Kelawakaju Maddison & Ruiz, 2022

Maddison, Wayne P., Ruiz, Gustavo R. S., Ng, Paul Y. C., Vishnudas, Ettukandathil Haridas & Sudhikumar, Ambalaparambil V., 2022, Kelawakaju gen. nov., a new Asian lineage of marpissine jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae, Marpissina), ZooKeys 1130, pp. 79-102 : 79

Kelawakaju Maddison & Ruiz gen. nov.

Type species.

K. mulu Maddison & Ruiz, sp. nov.

Species included.

K. mulu species group:

Kelawakaju mulu Maddison & Ruiz, sp. nov.

Kelawakaju intexta Maddison & Ruiz, sp. nov.

K. singapura species group:

Kelawakaju singapura Maddison & Ng, sp. nov.

K. frenata species group:

Kelawakaju frenata (Simon, 1901)

Kelawakaju leucomelas Maddison & Ng, sp. nov.

Kelawakaju sahyadri Vishnudas, Maddison, & Sudhikumar, sp. nov.

Etymology.

The name means tree spider in the Berawan language from the area of Long Terawan, Sarawak (kelawak = spider; kaju or kajuh = tree; Syria Lejau Malang, pers. comm.), where the first specimens of K. mulu were found. To be treated grammatically as feminine.

Diagnosis.

Elongate and flat-bodied salticids, unusual among marpissines for the elongated or enlarged male chelicerae. Retrolateral tibial apophysis of palp long, blade-like, more or less straight and parallel to axis of palp. Embolus relatively short among marpissines, arising more or less terminally on the bulb (9-12 o’clock in ventral view of left palp). Markings cryptic on tree trunks, either mottled or with low-contrast longitudinal bands.

Description.

Carapace flat, narrower ( K. mulu group, Figs 10 , 11 ) to broader ( K. leucomelas , Fig. 14 ). Lower part of the thorax in some species with 1-3 distinct narrow vertical lines of pale scales ( K. mulu : Fig. 27 ; K. intexta : Fig. 32 ; K. singapura : Figs 43 , 45 ), resembling similar stripes in the baviine Piranthus Thorell, 1895 ( Maddison et al. 2020: fig. 263) and the gophoine Cotinusa Simon, 1900 ( Rubio and Baigorria 2016). Chelicerae with seta-bearing tubercles on paturon of males and some females (Figs 2-4 ). Males of all but two species have narrow stripes of white scales on the front face of the chelicerae, forming an inverted V (Figs 3 , 4 , 74 , 79 , 83 ). Two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth (sometimes with a second cusp, Fig. 6 ). Palp’s RTA a long blade. Embolus appears freely movable, separate from functional tegulum. Cymbium modified at ventral-retrolateral-proximal corner (e.g., Figs 17 , 21 , 47 ). Abdomen long and narrow.

We recognize three species groups in the genus.

Kelawakaju mulu species group

The Kelawakaju mulu species group includes K. mulu , K. intexta , and a third as-yet-undescribed species from Singapore. They are smaller-bodied than other Kelawakaju , with mottled markings, and narrow chelicerae that project forward in the male. The embolus is narrow and forms a smooth curve bending toward the retrolateral. The lower part of the thorax has three vertical stripes of pale scales on each side. Epigynal openings are delicate and the edges difficult to discern (Fig. 18 ). Retromarginal tooth of chelicera with small second cusp basally (Figs 5 , 6 ). Members of this group may prefer more shaded habitats than those of the Kelawakaju frenata group, having been found only inside forests.

Figures

Figures 10 - 15. Carapaces of Kelawakaju males 10 K. mulu holotype 11 K. intexta holotype 12 K. singapura holotype 13 K. frenata from Guangxi, Dongxing 14 K. leucomelas holotype 15 K. sahyadri holotype. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 23 - 28. Kelawakaju mulu 23 - 25 holotype male SWK 12 - 2610 26 - 28 paratype female SWK 12 - 2639. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 29 - 34. Kelawakaju intexta 29 - 31 holotype male SWK 12 - 3752 32 - 34 paratype male SWK 12 - 0523. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 35 - 45. Kelawakaju singapura 35 holotype male JK. 21.08.02.001 embolus, ventral 36 paratype male JK. 90.10.21.0002 palp, ventral 37 same, retrolateral 38 paratype female AS 19.0023 epigyne, ventral 39 same, vulva, dorsal 40 - 42 holotype male 43 paratype female JK. 21.05.14.0001 44, 45 paratype female AS 19.0023. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figures 2 - 9. Chelicerae of Kelawakaju species 2 - 4 oblique view with carapace 5 - 9 ventral view 2 K. mulu male holotype 3 K. intexta male holotype 4 K. frenata male from Guangxi 5 K. mulu male holotype 6 K. intexta male holotype 7 K. singapura male holotype 8 K. frenata male from Guangxi 9 K. frenata female from Guangxi. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 73 - 78. Kelawakaju frenata 73, 74 male from Tai Tam County Park, Hong Kong (© 2020 Artur Tomaszek) 75 female from Guangdong, Gaotan Town 76 male from Guangxi, Dongxing, dorsal 77 female from Dongxing, dorsal 78 same, ventral. Specimen in 73, 74 not examined microscopically; inferred as K. frenata by appearance and locality.

Figures 79 - 81. Kelawakaju leucomelas 79 - 80 male from the type locality 81 female from same locality. Photographs © Chris Ang 2021. Specimens not examined microscopically; inferred as K. leucomelas by appearance and locality.

Figures 82 - 89. Kelawakaju sahyadri 82 - 85 male holotype AS 19.4895 86 - 88 female paratype AS 19.4934 89 female paratype from Kerala.

Figures 16 - 22. Kelawakaju mulu species group, genitalia 16 - 20 K. mulu 16 holotype male palp, ventral 17 same, retrolateral 18 paratype female SWK 12 - 2639 epigyne, ventral 19 same, vulva, dorsal 20 same, ventral 21, 22 K. intexta holotype male palp 21 retrolateral 22 ventral. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figures 46 - 72. Kelawakaju frenata species group, genitalia 46 - 54 K. frenata 46 male from Dongxing, palp, ventral 47 same, retrolateral 48 same, dorsal 49 male from Hong Kong, embolus, ventral 50 Simon's (1901 a) figure, reversed 51 female d 224 from Dongxing, epigyne, ventral 52 second female from Dongxing, epigyne, ventral 53 same, vulva, ventral 54 same, dorsal 55 - 63 K. leucomelas 55 holotype male palp, ventral 56 same, retrolateral 57 same, embolus, oblique 58 paratype male JK 13.12.10.0001, embolus, oblique 59 male JK. 19.08.18.0010, embolus, oblique 60 same, palp, retrolateral 61 same, ventral 62 female paratype JK. 20.11.13.0001, epigyne, ventral 63 same, vulva, dorsal 64 - 72 K. sahyadri 64 holotype male, palp, ventral 65 same, retrolateral 66 same, embolus, oblique 67 paratype male from Kerala, embolus, oblique 68 same, ventral 69 same, palp, ventral 70 same, retrolateral 71 paratype female AS 19.4934 epigyne, ventral 72 same vulva, dorsal. Oblique views of embolus are between ventral and prolateral. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.