser and Geolycosa carli (Reimoser) (possibly Tamil Nadu) of Lycosidae were recorded from South India whereas Anahita smythiesi Simon (either Uttarakhand or Maharashtra) of Ctenidae and Hippasa partita (O. P. Cambridge) (either Gujarat or Rajasthan) of Lycosidae from India in original literatures. and Perenethis dentifasciata (O. P. Cambridge) of Pisauridae were recorded from either India or Pakistan. Rests were recorded from India in original literatures. Among all, both the morphs were recorded only in 129 species, while only female, male and juvenile morphs recorded in 126, eight and two species respectively (Figure 4 and Table 1). There are three nomen nudum [viz. Dendrolycosa stauntoni (Pocock), Hygropoda mahendriensis (Vankhede et al.) and Nilus marginatus (Simon) of Pisauridae] which were recorded from India (Jager, 2011; WSC, 2016). Lycosoids are recorded from almost all the states excepting Nagaland and Mizoram while this fauna recorded only two union territories viz. Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry. The distribution pattern of primitive spiders clearly shows that from West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra the maximum lycosoid fauna been recorded while from Nagaland, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Chandigarh, Daman & Du and Dadra & Nagar Haveli not been recorded (Figure 5 and Table 1). If we consider the higher taxon like family, all the families are recorded from Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Kerala but not in genus and species level to the extent of West Bengal (Figure 1, Figure 3 and Figure 5). Members of the family Psechridae have been recorded from Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Kerala only (Figure 5 and Table 1). Table 1. Annotated checklist of Lycosoidea so far recorded from India. Distribution Morph Family Genus Species known In India Elsewhere Acantheis Thorell indicus Gravely, 1931 KL, TN Female IND (UK or Anahita Karsch smythiesi Simon, 1897 Both MR) * andamanensis Gravely, AN Female 1931 bomdilaensis Tikader & ARP Both Bhutan Malhotra,1981 CTENIDAE cochinensis Gravely, 1931 KL Both Keyserling Ctenus dangsus Reddy & Patel, GJ Female Walckenaer 1994 goaensis Bastawade & GO Female Borkar, 2008 himalayensis Gravely, WB Both 1931 indicus Gravely, 1931 KL Female -300- World Scientific News 47(2) (2016) 298-317 kapuri Tikader, 1973 AN Female meghalayaensis Tikader, MG Female 1976 narashinhai Patel & AP Female Reddy, 1988 sikkimensis Gravely, 1931 KL, SK, WB Both tuniensis Patel & Reddy, AP Female 1988 Acantholycosa baltoroi (Caporiacco, JK Female Dahl 1935) Agalenocosa subinermis (Simon, 1897) MR Pakistan Both Mello-Leitão himalayensis Tikader & UP, WB Both Malhotra, 1980 indica Tikader & MR, WB China Both Malhotra, 1980 khudiensis (Sinha, 1951) BH China Both lesserti Reimoser, 1934 SI (TN) * Both Arctosa C. L. Koch mulani (Dyal, 1935) MR Pakistan Both quinquedens Dhali et al., WB Female 2012 sandeshkhaliensis WB Both Majumder, 2004 tappaensis Gajbe, 2004 MP Both LYCOSIDAE leucostigma (Simon, 1885) KA, TN Both Sundevall Crocodilosa Caporiacco maindroni Female MR (Simon, 1897) amkhasensis (Tikader & MP, WB Both Malhotra, 1976) atropalpis (Gravely, 1924) TN Sri Lanka Both burasantiensis (Tikader & WB Both Malhotra, 1976) Draposa nicobarica (Thorell, 1891) AN Both Kronestedt TN, GJ, Bangladesh, oakleyi (Gravely, 1924) Both BH, PJ Pakistan porpaensis (Gajbe, 2004) MP Female subhadrae (Patel & Reddy, AP Sri Lanka Both 1993) banarensis Tikader & RJ Both Malhotra, 1980 Evippa Simon jabalpurensis Gajbe, 2004 MP Female -301- World Scientific News 47(2) (2016) 298-317 mandlaensis Gajbe, 2004 MP Female Egypt to India, praelongipes (O. P.- AS, GJ, Pakistan, Both Cambridge, 1870) RJ, PJ Kazakhstan rajasthanea Tikader & RJ Both Malhotra, 1980 rubiginosa Simon, 1885 AS, AP, TN Female shivajii Tikader & MR Both Malhotra, 1980 sohani Tikader & MR Both Malhotra, 1980 solanensis Tikader & HP Female Malhotra, 1980 evippiforme (Caporiacco, Karakorum Both Evippomma 1935) Roewer evippinum (Simon, 1897) MR Pakistan Female Geolycosa carli (Reimoser, 1934) SI (TN) * Both Montgomery KL, TN, MP, agelenoides (Simon, 1884) GO, KA, UK, Taiwan Both MR, WB charamaensis Both MP Gajbe, 2004 fabreae Gajbe & Gajbe, MP Female 1999 flavicoma Caporiacco, Karakorum Juvenile 1935 KL, TN, KA, Bangladesh, greenalliae (Blackwall, MR, OR, SK, Sri Lanka Both 1867) WB, MP hansae Gajbe & Gajbe, Female MP 1999 haryanensis Arora & HR Both Hippasa Simon Monga, 1994 himalayensis Gravely, HP, KA, WB Female 1924 India to holmerae Thorell, 1895 WB, UK, MN,