Carrhotus albosetosus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 8E87E441-3B3F-43D8-B5B3-9B647FC853B1

Figs 2A–B, 3A–C, 4A–B, 17

Diagnosis

Females of C. albosetosus sp. nov. can be separated from other congeners by the white hairs on the legs (Fig. 2A–B). The epigyne of this species is close to that of C. silanthi; however, it differs by the absence of prominent CD and FD as well as in the position of the opening of the accessory glands, which open at the 2’o clock position at the anterior region of the lateral walls of the spermathecae (Fig. 4A–B).

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from a combination of Latin words; ‘albi’ meaning ‘white’ and ‘comus’ meaning ‘legs’, loosely referring to the white legs/white leg setae.

Material examined

Holotype SRI LANKA • ♀; Western Province, Gampaha District, Pillikutuwa FR; 07°03′52.4″ N, 80°03′04″ E; 69 m a.s.l; 28 Sep. 2016; N. Kanesharatnam. leg.; beating; NIFS_SAL_911.

Other material

SRI LANKA • 1 ♀; Central Province, Matale District, NIFS Arboretum; 07°51′65″ N, 80°40′53″ E; 184 m a.s.l; 11–13 Oct. 2019; S.P. Benjamin et al. leg.; beating; NIFS_SAL_1262 .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. TL 4.9, PL 1.85, PW at PLEs 1.68, AL 2.1, AW 1.06. Eye field: diameter of AME 0.48; ALE 0.24; PME 0.22; PLE 0.08; PME–PME 1.4; PLE–PLE 1.44; ALE–PME 0.72; ALE–PLE 0.34. Leg I: Tr 1.1, Fm 0.9, Pt 0.8, Tb 0.5, Mt 0.4; Leg II: Tr 0.9, Fm 0.46, Pt 0.8, Tb 0.6, Mt 0.5; Leg III: Tr 1.5, Fm 0.42, Pt 0.82, Tb 0.34, Mt 0.42; Leg IV: Tr 1.6, Fm 0.5, Pt 1.02, Tb 0.6, Mt 0.34.

COLOR AND BODY. Live spider with clypeal region brown; covered with iridescent hairs providing a metallic sheen to green colour; lateral margins of carapace lined by with thin line of white hairs; posterior region black (Fig. 2A–B). ALEs and PLEs surrounded by blackish orbital setae. Chelicerae dark brown with curved outer margins and excavated inner margins: two promarginal and one retromarginal teeth. Sternum oval, brownish; labium and maxillae reddish-brown, with paler outer margins. Abdomen ovoid, densely covered with rusty brown hairs; anterior margin covered with a thin line of white hairs; pattern present on black background with pair of two white spots anteriorly and pairs of transverse stripes and two pairs of white spots following posteriorly. Mid-dorsum covered with scales of metallic sheen; venter yellowish brown, with a thin dark brown scattered pattern on median region. Spinnerets blackish, covered with a patch of white hairs dorsally (Fig. 3A–B).

EPIGYNUM. Epigyne with a pair of simple copulatory openings and short copulatory ducts diverge to join semioval-shaped spermathecae. Accessory glands open at 2’o clock position on anterior region of lateral walls of spermathecae (Figs 3C, 4A–B).

Distribution and habitat

Known only from the two localities mentioned above. The spiders were collected by beating foliage up to a height of 2 m. This species occurs in the lowland secondary rainforest of the dry zone and submontane forest of the central highlands of Sri Lanka (Fig. 17).