Abstract
In this paper, a new genus Neoheterophrictus gen. nov., with three new species, Neoheterophrictus crurofulvus sp. nov., N. sahyadri sp. nov. and N. uttarakannada sp. nov., is described from Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka, India. The new genus is close to Heterophrictus Pocock, 1900 and Plesiophrictus Pocock, 1899 but has multilobed spermathecae, which was consistent in all the three species and the males possessing double tibial spur. Natural history information for all the species described is provided. We transfer Plesiophrictus bhori Gravely, 1915 to Heterophrictus and synonymise P. mahabaleshwari Tikader, 1977 with Heterophrictus milleti Pocock, 1900.
Highlights
The subfamily Ischnocolinae of the family Theraphosidae is a generic complex and Raven (1985) considered all genera as incertae sedis
Guadanucci (2011) transferred Heterophrictus to the subfamily Eumenophorinae based on presence of plumose stridulatory setae above suture of coxae I
As per characters of Eumenophorinae, paddle and spike setae or just spike setae are present on coxae I-II (Smith 1990)
Summary
The subfamily Ischnocolinae of the family Theraphosidae is a generic complex and Raven (1985) considered all genera (including the only Indian genus Plesiophrictus Pocock, 1899) as incertae sedis These genera require re-examination of the type specimens along with examination of new collections from the type locality to revalidate their taxonomic position under Ischnocolinae. The spider from Uttara Kannada possesses all these characters including similar palpal bulb morphology, but differs from Euphrictus by the absence of stridulatory spines on the prolateral surfaces of the chelicerae and well-developed double tibial spur being present in males. It closely resembles Plesiophrictus in male spur structure but there were no spinules or granules between the spurs. Natural history notes for all the new species are provided
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