Pancorius manipuriensis ( Biswas & Biswas, 2004 ) Caleb, 2023

Caleb, John T. D., 2023, Deciphering mysteries: On the identity of five enigmatic jumping spiders from Northeast India, China and Philippines (Araneae, Salticidae), Zootaxa 5230 (3), pp. 391-400 : 395-398

Pancorius manipuriensis ( Biswas & Biswas, 2004) comb. nov.

Figs 13–24 , 25

Marpissa manipuriensis Biswas & Biswas, 2004: 27 (D♁ ♀), figs 1–3 (figures not published); holotype ♀, allotype ♁ and paratype ♀, in NZC-ZSI, examined.

Type material. Marpissa manipurensis B.K. Biswas & K. Biswas, 2004 : Holotype ( NZC-ZSI) ♀ from INDIA, Manipur, Ukhrul, Wino Bazar (25.1059°N, 94.3618°E), 1858 m a.s.l., 09.04.1992, leg. A.K. Sanyal & Party. Paratypes (6♀) and allotypes (2♁) ( NZC-ZSI), together with the holotype. Registration numbers: 5488-90/18.

Diagnosis. The male palp of Pancorius manipuriensis is similar to Pancorius submontanus Prószyński, 1992 and Pancorius lui Gan, Mi & Wang, 2022 in having a similar embolus, but can be easily distinguished by the long, thumb-like posterior tegular lobe directed at 5’o clock position (broad U-shaped and directed at 6’o clock position in P. submontanus and P. lui); RTA conical, bent sub-apically with the tip directed dorsad (tapering without any bend near tip and directed apically in P. submontanus ; directed apically in P. lui); palpal tibia longer than wide (as long as wide in P. submontanus and P. lui) (cf. Figs 15, 16 with figs 1B, C in Gan, Mi & Wang 2022). The female is most similar to P. submontanus in having a sclerotized plate and a pair of epigynal pockets in the anterior half of epigyne but can be distinguished by the alignment of the copulatory openings which diverge posteriorly (v-shaped, converging posteriorly in P. submontanus ) and the copulatory ducts diverging towards postero-lateral region (parallel in P. submontanus ) (cf. Figs 21–24 with figs 119–124 in Prószyński 1992).

Description. Female (paratype, Figs 18–21 ): Total length 7.45, carapace 3.04 long, 2.51 wide; abdomen 4.41 long, 3.18 wide. AME 0.65, ALE 0.35, PME 0.07, PLE 0.35, AEW 2.05, PEW 2.10, EFL 1.35. Clypeus height 0.12. Carapace reddish brown; eyes surrounded by black region ( Fig. 18 ). Clypeus covered with white hairs. Chelicerae brownish, unidentate. Endites, labium and sternum yellowish. Legs yellowish. Abdomen yellow-brown with a midlongitudinal convex lens-shaped yellow stripe outlined with brown margin and lateral sides covered with brown spots and streaks ( Fig. 18 ). Spinnerets yellow brown. Epigynal plate sclerotized anteriorly and posterior half appears membranous and translucent; a pair of slit-like curved copulatory openings and a pair of blind pockets present in anterior portion; copulatory ducts diverge toward postero-lateral sides leading to bulbous anterior spermathecal chamber, posterior chamber large, globular; fertilization ducts present at anterior part of the posterior spermathecal chamber ( Figs 21–24 ).

