Anasaitis adorabilis, Zhang, Jun-Xia & Maddison, Wayne P., 2012

Zhang, Jun-Xia & Maddison, Wayne P., 2012, New euophryine jumping spiders from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae), Zootaxa 3476, pp. 1-54 : 13-15

Anasaitis adorabilis sp. nov.

Figs 54 – 62

Type material. Holotype: male, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Pedernales: Laguna de Oviedo , 17.802° N, 71.349° W, elev. 5 m, 14 July 2009, coll. W. Maddison, G. B. Edwards, J. Zhang, G. Ruiz, WPM#09-032 (UBC-SEM AR00040). Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype (UBC-SEM AR00041); 8 males and 11 females in two vials, same data as holotype; 1 male, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Pedernales: near Cabo Rojo, 17.915° N, 71.657° W, elev. 2 m, 16 July 2009, coll. G. B. Edwards, J. Zhang, G. Ruiz, N. Corona, WPM#09-038; 6 males and 1 female, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Pedernales: near Pedernales, 18.021° N, 71.730° W, 16 July 2009, coll. G. B. Edwards, J. Zhang, G. Ruiz, N. Corona, WPM#09-039.

Etymology. Latin adjective adorabilis (adorable), referring to the cute nature of the species.

Diagnosis. Similar to Anasaitis brunnea in the color pattern and markings, but its carapace has a ‘U’-shaped marking behind PLEs (Figs 58 – 59), unlike A. brunnea . It can also be distinguished from A. brunnea by the shape of the genitalia, in which the proximal tegular lobe of the male palp is larger and the palpal bulb is narrower (Fig. 60); the copulatory ducts of vulva are shorter (Fig. 62).

Figures 54–57. Anasaitis adorabilis sp. nov. 54 – 56 male paratype; 57 female paratype. Figures 54 – 57 are copyright © 2012 W. P. Maddison, released under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 3.0 license.

Description. Male (holotype, UBC-SEM AR00040). Carapace length 1.7 (variation 1.2 – 1.8, n=16); abdomen length 1.6. Chelicera dark brown. Palp (Fig. 60): yellow brown. Proximal tegular lobe wide, retrolateral sperm duct loop narrower. Embolus very short. Retrolateral tibial apophysis finger-like, tibia without ventral bump. Tibia of first leg with three ventral macrosetae retrolaterally and two ventral macrosetae prolaterally. Measurements of legs: I 3.3, II 3.0, III 3.2, IV 2.7. Color in alcohol (Fig. 58): carapace dark brown to brown, with a U-shaped marking behind PLEs composed of yellow brown iridescent scales; abdomen dark brown, light brownish yellow laterally, with a middle earthy yellow stripe extending to posterior end of abdomen; venter of abdomen brown with light yellow brown speckles; legs light yellow brown to brown, with dorsal and ventral fringes on first two pairs of legs. Face iridescent blue in life (Fig. 56).

Female (paratype, UBC-SEM AR00041). Carapace length 1.4 (variation 1.4 – 1.6, n=13); abdomen length 1.8. Tibia of first leg with three pairs of ventral macrosetae but two of them more prolateral. Measurements of legs: I 2.2, II 2.0, III 2.5, IV 2.3. Epigynum (Figs 61 – 62): no obvious window or median septum. Copulatory ducts very short, with small accessory gland; spermathecae oval. Color in alcohol (Fig. 59): similar to that of male, but the stripes on abdomen discontinuous and less distinct.

Natural history. Specimens were found on shaded leaf litter in dry forest.

Figures 58–62. Anasaitis adorabilis sp. nov. 58 male paratype, dorsal view; 59 female paratype, dorsal view; 60 male left palp, ventral view; 61 epigynum, ventral view; 62 cleared epigynum, dorsal view. Scale bars: 58 – 59, 0.5 mm; 60 – 62, 0.1 mm.