Stenaelurillus neyyar, Sudhin & Sen & Caleb, 2023

Sudhin, Puthoor Pattammal, Sen, Souvik & Caleb, John T. D., 2023, Two new Stenaelurillus species (Araneae, Salticidae, Aelurillina) from Western Ghats, India, Zoosystematics and Evolution 99 (1), pp. 123-133 : 123

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.99.97985

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C5B91980-5B33-442D-B4BE-B0D24DF5781F

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AF55521D-61BE-4002-9ACC-62595C21D2C5

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:AF55521D-61BE-4002-9ACC-62595C21D2C5

treatment provided by

Zoosystematics and Evolution by Pensoft

scientific name

Stenaelurillus neyyar
status

sp. nov.

Stenaelurillus neyyar sp. nov.

Figs 4A-H View Figure 4 , 5A-E View Figure 5 , 6A-D View Figure 6 , 7C View Figure 7

Type material.

Holotype ♂. India: Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram District, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, 8°32'03.9"N, 77°08'54.8"E, 118 m, 26.vi.2022, P. Girish Kumar coll. (NZC-ZSI-7943/18). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 6♀♀ & 8♂♂ (NZC-ZSI-7944/18).

Diagnosis.

The male of S. neyyar sp. nov. is distinct from all other species by the thin embolus arising from 10 o’clock position, with the tip directed at 12 o’clock position in ventral view; RTA short and thick with obtuse dorsal margin, tip pointed directed apically in retrolateral view. The female epigyne with sclerotized W-shaped projections on the posterior margin; copulatory openings lie close to each other; spermathecae nearly oval (Figs 5B-E View Figure 5 , 6A-D View Figure 6 ).

Description.

Male. (Holotype, NZC-ZSI-7943/18) (Figs 4A-C, G View Figure 4 , 5A-C View Figure 5 , 6A, B View Figure 6 ): Measurements: body length 4.22; carapace length 2.12, width 1.54; abdomen length 1.94, width 1.41. Ocular area length 1.01, width 1.23. Eye diameters: AME 0.36, ALE 0.24, PME 0.07, PLE 0.21. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.05, ALE-AME 0.05, ALE-ALE 0.91, ALE-PME 0.35, PLE-PLE 1.01, PME-PME 1.10, PME-PLE 0.16. Clypeus height 0.17. Length of chelicera 0.45. Measurement of legs: leg I 3.06 [1.03, 0.45, 0.70, 0.36, 0.52], II 3.11 [1.13, 0.44, 0.63, 0.52, 0.39], III 4.89 [1.59, 0.69, 0.97, 1.11, 0.53], IV 5.07 [1.38, 0.49, 1.01, 1.65, 0.54]. Leg formula: 4321. Leg setation: femur I, IV pl 2 rl 2 do 3, II pl 2 rl 3 do 3, III pl 3 rl 2 do 3; patella I-IV pl 1 rl 1; tibia I-II pl 2 plv 2 rlv 3, III-IV pl 3 rl 3 do 1 plv 2 rlv 1; metatarsus I-II pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III-IV pl 4 rl 4 do 1 plv 2 rlv 2. Carapace pear-shaped, moderately high, densely covered with black setae, laterally with dense white setae forming a white band, and dorsally with a pair of white longitudinal bands extending from behind PLEs (Fig. 4A, C View Figure 4 ); eye field densely covered with black bristles (Fig. 4A View Figure 4 ). Clypeus high, light yellowish-brown with irregular dark brown patches, clothed with sparse white setae (Fig. 4G View Figure 4 ). Chelicerae short, vertical, dorsal region light yellowish- brown, covered with black setae (Fig. 4G View Figure 4 ), retromargin with one and promargin with two teeth. Fangs short, light brown. Endites yellowish brown with paler inner tips. Labium light brown with paler tip. Sternum oval, light yellow, lateral region with light brown lines, covered with elongated white erect setae (Fig. 4B View Figure 4 ). Legs: coxae and trochanters yellow; femora and tarsi pale yellow; patellae, tibiae, and metatarsi darker than other leg segments. Abdomen nearly oval, black, densely covered with black setae, anteriorly with inconspicuous transverse white band and posteriorly with three white spots, which together form an inverted triangle (Fig. 4A View Figure 4 ). Lateral abdomen dull yellow with a black longitudinal line and few black spots (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ). Venter dull yellow, densely covered with light yellow and few long black setae (Fig. 4B View Figure 4 ). Spinnerets brownish. Palpal segments pale yellow, the distal region of femur with prolateral black patch; femur distally with a short macrosetae and dorsally with several long yellowish-white setae; patella and tibia with long black setae; RTA black, short and stout, with flat dorsal side, and tip sub-acute directed apically in retrolateral view (Figs 5C View Figure 5 , 6B View Figure 6 ); VTA broad, with round end, directed at 2 o’clock position in ventral view (Figs 5B View Figure 5 , 6A View Figure 6 ); cymbium oval, densely covered with setae; tegulum with broad and rounded tegular process, almost reaches height of embolus, sperm duct visible in ventral view; functional tegulum with well-developed and pointed proximal projection and without a distal projection (Figs 5B View Figure 5 , 6A View Figure 6 ); embolus base wide, embolus thin and medium sized, initially oriented retrolaterally, which is slightly bent medially, with sub-acute tip directed at 12 o’clock position in ventral view (Figs 5B View Figure 5 , 6A View Figure 6 ).

