Tigidia jalgaonensis, Mirza, 2023

Mirza, Zeeshan A., 2023, Notes on the trapdoor spider genus Tigidia Simon 1892 (Araneae: Barychelidae: Barychelinae) with the description of three new species from India, Journal of Natural History 57, pp. 159-174 : 162-165

Tigidia jalgaonensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7069A635-4963-4978-868D-9E04EA680263

( Figures 2 , 3 (a–f))

Type material. Holotype ♀ (NRC-AA-1606), INDIA: Maharashtra, Jalgaon District, Ghodegaon, Chalisgaon taluka, near Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary (20.312799°N, 74.862241°E, 460 m), leg. Rajesh Sanap and Vishwanath Rathod, 26.07.2013 . Paratypes: two juveniles (NCBS AG 807 and AG808), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to District Jalgaon in the Indian State of Maharashtra, where the types were collected.

Diagnosis. Differs from all known species of Tigidia in bearing a digitiform spermathecal stalk with a short, balloon-like lateral lobe at distal end ( Figure 9 ). Male unknown.

Description. Female (holotype). Total length 11.65. Carapace 5.56 long, 4.28 wide. Fovea 0.86 wide, distance from anterior border of carapace 3.58. Abdomen 6.09 long, 4.10 wide. Spinnerets: PLS, total length 1.19 (0.69 basal, 0.30 middle, 0.20 apical; mid widths 0.56, 0.36, 0.17, respectively), 0.24 apart.

Colour in life ( Figure 2 ). Carapace and all legs chocolaty brown. Abdomen brownish black, covered with golden hairs. A brown chevron marking on dorsal to lateral side. Ventral side, light brown with small black spots mottled towards posterior end near spinnerets. Colour in alcohol paler than in fresh specimen.

Carapace covered with golden black setae intermixed with black short and long bristles on caput. Bristles: 7–8 long on the caput in mid dorsal line; 10 long and 15–16 short between PME; 4 long on the border between ALE and ALE; 4–5 long between AME and ALE. Two glabrous bands emerging from fovea and running either side of caput.

Eyes ( Figure 3 (c)). Ocular group front width, mid widths, back width, length, 0.78, 0.86, 1.13, 1.14, respectively. Anterior row and posterior row straight. MOQ square, front width 0.70, back width 0.79, length 0.66. Diameter of AME 0.20, ALE 0.19, PME 0.12, PLE 0.25. Eye interspaces: AME–AME 0.15, AME–ALE 0.21, ALE–ALE 0.07, PME–PLE adjacent, PME–PME 0.39, ALE–PLE 0.47.

Sternum ( Figure 3 (b)). 2.60 long, 1.95 wide. Covered with hair and bristles. Sigilla indistinct.

Chelicerae ( Figure 3 (d)). 3.30 long. Prolateral face glabrous, yellowish orange with a few small hairs; 8 promarginal teeth and 12 basomesal teeth in 2–3 parallel lines; rastellum on low mound, consists of ca. 50 short thick curved spines, of which 26 on the mound and 12 in anterior line, several pointed thin spines on dorsal and vertical face and upward; dorsally two glabrous bands along the length.

Labium ( Figure 3 (b)). 0.70 wide, 0.40 long; labiosternal groove broad with 2 distinct sigilla on either side. Cuspules absent.

Maxillae ( Figure 3 (b)). 1.38 long in front, 1.70 long in back, 0.95 wide; 2–3 cuspules on inner angle. Posterior heel slightly produced; anterior lobe distinct.

Legs. Formula 4123, lengths (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus, total): I: 2.70, 1.75, 1.77, 1.02, 0.77, 8.01. II: 2.26, 1.78, 1.56, 1.04, 0.98, 7.62. III: 1.98, 1.68, 1.19, 1.28, 1.04, 7.17. IV: 3.14, 2.00, 2.40, 2.36, 1.27, 11.19. palp: 1.40, 1.01, 1.50, -, 1.88, 5.79. Mid widths: femora I– IV = 1.04, 1.07, 1.09, 0.84, palp = 0.70, tibia I–IV = 1.00, 0.85, 0.93, 0.88, palp = 0.99.

Legs. Brown with two glabrous yellowish bands longitudinally on femora, patellae and tibiae (very prominent on femora and patellae), all legs moderately hairy; femora III and tibia I thicker than rest; all legs of similar thickness; preening comb on ventrolateral metatarsi III and IV; coxae IV widest.

Leg spination. Leg III: mt, 2p, 2 v; ti, 2p, 1 v; pa, 4p; leg IV: mt, 2p, 1 r, 2 v; ti, 2 v.

Scopulae. Ta: I–II, full, thick, lateroventral, divided with thin long hair for length, multiple hairs mixed with scopulae at the base; ta III – IV, full, lateroventral, divided, with 8 – 9 rows of spines for length. Mt III: well-developed scopulae on distal half; mt III–IV, a few scopuliform hairs intermixed with bristles on distal ¼.

Trichobothria. Ta: I, 8 clavate, 16 – 17 long and short filiform; II, 11 clavate, 14–15 long and short filiform; III, 4 clavate, 14–15 long and short filiform; IV, 7 clavate, 15–16 long and short filiform; palp, 12 clavate, 14–15 long and short filiform. Mt: I, 6–7 long and short; II, 5– 6 long and short; III, 6–7 long and short; IV, 6–7 long and short; palp, 11 long and short. Ti: I, 8–9 long and short; II, IV and palp, 9–10 long and short; III, 7 long and short; clavate trichobothria confined to proximal half of ta. Short filiform confined to mid-dorsal distal half in a single row, long filiform in V-shaped pattern confined to distal half on ta. Mt, only filiform in curved single row in 2/3 length.

Claws. Claw tufts on all legs and palp. All claws edentate, claws of legs I and II clearly smaller than on legs III and IV.

Abdomen ( Figure 3 (a–b)). Abdomen brownish yellow with a blackish brown mottled marking on dorsal to lateral side. Ventral side, light yellowish brown with small black spots mottled towards posterior end near spinnerets, uniformly covered with short brown hairs intermixed with a few black bristles; ventral side.

Spinnerets ( Figure 3 (e)). PLS, apical segment dome-shaped. Covered with golden brown hair. PMS absent.

Spermathecae ( Figure 3 (f)). 2 digitiform stalks, slightly broader at base, each stalk with an outer lobe consisting of a balloon-like structure of similar length at 1/4 th at distal end.

Natural history. The holotype and the two juveniles were found on mud escarpments along a stream near Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary. The species makes a shallow tubular burrow with a single trapdoor.

Figures

Figure 2. Tigidia jalgaonensis sp. nov. showing colouration in life. Photo by Rajesh Sanap.

Figure 3. Tigidia jalgaonensis sp. nov. NRC-AA-1606: (a) dorsal, (b) ventral, (c) eyes, (d) prolateral face of chelicerae, (e) spinnerets, (f) spermathecae.

Figure 9. Spermathecae of Tigidia spp.: (a) Tigidia jalgaonensis sp. nov., (b) Tigidia tangerina sp. nov., (c) Tigidia fasciata sp. nov., (d) Tigidia sahyadri, (e) Tigidia nilgiriensis, (f) Tigidia rutilofronis. Scale bars: A–C = 0.5 mm; D–F = 1 mm. Figure 9(d–f) reproduced from Siliwal et al. (2011).