Ligdus garvale Caleb, 2024

Caleb, John T. D., Shree, A. Divya, Kumar, Lohith & Abhijith, A. P. C., 2024, Reviving Ligdus Thorell, 1895: Description of a new species from India, 129 years since the establishment of the genus (Araneae: Salticidae: Ballini), Zootaxa 5448 (3), pp. 446-450 : 447-449

Ligdus garvale Caleb , sp. nov.

Figs 1–17 .

Type material. Holotype: ♂ ( ZSIC), INDIA: Karnataka, Kodagu (12.5658°N, 75.7819°E), 1181 m a.s.l., 14 March 2023, coll. Divya Shree & Lohith Kumar.

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the locality “Garvale”, which is a small village situated in Kodagu district, Karnataka; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The new species resembles Ligdus chelifer Thorell, 1895 in having similar body form, size and spination on tibia and metatarsus of leg I. It can be distinguished by the color pattern: species is dark brown in overall coloration (pale yellow in L. chelifer ); lateral sides of carapace with three thin dark brown vertical stripes in the posterior half (two small spots marked with black on both sides on the cephalic side, the other oblong and narrow in L. chelifer ); lateral band of white setae, posteriorly discontinuous forming white spots (thin dense white stripes in L. chelifer ); leg I with blackish femur, patella and tibia (all legs pale yellow in L. chelifer ); abdominal pattern with distinct pairs of white spots (not apparent in L. chelifer ). The species can be easily recognized by the characteristic long palpal segments, especially the patella which is longer than the tibia and cymbium ( Figs 1, 2 , 7–9 vs. illustrations in Prószyński (1984: 75) and Thorell (1895: 338)).

Description. Male: total length 4.65; carapace 1.44 long, 0.90 wide; abdomen 2.25 long, 0.77 wide. Carapace brown, dorso-ventrally flattened, clothed with fine pale hairs; fovea present in posterior quarter with radiating streaks toward outer margins; lateral sides of carapace with band of white setae, posteriorly breaking into two white spots; three brown streaks seen on lateral side; thoracic slope with brown streaks ( Figs 7, 9, 11, 13 ). Eyes surrounded by black regions; AMEs surrounded by white orbital setae ( Figs 1, 2 , 11–13 ). Eye measurements: AME 0.30, ALE 0.11, PME 0.03, PLE 0.12; AER 0.71; PER 0.74; EFL 0.57. Clypeus height 0.02. Chelicera 0.15 long. Clypeus black ( Fig. 12 ). Chelicerae yellow-brown. Sternum oval, brown; labium and maxillae brown, apical portion of labium and inner portion of maxillae paler ( Fig. 8 ). Abdomen tubular, dark brown with a pair of white spots on the shoulder and two following pairs of white streaks anteriorly, fourth pair touching each other; one larger pair in posterior half; posterior tip white ( Figs 1, 2 , 7 ); lateral sides yellow-brown with distinct brown stripes ( Figs 4 , 9 ); venter brown with light brown spots arranged longitudinally ( Fig. 8 ). Spinnerets yellow-brown. Leg I robust with long femora and enlarged tibiae; trochanter to tibiae black with white spots on dorso-proximal regions of patella and tibiae; metatarsi and tarsi yellow; legs II to IV yellow ( Figs 1–6 , 7, 8, 10 ). Palp and leg measurements: palp 2.09 (0.89, 0.47, 0.35, 0.38); leg I 4.93 (1.48, 0.57, 1.40, 1.02, 0.46); II 2.03 (0.61, 0.30, 0.49, 0.40, 0.23); III 1.72 (0.50, 0.27, 0.40, 0.35, 0.20); IV 2.18 (0.63, 0.32, 0.51, 0.49, 0.23). Leg formula 1423. Palp yellow, with longitudinal black ventral stripes on patella and tibia; tibia as long as cymbium; RTA long with broad base, tapering toward tip, directed ventrad; bulbus with a posterior conical lobe curved like a comma; embolus coiled 1.5 times, tip directed at 1 o’clock position ( Figs 1, 5 , 7, 8 , 14–17 ).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Karnataka, India).

Natural History. Ligdus garvale Caleb , sp. nov. was observed resting inside a retreat ( Fig. 6 ) constructed on the underside of the leaf of torch ginger ( Etlingera elatior ), an introduced ornamental plant.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. General appearance of Ligdus garvale Caleb, sp. nov., holotype male. 1, 2 dorsal view; 3 left leg I; 4 lateral view; 5 front view; 6 spider in its retreat built on a leaf. Photo credits: 1–5, A.P.C. Abhijith; 6, Divya Shree.

FIGURES 7–13. Somatic morphology of Ligdus garvale Caleb, sp. nov., holotype male. 7 habitus, dorsal view; 8 same, ventral view; 9 same, lateral view; 10 left leg I showing segments from tibia to tarsus; 11 carapace, dorsal view; 12 front view; 13 carapace, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (7–9); 0.5 mm (10–13).

FIGURES 14–17. Male palp of Ligdus garvale Caleb, sp. nov., holotype male. 14, 16 left palp, ventral view; 15, 17 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (14–17).