Phlegra davidi ( Caleb, Mungkung & Mathai, 2015 ) Logunov & Azarkina, 2018

Logunov, Dmitri V. & Azarkina, Galina N., 2018, Redefinition and partial revision of the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886 (Arachnida, Araneae, Salticidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 430, pp. 1-126 : 112-114

Phlegra davidi ( Caleb, Mungkung & Mathai, 2015) comb. nov.

Figs 504–506

Mashonarus davidi Caleb, Mungkung & Mathai, 2015: 5 , figs 16–25 (D♂); ♂ holotype in National Centre for Biological Sciences (Bangalore, Karnataka, India), examined.

Remarks

Although we have been unable to borrow the male holotype of Mashonarus davidi , our colleague John Caleb (Kolkata, West Bengal, India) has re-examined the type at our request and photographed the expanded palp of both the holotype and an additional male ( Figs 504–506 ). The leg formula of both studied males of M. davidi (III,IV,I,II) corresponds to that of many aelurilline genera, including Stenaelurillus , and its body colour pattern (see figs 16–20 in Caleb et al. 2015) and cheliceral dentation

( Fig. 506 ) are also similar to those of many species of Stenaelurillus . However, the conformation of the copulatory organs in both males is typical of Phlegra Simon, 1876 : viz., the narrow, elongated bulbus flattened in a dorso-ventral direction, two tibial apophyses, the presence of a cymbial lateral projection (= tutaculum), the spiralled embolus that is similar to that of representatives of the bresnieri species group, and the thickened first pair of legs. Besides, the true tegulum (see above, p. 9) is not seen in the expanded palp of M. davidi ( Figs 504–505 ), as compared to true species of Stenaelurillus ( Figs 33 , 39 , 90 , etc.). Therefore, it is safe to conclude that this species is better transferred to the genus Phlegra .

Figures

Figs 504–506. Phlegra davidi (Caleb, Mungkung & Mathai, 2015) comb. nov., ♂ from India (Tamil Nadu). 504. Expanded palp, median view. 505. Ditto, retrolateral view. 506. Chelicerae, endites and labium, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 30–33. Expanded female palp of Stenaelurillus nigricaudus Simon, 1886 from Burkina Faso (Sissamba). 30. Median view. 31. Ventral view. 32. Retrolateral-dorsal view. 33. Retrolateral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 34–39. Male palp of Stenaelurillus abramovi Logunov, 2008 from Thailand (Chai Chet Cape), scanning electron micrographs. 34. Ventral view. 35, 39. Retrolateral view. 36. Embolic division, ventral view. 37. Median view. 38. Dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 90–98. Stenaelurillus brandbergensis (Wesołowska, 2006), paratype, ♂ from Namibia (MRAC 216.021). 90. Palp, ventral view. 91. Palp, retrolateral view. 92. Embolic division, retrolateral view. 93. Embolic division, dorsal view. 94. Embolic division, median view. 95–98. General appearance. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 90–94 = 0.1 mm; 95–98 = 1 mm.