Tropizodium kalami, Prajapati, Dhruv A., Murthappa, Prashanthakumara S., Sankaran, Pradeep M. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2016

Prajapati, Dhruv A., Murthappa, Prashanthakumara S., Sankaran, Pradeep M. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2016, Two new species of the ant-eating spider genus Tropizodium Jocqué & Churchill, 2005 (Araneae, Zodariidae, Zodariinae) from India, Zootaxa 4061 (5), pp. 575-584 : 576-579

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4061.5.7
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8CBB6D13-5F64-44DF-A154-CC65127EF91F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6069150
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A64D87BE-8154-FF8B-7BA3-FE47020673E1
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Tropizodium kalami
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Tropizodium kalami View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs. 1A–B View FIGURE 1 A – B , 2A–C View FIGURE 2 A – C , 3A–C View FIGURE 3 A – C , 6A–H View FIGURE 6 A – H , 7A–G View FIGURE 7 A – G )

Type material: Holotype: Male ( ADSH 112761 A), INDIA: Kerala: Ernakulam, Thevara in Kochi, Sacred Heart CMI Public School ground, 9°56'15.90"N, 76°17'50.91"E, 10 m alt., 2 February 2015, D. A. Prajapati leg., from ground, by hand; Paratype: 2 females ( ADSH 112761 B), same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. T. kalami sp. n. is most similar to Tropizodium siam Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012 and Tropizodium serraferum ( Lin & Li, 2009) , but can be distinguished from the mentioned species by the following combination of characters: retrolateral tibial apophysis with narrow distal part, sharp median retrolateral bend, median apophysis with apico-retrolateral depression, retrolateral lobe of median apophysis with prolateral fold, long tortuous copulatory ducts originating apico-retrolateral to spermathecae and medially placed hairband shaped epigynal orifice (compare Figs 2B–C View FIGURE 2 A – C , 3A–B View FIGURE 3 A – C & 6E View FIGURE 6 A – H with Dankittipakul et al. 2012, figs. 4–6, 10–11 & Lin & Li 2009, figs. 1–4, 5–7).

Description. Male (holotype, Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 A – B , 6A–C, 6G–H View FIGURE 6 A – H ): Prosoma, clypeus, chelicerae, sternum, maxillae, labium, spinnerets, leg segments pale yellowish. Clypeal margin with long, thick bristles. Chilum absent. Dorsum of chelicerae bears stout setae; cheliceral margins without teeth; inter-cheliceral triangle small. Fangs reddishbrown, short. Sternum heart shaped, with triangular extensions fitting in coxal concavities. Opisthosoma oval; dorsum sepia with pale yellow striae and spots; lateral sides and venter pale yellowish. Leg segments with thick covering of incised hairs; femora I–II with single dorsal spine, metatarsi II and III (right one) distally with single pair of ventral spines. Posterior ventral spines (PVS) present, arranged in single row ( Fig. 6H View FIGURE 6 A – H ). Body length 1.86. Prosoma length 0.91, width (in the middle) 0.55, height (in the middle) 0.40. Opisthosoma length 0.95, width (in the middle) 0.47, height (in the middle) 0.40. Eye diameter: ALE 0.05. AME 0.11. PLE 0.06. PME 0.05. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.04. AME–ALE 0.01. AME–PME 0.02. ALE–PME 0.02. ALE–ALE 0.24. PLE–PLE 0.16. PME–PME 0.21. PME–PLE 0.01. Clypeus height at ALE 0.14, at AME 0.10. Chelicera length 0.29. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 1.1 [0.34, 0.24, 0.15, 0.37], I 2.42 [0.65, 0.21, 0.57, 0.56, 0.43], II 2.08 [0.53, 0.18, 0.44, 0.50, 0.43], III 2.03 [0.53, 0.15, 0.42, 0.53, 0.40], IV 3.07 [0.80, 0.22, 0.71, 0.82, 0.52]. Leg formula: 4123. Pedipalp ( Figs. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 A – C , 6D–F View FIGURE 6 A – H ): Palpal segments pale yellowish. Cymbium apically with single stout spine, prolaterally with three comb-like setae ( Figs. 2A View FIGURE 2 A – C , 6D View FIGURE 6 A – H ). Retrolateral tibial apophysis large resembling the ‘horn of antelope’, nearly as long as the cymbium, with narrow distal half, with sharp median retrolateral bend not visible in retrolateral view ( Figs 2A–C View FIGURE 2 A – C , 6D–F View FIGURE 6 A – H ). Median apophysis massive, with apico-retrolateral depression; retrolateral lobe of median apophysis with prolateral fold (2B, 6E). Tegulum with median transparent part ( Figs 2A View FIGURE 2 A – C , 6D View FIGURE 6 A – H ). Embolus short, spiniform, directed at 2’o clock position in ventral view. Sperm duct proximally thick, distally narrow, with a sharp retrolateral inverted ‘U’ shaped bend ( Figs 2A–B View FIGURE 2 A – C , 6D–E View FIGURE 6 A – H ).

Female (Paratype, Figs. 1B View FIGURE 1 A – B , 7A–E View FIGURE 7 A – G ). In all details like male except the followings: cephalic region provided with numerous thick bristles. Opisthosoma sepia with numerous creamy-white spots. Palp without spines. Body length 3.32. Prosoma length 1.15, width (in the middle) 0.7, height (in the middle) 0.63. Opisthosoma length 2.17, width (in the middle) 1.52, height (in the middle) 1.6. Eye diameter: ALE 0.04. AME 0.10. PLE 0.02. PME 0.04. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.05. AME–ALE 0.01. AME–PME 0.03. ALE–PME 0.06. ALE–ALE 0.28. PLE– PLE 0.18. PME–PME 0.26. PME–PLE 0.03. Clypeus height at ALE 0.21, at AME 0.24. Chelicera length 0.39. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 0.93 [0.33, 0.15, 0.21, 0.24], I 3.25 [0.84, 0.30, 0.69, 0.80, 0.62], II 2.99 [0.78, 0.31, 0.59, 0.79, 0.52], III 2.96 [0.79, 0.31, 0.57, 0.81, 0.48], IV 4.2 [1.10, 0.39, 0.95, 1.16, 0.60]. Epigyne ( Figs. View FIGURE 3 A – C

3A–C, 7F–G View FIGURE 7 A – G ): simple, weakly sclerotized. Spermathecae nearly globular, situated far from each other ( Figs. 3B View FIGURE 3 A – C , 7G View FIGURE 7 A – G ). Copulatory ducts longer as well as thicker than other species, meandering, with thick basal part, originate apico-retrolaterally to spermathecae ( Figs. 3B View FIGURE 3 A – C , 7G View FIGURE 7 A – G ). Epigynal orifice ‘hairband’ shaped, situated medially, with pointed ends ( Figs. 3B View FIGURE 3 A – C , 7G View FIGURE 7 A – G ).

Variation. Female: (n = 2) Body length 2.03–3.32.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a tribute to Bharat Ratna Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the former President (“People’s President”) of India, whose life is always inspiring students from all over the world.

Distribution: Only known from the type locality ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 ).