On the placement and affiliations of the Drassodes species described from sub-Saharan Africa (Aranei: Gnaphosidae)

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 J & eacute;z & eacute;quel, 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 J & eacute;z & eacute;quel, 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 Jocqu & eacute;, 1983, the only other gnaphosid species known from the island.