Female (paratype) (Figs 4D-F, H View Figure 4 , 5D, E View Figure 5 , 6C, D View Figure 6 ): Measurements: body length 6.23; carapace length 2.65, width 1.85; abdomen length 3.25, width 2.75. Ocular area length 0.88, width 1.51. Eye diameters: AME 0.46, ALE 0.26, PME 0.11, PLE 0.25. Eye inter distances: AME-AME 0.06, ALE-AME 0.06, ALE-ALE 1.08, ALE-PME 0.35, PLE-PLE 1.23, PME-PME 1.38, PME-PLE 0.19. Clypeus height 0.21. Length of chelicera 0.83. Measurement of palp and legs: palp 1.82 [0.62, 0.21, 0.31, 0.68], leg I 3.57 [1.27, 0.62, 0.72, 0.41, 0.55], II 3.77 [1.40, 0.57, 0.73, 0.48, 0.59], III 6.06 [2.01, 0.80, 1.32, 1.21, 0.72], IV 6.11 [1.85, 0.74, 1.23, 1.54, 0.75]. Leg formula: 4321. Leg setation: femur I, IV pl 2 rl 2 do 3, II pl 2 rl 3 do 3, III pl 3 rl 2 do 3; patella I-II pl 1, III-IV pl 1 rl 1; tibia I-II pl 2 plv 2 rlv 3, III pl 4 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 1, IV pl 3 rl 3 do 1 plv 2 rlv 1; metatarsus I-II pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III-IV pl 3 rl 3 do 2 plv 2 rlv 2. In all details as male, except the following: carapace lighter in color (Fig. 4D View Figure 4 ); chelicerae promargin with single tooth; abdomen pale-yellowish with several black markings (Fig. 4D View Figure 4 ); spinnerets yellowish-brown. Epigyne simple, covered with long setae, posterior border line with sclerotized W-shaped projections; copulatory opening large, round, lie close to each other, situated posterior region of epigyne; copulatory ducts short, entering posteriorly into spermathecae; spermathecae nearly oval, contiguous; fertilization ducts long, oriented laterally, positioned at anterior region of spermathecae (Figs 5D, E View Figure 5 , 6C, D View Figure 6 ).

Etymology.

The species is named after its type locality, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ).

Variation.

Body length: Male: 4.00 to 4.50 (n=9); female: 4.70 to 6.23 (n=6).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Salticidae

Genus

Stenaelurillus