Vailimia jharbari Basumatary, Caleb & Das, 2020

Basumatary, Paris, Caleb, John T. D., Das, Sangeeta, Jangid, Ashish Kumar, Lita, Jatin Ka- & Brahma, Dulur, 2020, First record of the genus Vailimia Kammerer, 2006 from India, with the description of two new species (Araneae: Salticidae: Plexippina), Zootaxa 4790 (1), pp. 178-186 : 182-185

Vailimia jharbari Basumatary, Caleb & Das sp. nov.

Figs 12–27

Type material. Holotype: ♂ (NZC-ZSI 6591/18) from India, Assam, Kokrajhar, Jharbari Forest Range (26.6052°N, 90.2419°E), 74 m a.s.l., 1 February 2017, leg. P. Basumatary. Paratypes: 1 ♂ (NZC-ZSI 6592/18) from Jharbari Forest Range under Chirang Reserve Forest (26.5970°N, 90.2376°E), 72 m a.s.l., 21 December 2017 ; 2 ♀ (NZC- ZSI 6593/18) and (NZC-ZSI 6594/18) from Jharbari Forest Range under Chirang Reserve Forest (26.6045°N, 90.2378°E), 81 m a.s.l., 11 March 2018, all leg. P. Basumatary.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from Jharbari Forest range, from where the species was collected. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The species closely resembles Vailimia longitibia Guo, Zhang & Zhu, 2011 in the habitus and palp ( Figs 14–16 , 20–22 ), but differs in having a relatively shorter palpal tibia and broader apical cymbial region; RTA with a broad base without a ridge, narrow, directed distally (with a ridge at the base; curved and directed dorsally in V. longitibia ) (cf. Figs 20–22 herein with Guo, Zhang & Zhu 2011: figs 4–5).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length: 6.63; carapace: 3.12 long, 2.77 wide; abdomen: 3.51 long, 2.23 wide. Carapace brown, covered with greyish and whitish hairs; eyes surrounded by blackish region; broad white band present on lateral margin; two pairs of tubercles present along the margin of the ocular area, one between the ALEs and PMEs another near the PLEs ( Fig. 14 ). Anterior eyes surrounded by white setae, clypeal region light brown covered with long hairs; ‘cheek region’ covered with four thin transverse white stripes ( Fig. 16 ). Eye measurements: AME 0.73, ALE 0.37, PME 0.14, PLE 0.34, AER 2.28, PER 2.54, EFL 1.42. Clypeus height 0.10. Chelicerae light brown with two promarginal teeth and a bifid retromarginal tooth ( Fig. 23 ). Sternum pale brown and oval; labium and maxillae pale brown. Legs yellowish brown; leg I & II covered with dense black hairs on ventral region of patellae, tibiae and metatarsi. Leg measurements: I 7.18 (2.11, 1.51, 1.81, 1.03, 0.72); II 5.04 (1.84, 0.76, 1.22, 0.83, 0.39); III 5.97 (2.58, 0.82, 0.80, 1.29, 0.48); IV 5.99 (2.11, 0.93, 1.21, 1.34, 0.40). Abdomen oval, brownish, covered sparsely with blackish setae, having chevron markings mid-dorsally ( Fig. 14 ); venter brown with yellow longitudinal lateral margins. Spinnerets brownish. Palps light yellow; palpal tibia with blackish long hairs; cymbium with a patch of dorsal scopulae and white hairs present at the base; RTA long and narrow, with a broad base; embolus long and slender ( Figs 20–23 ).

Female (NZC-ZSI 6593/18). Total length: 9.12; carapace: 4.02 long, 3.16 wide; abdomen: 5.10 long, 3.40 wide. Eye measurements: AME 0.71, ALE, 0.38, PME 0.13, PLE 0.36, AER 2.48, PER 2.93, EFL 1.50. Clypeus height 0.21. Leg measurements: I 6.85 (1.98, 1.47, 1.71, 0.86, 0.83); II 6.19 (2.18, 1.17, 1.18, 0.93, 0.73); III 7.71 (2.99, 1.53, 1.41, 1.12, 0.66), IV 6.82 (2.30, 1.16, 1.46, 1.23, 0.67). Coloration pattern as in male, but differs by following: abdomen with black patches on lateral sides and a short dark brown mid-dorsal stripe above the chevron pattern ( Fig. 17 ). Epigyne with a pair of oval translucent windows, separated by a narrow septum; copulatory openings present at the anterior region; copulatory ducts broad, arching anteriorly ( Figs 24, 26 ); spermathecae globular ( Figs 25, 27 ).

Natural history. The species was found to be active at night, constructing silken retreats between the twigs found in mixed shrubs ( Figs 12–13 ). Whether the silken construction is used for trapping prey or just for resting is yet unclear. However, recent observations of a jumping spider tentatively identified as Anarrhotus sp. from southwestern India by Hill et al. (2019) indicate that the orb webs are rather used as nocturnal retreats than for prey capture.

Distribution. Known only from Assam ( India).

Figures

FIGURES 12–13. Vailimia jharbari sp. nov. 12 female on web; 13 resting position on web.

FIGURES 14–19. Vailimia jharbari sp. nov. 14–16 male (14 dorsal view; 15 lateral view; 16 frontal view). 17–19 female (17 dorsal view; 18 lateral view; 19 frontal view). Scale bars: 2 mm (14–15, 17–18); 1 mm (16, 19).

FIGURES 20–23. Vailimia jharbari sp. nov. 20–22 right male palp (20 ventral view; 21 retrolateral view; 22 dorsal view); 23 chelicerae, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (20–22); 0.5 mm (23).

FIGURES 24–27. Vailimia jharbari sp. nov. epigyne. 24 cleared, ventral view; 25 vulva, dorsal view; 26 ventral view; 27 vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.