Evarcha flavocincta

Evarcha flavocincta (C. L. Koch, 1846) Figs 1–14 Maevia flavocincta C. L. Koch, 1846: 74, fig. 1330 (D ♀); Holotype ♀ (ZMB) from INDONESIA, Bintang, not examined. Evarcha flavocincta Żabka, 1985: 224, figs 187–192 (♀; S of Evarcha kochi, rejected by Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010: 165; S of Hasarius simonis, Evarcha heteropogon and Hyllus fischeri, all rejected by Prószyński, 2018: 146). Evarcha flavocincta Ono, Ikeda & Kono, 2009: 576, fig. 185 (only ♀) (figs 183–184; ♂ mismatched). Evarcha heteropogon Simon, 1903: 733 (D ♂); syn. res. Hyllus fischeri Bösenberg & Strand, 1906: 358, pl. 14, fig. 383 (D ♀);. syn. res. Hasarius simonis Thorell, 1892: 418 (D ♂ ♀); syn. res. Evarcha pococki Żabka, 1985: 223, figs 180–186 (D ♂); holotype ♂ in MNHN, Paris, not examined; syn. nov. Menemerus albocinctus Keyserling, 1890: 265, pl. 24, fig. 7 (D ♂); holotype ♂ in NHMD, examined images of the holotype; syn. nov. Salticus andamanius Tikader, 1977: 197, figs 21A–B (D ♀); holotype ♀ and paratype ♀ in NZC-ZSI, examined; syn. nov. For a complete list of taxonomic references see World Spider Catalog (2025). Type material Menemerus albocinctus Keyserling, 1890: Holotype ♂ (NHMD31761) from INDIA: Nicobar Islands, Pulu Mulu Island (=Pulomilo), examined. Salticus andamanius Tikader, 1977: Holotype ♀ (NZC-ZSI 5392 /18) from INDIA, Middle Andaman, Long Island, Rest house Campus, leg. B. K. Tikader, 17.04.1971; 1 ♀ paratype, and 1 subadult ♂ (NZC-ZSI) from INDIA, South Andaman, Chiriatapu, leg. B. K. Tikader, 29.4.1971; examined. Additional material examined. INDIA: 1 ♀ (NZC-ZSI 6898 /18) from Arunachal Pradesh, Mias, Tirap District, 04.12.1982, leg. S. Biswas; 1 ♂ (NZC-ZSI 6752 /18) from Uttar Pradesh, Dist. Kheri, Lakhimpur, Makanpur (28.45887 N, 80.60721 E), 15.10.2017, leg. M. E. Hassan & Party; 1 ♂ (NZC-ZSI 6450 /18) from Nagaland, Peren, Intanki National Park (25.663889°N, 93.512778°E) 195 m a.s.l., 25.03.2017, leg. Swati & Aneesh. 2 ♀♀ (NZC-ZSI-CDT-AA-439, 448) from West Bengal, Botanical Garden (22.558100°N, 88.291400°E), 06.08.2016, leg. Kailash Chandra and party; 1 ♀ (NZC-ZSI-CDT-AA-911) from Assam, near Bherjan-Borajan-Padumoni Wildlife Sanctuary (27.522769°N, 95.36472°E), 30.03.2017, leg. Shantanu Kundu and Devkant Singha. Comments. Six synonyms of Evarcha flavocincta (C. L. Koch, 1846) have been identified in this study, including three newly proposed and three previously established ones. The newly proposed synonyms are Evarcha pococki Żabka, 1985 syn. nov., Menemerus albocinctus Keyserling, 1890 syn. nov., and Salticus andamanius Tikader, 1977 syn. nov. (presently in Pseudicius). The previously recognized three synonyms by Żabka (1985), reinstated here, are Evarcha fischeri (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906), Evarcha heteropogon Simon, 1903, and Evarcha simonis (Thorell, 1892). Salticus andamanius Tikader, 1977 was originally described based on female types from the Middle and South Andaman Islands (Tikader 1977). Detailed examination of the type specimens revealed that the epigynal morphology and vulval structures are consistent with those of E. flavocincta (cf. Figs 6–10 herein, with figs 187–192 in Żabka (1985), and figs 1–4 in Caleb (2023)). Consequently, it is regarded as a junior synonym of E. flavocincta. Evarcha pococki Żabka, 1985, was described from northern Vietnam, Bhutan, and Myanmar. This species is known only from male specimens (World Spider Catalog 2025). The species was recorded in the Andaman Islands based on a mismatched male associated with the female of Marpissa andamanensis (Caleb et al. 2022). Ono et al. (2009) illustrated the male of E. flavocincta from Japan, but this identification appears to be erroneous, as similar males have not been recorded from across the known distribution of E. flavocincta. Examination of the allotype male of Marpissa andamanensis (later identified as E. pococki) from South Andaman and the paratype females of Salticus andamanius (now a synonym of E. flavocincta) suggests they are conspecific as they were both collected from the same location (Chiriatapu village, South Andaman) and the new materials present almost identical habitus and patterns. Given the overlapping distribution ranges and morphological congruence, we conclude that the male of E. pococki corresponds to the female of E. flavocincta. Menemerus albocinctus Keyserling, 1890 was described based on a male specimen from Pulomilo Island (modern Nicobar district, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India). Examination of the holotype revealed significant similarities in somatic and male palpal morphology to E. flavocincta (cf. Plate XXIV, fig. 7 in Keyserling (1890) with figs 180–183 in Żabka (1985) and Figs 1–5 herein). This confirms the conspecificity of Menemerus albocinctus with E. flavocincta. Evarcha fischeri (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) was originally described as Hyllus fischeri from Japan based on a female. This species was synonymized with E. flavocincta by Żabka (1985) but was revalidated by Prószyński (2018). Based on the indistinguishable epigynal and vulval structures, we reaffirm E. fischeri as a synonym of E. flavocincta (cf. Figs 7–10 and figs 2–4 in Caleb 2023 with illustrations on p. 50 in Prószyński 1984). Evarcha heteropogon Simon, 1903 was described from a male specimen collected in North Vietnam, and was later illustrated by Prószyński (1984), who provided the first depiction of its female genitalia. Prószyński (2018) transferred it later to Evacin. The external morphology of the epigyne, as well as the internal structures, particularly the long and coiled duct system with membranous ducts (see Prószyński 1984: 50), confirm its identity with E. flavocincta. We therefore, recognize it as a junior synonym of E. flavocincta. Evarcha simonis (Thorell, 1892) was initially described as Hasarius simonis from Singapore and Sumatra. This species was treated as a nomen dubium by Roewer (1955). Prószyński (1984) removed it from this status, transferring it to Evarcha and subsequently to Evacin (Prószyński, 2018). Based on its genital morphology which is identical to E. flavocincta (see Prószyński 1984: 50) and earlier assessments by Żabka (1985), we reaffirm E. simonis as a junior synonym of E. flavocincta. Additionally, two other species known solely from the males, may also be synonyms of E. flavocincta. Evarcha bulbosa Żabka, 1985 was originally described from Vietnam and Palembang in Java. The species has since been recorded from China and Thailand (World Spider Catalog 2025). The male palp is identical to E. flavocincta in all aspects except for the retrolateral tibial apophysis with a bifid tip. Another species from China, Evarcha pseudopococki Peng, Xie & Kim, 1993 is indistinguishable from E. bulbosa (World Spider Catalog 2025). Distribution. India, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan (World Spider Catalog 2025).