Nandicius vallisflorum, Caleb, John T. D., Sajan, S. K. & Kumar, Vikas, 2018

Caleb, John T. D., Sajan, S. K. & Kumar, Vikas, 2018, New jumping spiders from the alpine meadows of the Valley of Flowers, western Himalayas, India (Araneae, Salticidae), ZooKeys 783, pp. 113-124 : 113

Nandicius vallisflorum sp. n. Figs 1-4, 5-8

Holotype.

Female (ZSI-CDT-AA1649) from Valley of Flowers (30.72362°N, 79.58764°E), 3567 m a.s.l., Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, India, 16 June 2017, S.K. Sajan & party.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the location 'valley of flowers’ ('vallis florum’ in Latin).

Diagnosis.

Female of N. vallisflorum sp. n. can be distinguished from other congeners except N. mussooriensis ( Prószyński, 1992) in having an epigyne with crescent shaped sclerotized margins within which the copulatory openings are present (cf. Figs 5, 7 with fig. 58 in Prószyński, 1992); it can be distinguished from N. mussooriensis by the following characters: posterior rim of epigyne sclerotized with a wide protrusion bearing wide epigynal pockets on either sides positioned between the spermathecae and the curved sclerotized margins (protrusion absent and pockets widely placed directly below spermathecae in N. mussooriensis (cf. fig. 59 in Prószyński, 1992 with Figs 6, 8); copulatory openings present medially in the oval depressions (positioned posteriorly in N. mussooriensis ) (Figs 5, 7); proximal region of spermathecae pear-shaped (stomach-shaped in N. mussooriensis ) (Figs 6, 8).

Description.

Female (holotype). Total length: 4.59; carapace: 1.87 long, 1.45 wide; abdomen: 2.74 long, 1.84 wide. Carapace dark brown, with a light brown median patch present at the posterior region; the outer edge of carapace covered with pale white setae (Figure 1). Eye field covered with black hairs and pale white scales. Anterior eyes surrounded by reddish-brown orbital setae except for the lower margin lined with white setae; clypeus covered with long white hairs (Figure 4). Eye measurements: AME 0.34, ALE 0.15, PME 0.05, PLE 0.16, AER 1.12, PER 1.15, EFL 0.75. Clypeus height 0.05. Sternum oval, dark brown. Chelicerae reddish-brown, unidentate; labium and maxillae brownish (Figure 2). Legs yellowish with dark brown annulations on the segments (Figs 1-3, 4); palps yellowish clothed with dense white hairs. Leg measurements: I 2.93 (0.92, 0.59, 0.60, 0.43, 0.39); II 2.67 (0.85, 0.58, 0.48, 0.40, 0.36); III 2.92 (0.91, 0.49, 0.52, 0.55, 0.45); IV 3.69 (1.12, 0.55, 0.80, 0.74, 0.48). Leg formula: 4132. Leg spination: femora I 0400, II 0300, III 0300, IV 0300; patellae I–IV 0000; tibiae I 2006, II 1001, III 2011, IV 1013; metatarsi I 3005, II 1004, III 3021, IV 2021; tarsi I–IV 0000. Abdomen blackish with a pale white chevron shaped marking mid-dorsally accompanied by pairs of yellowish-white spots present longitudinally (Figure 1); lateral margins yellowish (Figure 3); venter with brown lateral region and broad central yellowish region covered with irregular brown spots (Figure 2). Spinnerets brownish (Figs 1, 2). Epigyne with copulatory openings located in oval depressions in the medial region separated by a thin median septum; outer, lateral rim sclerotized and crescent-shaped (Figs 5, 7); copulatory ducts diverge laterally, reaching the spermathecae; spermathecae with pear-shaped proximal portion and elongated distal portion (Figs 6, 8).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

India (Uttarakhand).