Marusik Yu.M.1,2,3, Haddad Ch.2* 2025. On the placement and affiliations of the Drassodes species described from sub-Saharan Africa (Aranei: Gnaphosidae) // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.34. No.1: 77–85 [in English].
1 Institute for Biological Problems of the North, Portovaya Str. 18, Magadan 685000 Russia.
2 Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
3 Altai State University, Lenina Pr., 61, Barnaul 656049 Russia.
3 Алтайский государственный университет, пр. Ленина, д. 61, Барнаул 656049 Россия.
Yuri Marusik: yurmar@mail.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4499-5148
Charles Haddad: haddadcr@ufs.ac.za; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2317-7760
* Corresponding author
doi: 10.15298/arthsel.34.1.07
ABSTRACT. The taxonomic status of the members of Drassodes Westring, 1851 in sub-Saharan Africa is reviewed. Eighteen species are transferred to Haplodrassus Chamberlin, 1922 and one to Odontodrassus Jézéquel, 1965, with the following new combinations: H. bechuanicus (Tucker, 1923) comb.n., H. caffrerianus (Purcell, 1907) comb.n., H. calceatus (Purcell, 1907) comb.n., H. dregei (Purcell, 1907) comb.n., O. ereptor (Purcell, 1907) comb.n., H. gilvus (Tullgren, 1910) comb.n., H. gooldi (Purcell, 1907) comb.n., H. helenae (Purcell, 1907) comb.n., H. kibonotensis (Tullgren, 1910) comb.n., H. lophognathus (Purcell, 1907), H. lyratus (Purcell, 1907) comb.n., H. lyriger (Simon, 1909) comb.n., H. masculus (Tucker, 1923) comb.n., H. sesquidentatus (Purcell, 1908) comb.n., H. solitarius (Purcell, 1907) comb.n., H. splendens (Tucker, 1923) comb.n., H. stationis (Tucker, 1923) comb.n., H. tesselatus (Purcell, 1907) comb.n. and H. tortuosus (Tucker, 1923) comb.n.. Four species retained in Drassodes, D. braendegaardi Caporiacco, 1949, D. falciger Jézéquel, 1965, D. imbecillus (L. Koch, 1875) and D. sternatus Strand, 1906, are clearly related to the generotype, whereas two others retained in the genus were poorly described and their affiliations are uncertain; D. malagassicus (Butler, 1880) and D. simplicivulvus Caporiacco, 1940 are thus considered species inquirenda. Drassodes carinatus Strand, 1906, described from Ethiopia and currently considered a junior synonym of the Palaearctic H. dalmatensis (L. Koch, 1866), is the only species with a distribution spanning both biogeographical realms. Drassodes maillardi (Vinson, 1863) from the Reunion Island most likely belongs to Xerophaeus Purcell, 1907 and could potentially be a senior synonym of X. oceanicus Schmidt et Jocqué, 1983, the only other gnaphosid species known from the island.
KEY WORDS: Afrotropical realm, ground spiders, new combination, Palaearctic, transfer.