Emertonius exasperans Peckham & Peckham, 1892

Prószyński, Jerzy, 2018, Review of genera Evarcha and Nigorella, with comments on Emertonius, Padilothorax, Stagetillus, and description of five new genera and two new species (Araneae: Salticidae) *, Ecologica Montenegrina 16, pp. 130-179 : 166-167

Emertonius exasperans Peckham & Peckham, 1892

Figures 19A, C , 21A, C

Type species of the genus.

Material. Lectotype female (designated by Wanless 1978b: 235), " Emertonius exasperans Peckh. TYPE, Java Bantam [=Bentam Prov.]. Workman No, I. 66" Lctotype designated by Wanless". MCZ Harvard. Male Emertonius sp. Bali: Alas Kedaton. Photograph by ©Mr. D. Knowles. Female " Emertonius exasperans Bali, Ambegan, secondary forest, 19-31.01. Leg. S. Djojosudharmo" [photographs by C.L. Deeleman-Reinhold see: http://www.peckhamia.com/salticidae/specimen.php?id=1635].

Diagnosis. Key characters are shown on Fig. 19A, C , 21 A-D, on comparative background of remaining species shown on Figs 19D , 21 E-P, 22, 25A-H. Individual variation in related species Emertonius malayanus is shown on Figs 26 , background of differences between genera is presented on Figs 19 E-O, 21E-Q, 22.

Description. Both sexes are recognizable by very unusual, vivid color pattern ( Fig. 19A ) as well as unusual body shape, not resembling ants. Main diagnostic character are "pipes-like" spermathecae, resembling other species of Emertonius ( Fig. 21 A-P), differing from other genera of MYRMARACHNINES by shape and proportions within framework of the same basic plan ( Fig. 22 ) and particularly from 104 species of Myrmarachne s. s. (whose sample is shown on Figs 19 J-O and 22A-E1). Copulatory ducts, invisible without staining, make large membranous coils ( Fig. 19C - dotted). Male is known from photographs of live specimen from Bali, but palp remains unknown. Chelicerae of male disproportionately big, dorsally flat ( Fig. 19A ), in females short, pluridentate.

Note on exclusion of "male from Philippines ". Opinion of Wanless (1978: 235, f. 1A-F, not f. 2) on " Myrmarachne " "exasperans ": - "male from Philippines, believed to be conspecific with Emertonius exasperans " is insufficiently documented and wrong: it does not display body shape and color pattern of that species, also differs by striking abdominal fringe ( Figs 21 Q-R1). Palps are useless in determination of genera of this group. Therefore the specimen is removed from Emertonius exasperans and described as a separate species " Emertonius" palawanensis sp. n. (below), the placement in genus Emertonius is tentative, pending supply of new data from future research.

Distribution. Indonesia: Java and Bali islands, records from other areas are based on misidentified specimens.

Figures

Figure 19. Diagnostic criteria of genera of informal group MYRMARACHNINES. A - Emertonius exasperans - type species, A1 - Edward's opinion on identity of Emertonius with Myrmarachne, B - Myrmarachne melanocephala - type species, C - Emertonius exasperans, D - Emertonius shelfordi, E - Myrmage, F - Myrmatheca, G - Toxeus epigealis, H - Toxeus maxillosus, I - Myrmavola, J - Myrmarachne acromegalis, K - Myrmarachne assimilis, L - Myrmarachne biseratensis, M - Myrmarachne cornuta, N - Myrmarachne macrognatha, O - Myrmarachne hanoi. For characters of more species see Figs 21 and 22.

Figure 21-I. For figure caption see under Figure 21-II.

Figure 22-I. For figure caption see under Figure 22-II.

Figure 26-I. For figure caption see under Figure 26-II.