Male (allotype, Figs 13–16 ): Total length 6.80, carapace 3.31 long, 2.77 wide; abdomen 3.49 long, 2.42 wide. AME 0.68, ALE 0.38, PME 0.09, PLE 0.35, AEW 2.21, PEW 2.27, EFL 1.47. Clypeus height 0.16. Carapace reddish brown with yellow patch behind the fovea and extending on the thoracic region; lateral sides of carapace with thick band white hairs; eyes surrounded by black region ( Fig. 13 ). Clypeus covered with a few white hairs. Chelicerae reddish-brown, unidentate. Endites, labium and sternum yellowish brown. Leg I robust, reddish-brown; legs II to IV yellowish. Abdomen brown with yellow spots and mid-dorsal chevron shaped markings ( Fig. 13 ). Spinnerets brown. Pedipalps brown covered with pale yellow hairs; embolus thick, long, arising from 9’o clock position; bulb with well-developed conical, thumb-like posterior lobe; RTA thick with pointed tip, bent sub-apically with tip directed dorsally ( Figs 15, 16 ).

Remarks. Biswas & Biswas (2004) described Marpissa manipuriensis from Ukhrul, Manipur, based on the female holotype, 6 female paratypes and 2 male allotypes. The original paper referred to illustrations ( Biswas & Biswas 2004: 28) but they were not apparently published in the same work or later publications. The identity of the species therefore remained unknown. Although the original publication mentions type designation and appropriate registration numbers assigned, the vials containing the specimens did not have proper labeling. The label read, 1. Marpissa manipurae sp.n., 14.6.99 (date of identification), 8♀, 2♁ with the signature of Bijan Biswas ( Fig. 17 ), thus indicating that they are the type material used for describing M. manipuriensis . A different spelling for manipuriensis , ‘ manipurae ’ is used in the label which is similar to that used for M. mizoramensis (‘ mizoae ’) in the original label ( Fig. 5 ) and the figure legends in the publication ( Biswas & Biswas 2007: 458). The authors seem to have used the suffix ‘ae’ for both names—‘ manipurae’ and ‘ mizoae’ on the labels after initial identification but eventually modified the names with the suffix ‘ensis’ while publishing the descriptions. We can therefore be sure that these specimens are indeed the type material used by the authors to describe M. manipuriensis . The larger of two males is used for description, and the epigyne and vulva already dissected from a female (probably the holotype) are depicted in Figs 22–24 , and one of the paratypes is described and illustrated ( Figs 18–21 ).

Justification for transfer. The characters such as the unidentate chelicerae, abdomen pattern with midlongitudinal stripe, the anterior half of epigyne with a sclerotized plate, a pair of pockets and copulatory openings, multi-chambered spermathecae, the simple male palp with erect embolus arising from the antero-lateral portion of bulbus, posterior tegular process, single RTA, support its placement in Pancorius ( Prószyński 1992; 2017; Kanesharatnam & Benjamin 2021).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in India (Manipur) ( Biswas & Biswas, 2004) ( Fig. 25 ).

Figures

FIGURE 25. Map showing the distribution of Evarcha flavocincta (circles), Hyllus diardi (squares) andPancorius manipuriensis (star) studied in this work.

FIGURES 13–17. Somatic morphology and copulatory organs of Pancorius manipuriensis (Biswas & Biswas, 2007) comb. nov., allotype male: 13—habitus, dorsal view; 14—ditto, front view; 15—left male palp, ventral view; 16—ditto, retrolateral view; 17—label. Scale bars: (15, 16) 0.2 mm, (13, 14) 2 mm.

FIGURES 18–24. Somatic morphology and copulatory organs of Pancorius manipuriensis (Biswas & Biswas, 2007) comb. nov., holotype and paratype: 18—paratype female habitus, dorsal view; 19—ditto, front view; 20—ditto, lateral view; 21— epigyne, ventral view; 22—holotype female, epigyne, ventral view; 23—ditto, dorsal view; 24—ditto, dorsal view. Scale bars: (18, 19, 20) 2 mm, (21–23) 0.2 mm, (24) 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 1–6. Somatic and genitalia morphology of Marpissa mizoramensis Biswas & Biswas, 2007, holotype. 1—habitus, dorsal view; 2—epigyne, ventral view; 3—ditto, dorsal view; 4—ditto, anterior view; 5, 6—labels. Scale bars: (1) 1 mm, (2–4) 0.2 mm.