Saaristattus gen.n., 2008

Dmitri V. Logunov & Galina N. Azarkina, 2008, Two new genera and species of Euophryinae (Aranei: Salticidae) from SE Asia, Arthropoda Selecta 17 (1 - 2), pp. 111-115 : 112-113

Saaristattus gen.n.

Type species: Saaristattus tropicus sp.n.

ETHYMOLOGY.The generic name consists of two parts: ̒ Saarist ̓ deriving from the name Saaristo, and ̒ attus ̓ meaning ̒jumper̓; gender masculine. The genus is dedicated to our colleague and friend, Dr Michael Saaristo (Turku, Finland), a famous arachnologist, in recognition of his works on spiders.

DIAGNOSIS. From all the euophryines, Saaristattus gen.n. differs in having the seven-cusped retromarginal tooth (Fig. 13), the well-developed cymbial pocket, in which the embolus is hidden, the median apophysis (arrowed in Figs 10 ­11), the strongly convoluted embolus (three and a half coils; Fig. 12) and spermathecae (Fig. 15), and the epigynal plate with no median septum and epigynal pocket (Fig. 14).

DESCRIPTION. As for the type species, see below.

COMMENTS. Saaristattus gen.n. is a fissidentate salticid, with three small promarginal and a wide retromarginal tooth resembling a comb of seven points (Fig. 13). Such the seven-cusped retromarginal tooth is rare (if not unique) in the Salticidae . For instance, to date the largest number of tooth points (six cusps!) have been known in Bindax Thorell, 1892 ƖPrószy ṅski, 1987: p. 25] and Aruana Strand, 1911 ƖPrószy ṅski, 1984: p. 2].

The genus seems to belong to the subfamily Euophryinae . By the conformation of the copulatory organs (particularly, by the long and spiral insemination ducts), Saaristattus gen.n. is most similar to Cytaea Keyserling, 1882 Ɩsee Davies & Żabka, 1989: plate 30; Prószyṅski, 1984: pp. 27­ 31] and Emathis Simon, 1899 Ɩsee Żabka, 1985: figs 106­ 107; Prószyṅski, 1984: p. 37], but differs from both by the presence of the cymbial pocket, the median apophysis, and the risen embolar disk Ɩ sensu Edwards, 2002] (Fig. 12); at rest, the embolar disk is hidden in the cymbial pocket. Some species of Xenocytaea Berry, Beatty et Prószyṅski, 1998 , e.g. X̹ anomala Berry, Beatty et Prószyṅski, 1998 Ɩsee Berry et al., 1998: figs 116­121], possess the coiled embolus and spermathecae, but both are not as strongly coiled as those in Saaristattus gen.n. The twist of three and a half coils is not very common in Salticidae . For instance, it has been described for some genera of the Ballinae Ɩsee Benjamin, 2004].

Many of the Euophryinae genera possess the embolus partly hidden by its basal part in the apical cavity of the tegulum, e.g. Servea Simon, 1888 Ɩsee Davies & Żabka, 1989: plate 30], Pseudeuophrys Dahl, 1912 Ɩsee Logunov, 1998: figs 5, 25­30] and others, but none of them apart from Saaristattus gen.n . displays a properly developed cymbial pocket. With regards to the conformation of the male palp of the Euophryinae , three main modifications of the embolus position have been described ƖEdwards, 2002]: (1) the entire embolus is situated on the repro-lateral side of the tegulum; (2) the embolus is on the distal end, perpendicular to the tegulum; and (3) the embolus is partly hidden in the apical cavity of the tegulum. Thus, the conformation of the male palp of Saaristattus gen.n. , when the embolus is completely hidden in the cymbial pocket, clearly represents the forth distinct modification for the Euophryinae .

The cymbium pocket is known to be a characteristic feature of the subfamily Aelurillinae , and exists in two modifications: open (e.g., in Proszynskiana Logunov, 1996 ) and closed (in the rest of Aelurillinae ) Ɩsee Logunov, 1996]. Surprisingly, Saaristattus gen.n. possess the more advanced and fully-developed closed cymbial pocket, which is however formed not by just the tegulum and the cymbium, as in Aelurillus Simon, 1884 or Phlegra Simon, 1876 ƖLogunov, 1996: fig. 4], but by the tegulum, the median apophysis and the cymbium ( Figs 10 ­11). It is a unique feature among all the jumping spider genera known to us.

Yet the nomenclature of the median apophysis (arrowed in Figs 10 ­11) requires a further study. In its classical definition ƖComstock, 1910: p. 176], the median apophysis is ̒a conspicuous appendage, which projects from the ventral sides of the bulb̓ Ɩsee also Merrett, 1963: fig. 1], and it is just the case of Saaristattus gen.n . The presence of the median apophysis has been considered a plesiomorphic trait in Salticidae , e.g. for the subfamily Lyssomaninae ƖWanless, 1980] or more recently for the ̒lapsiines̓ ƖMaddison, 2006]. Yet, the knowledge on the detailed structure of male palp in Salticidae remains too fragmentary, and hence we are not sure if the median apophysis of Lyssomanes Hentz, 1845 ƖGaliano, 1962: fig. 1] or Lapsias Simon, 1900 ƖMaddison, 2006: fig. 1] is homologous with that of Saaristattus gen.n. Moreover, the sclerite called here as ̒the median apophysis̓ is unknown in the rest of Euophryinae , and therefore its presence leaves some doubts that the new genus is indeed a member of the subfamily. At the current state of knowledge of the Salticidae , we cannot resolve this problem now.

COMPOSITION. The type species only.

Figures

Figs 10­19: Saaristattus tropicus sp.n. (♂ holotype, ♀ paratype): 10 C male palp, ventral view; 11 C ditto, retrolateral view; 12 C tegulum, dorsal view; 13 C male chelicera, ventral view; 14 C epigyne, ventral view; 15 C spermathecae, dorsal view; 16 C diagrammatic course of the insemination ducts; 17 C female general appearance, dorsal view; 18 C male carapace, lateral view; 19C male general appearance, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.1 mm (10­15), 0.5 mm (17­19). PƲc. 10̅19: Saaristattus tropicus sp.n. (♂ FƟƌƟŦƲƞ, ♀ ƞapaŦƲƞ): 10 O ƞaƌbƞa caMUa, cBƲƷy; 11 O ŦƟAEe, cƷaJƲ-cÕƟĸy; 12 O ŦeFyƌyM, cƷaJƲ; 13 O xeƌƲUepa caMUa, cBƲƷy; 14 O ƞƲFƲBa, cBƲƷy; 15 O cƞepMaŦeĸa, cƁepxy; 16 O cxeMa ƞpƟŦƟĸƟƁ cƞepMaŦeĸƲ; 17 O ƟÕƜƲŭ ƁƲJ caMĸƲ, cƁepxy; 18 O FƟƌƟƁƟFpyJb caMUa, cÕƟĸy; 19 O ƟÕƜƲŭ ƁƲJ caMUa, cƁepxy. MacmŦaÕ: 0,1 MM (10̅15), 0,5 MM (17̅19).