Arachnologische Mitteilungen 58

38 W. Nentwig, T. Blick, D. Gloor, P. Jäger & C. Kropf differences in colour pattern and the length of the posterior lateral opithosomal spines. This description (only four lines) does not justify a subspecies, as was pointed out already by Dahl (1914: 249). Inspection of Strand’s type (SMF 3801, CK vid.) revealed no further argument justifying a separate subspecies. We follow Dahl’s argumentation (who listed var. quadrisignatella Strand together with synonyms of the nomi- nate form but did not formally synonymize them) and con- sider Gasteracantha theisi quadrisignatella Strand, 1911 as a new synonym of the nominate form. Paraplectana thorntoni occidentalis Strand, 1916 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Paraplectana thorntoni (Blackwall, 1865) Strand (1916a: 101) named this variety for a female from Cameroon (with subspecies rank in the World Spider Cata- log 2019) only according to a small difference (that he gave in two earlier publications: Strand 1906c: 66, 1913a: 387) in the colour pattern as compared to the original description of the nominate species and a figure provided by Simon (1895: f. 940): “Wenn die daselbst angegebenen Abweichungen von der Originalbeschreibung und Simons Abbildung nicht auf Ungenauigkeit der Darstellung dieser Autoren zurück- zuführen sind, so möge vorliegende Form den Namen var. oc- cidentalis bekommen.” [If the given differences between the original description and Simon's illustration are not due to inaccuracy of the author, then this form may receive the name var. occidentalis .]. Since no further argumentation is given, and P. thorntoni has a quite variable colour pattern on the opistho- soma as can be seen in the published figures (references in the World Spider Catalog 2019) we treat this as a new syno- nym of the nominate form. The type material could not be detected in the museum Wiesbaden nor in any of the other contacted museums. Paraplectana walleri ashantensis Strand, 1907 = nomen dubium Strand (1907h: 648) argued that an elsewhere (Strand 1906c: 66) listed specimen from Ashanti/Ghana was coloured differ- ently and therefore justified its own name.This different colour concerned the annulation of the legs, especially of the femora (Strand 1906c). No further argumentation was given for his new variety, with subspecies rank in the World Spider Catalog (2019). From this rudimentary description it is absolutely un- clear, what Strand’s variety could be.The type material is prob- ably lost (Renner 1988) and therefore we consider Paraplectana walleri ashantensis Strand, 1907 as a nomen dubium. Clubionidae Clubiona abbajensis karisimbiensis Strand, 1916 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Clubiona abbajensis Strand, 1906 Differences in colouration, slightly diverging leg spination and a somewhat different eye pattern caused Strand to de- scribe this taxon as a variety from a female (with subspecies rank in the World Spider Catalog 2019) at a lake in Rwanda (Strand 1916c: 86). He confirmed that the epigynes are iden- tical and in one case he stated that the newly described indi- vidual must have moulted recently. The type is not available in Berlin and could not be detected in any of the other listed museums. We conclude that this is a new synonym of the nominate form. Clubiona abbajensis maxima Strand, 1906 = nomen dubium Because his spiders (both sexes, also from Rwanda, obviously close locations) were larger (15.5 mm) than the nominate form (8.5 mm), Strand (1906b: 632) described them as a new subspecies. For Bonnet (1956: 1105) this is a synonym of the nominate form and the World Spider Catalog (2019) lists it as a subspecies. Later Strand (1916c: 86) described an intermediate specimen between these two morphotypes (12.5 mm), so that both length values probably indicate the variation of the body length of the nominate species. Further differences in colouration and of a tiny hook on the male bulbus (presence/absence but “daß er leicht übersehen wer- den kann” [it can easily be overlooked]) are unconvincing. The type material is destroyed (Renner 1988) and therefore we consider Clubiona abbajensis maxima Strand, 1906 as a nomen dubium. Corinnidae Corinna sanguinea inquirenda Strand, 1906 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Corinna sanguinea Strand, 1906 From the same location in Ethiopia as the nominate spe- cies, Strand (1906b: 637) described a darker female as new variety (“var. (?) inquirenda Strand n. var. (?)”). Bonnet listed it as a synonym of the nominate form (1956: 1208) and in the World Spider Catalog (2019) it is mentioned as a sub- species. Strand described its leg spination but it falls within the variation of the leg spination of the nominate species. Its epigyne is “shorter, shallower” but Strand described it also “as the nominate species”. The type material is destroyed (Ren- ner 1988) and we conclude that this is a new synonym of the nominate form. Medmassa humilis reichardti Strand, 1916 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Xeropigo tridentiger (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869) Strand (1916b: 136) gave a long description of this female spider from Grand Cayman Is. (Caribbean), originally as new variety of Medmassa humilis (Keyserling, 1887), now a syn. of Xeropigo tridentiger (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869), a spe- cies widely spread in the West Indies. Main differences are the slightly smaller body length, thicker chelicerae and less clear colouration, but he added that the setae of his specimen were largely rubbed off. The type is not available in Berlin, Frankfurt or elsewhere. Obviously, such minor differences fall within the variation of the nominate form, therefore we pro- pose the subspecies as a new synonym of the nominate form of Xeropigo tridentiger (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869). Ctenidae Acanthoctenus impar pygmaeus Strand, 1909 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Nothroctenus marshi (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) Strand (1909b: 404) described this variety from Brazil be- cause of its smaller size. The World Spider Catalog (2019) lists it as a subspecies. Acanthoctenus impar Dahl, 1901 was synonymized with Acanthoctenus marshi F. O. Pickard-Cam- bridge, 1897 and transferred to Nothroctenus Badcock, 1932 by Lehtinen (1967). It is known from Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. Strand’s 2 male and 7 female syntype specimens are available from ZMB (ZMB 30645–52), were examined for this study (CK vid.) and were found to belong to the nomi-