Lathys mussooriensis, Biswas & Roy, 2008

Biswas, Bijan & Roy, Rakhi, 2008, Description Of Six New Species Of Spiders Of The Genera Lathys (Family: Dictynidae), Marpissa (Family: Salticidae), Misumenoides (Family: Thomisidae), Agroeca (Family: Clubionidae), Gnaphosa (Family: Gnaphosidae) And Flanona (Family: Lycosidae) - From India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 108 (1), pp. 43-57 : 44-46

1. Lathys mussooriensis sp. novo

( Figs. 1-3 )

General: Cephalothorax dark-brown in colour and larger in-size than the previous recorded species of the genus Lathys . Total length 15.00 mm. Carapace 7.00 mm. long, 5.00 mm wide; abdomen 8.00 mm. long, 6.00 mm wide. These spiders are peculier in their body shapes look like as Theridiid, having the elongated abdomen. Detailed study of different morphological features, clearly shows that they are allied to Lycosidae .

Cephalothorax: Cephalothorax is dark-brown in colour with characteristic shade, look like Hippasa (Lycosidae) with obscure border and median band longer than wide, convex, cephalic region slightly high and narrowing in front, clothed with fine hair, clypeus is low, centre is provided with a prominent and depressed fovea. Anterior row is slightly procurved and posterior row of eyes are slightly recurved. Out of eight heterogenous eyes, antero-median eyes are smaller than posteromadian eyes. Antero-median eyes are pearly white in appearance, lateral eyes are close and each situated on a brown tubercle. Strong, stout and long chelicerae are provided with two teeth in inner margin and one prominent tooth in outer margin. Strong and stout fang present. Sternum sheiledshaped, pointed behind and brown in colour. Labium as long as wide, brown, clothed with spine like hair and is provided with prominent scopulae. Legs are long, stout and strong, clothed with hair and spines having uniseriate calaminstrium on IV matatarsi and bear three tarsal claws. Male is not known till.

Abdomen: Elongated, oval clothed with spine-like hair. Dorsum of the abdomen covered with blackish brown tiger-like ornamentation. Ventral side also same as like as dorsal side. Epigyne and internal ganitalia as in text figs. ( 2 & 3 ).

Type species: Holotype female , paratype two females immature preserved in rectified spirit (70%). Registration numbers are 5582-83118 .

Type-locality: Mussoorri (Alt. about 8000 ft.), Uttaranchal, India, 21.x.2005, coil. Rakhi Roy from a corner of a wall within a heep of dry leaves .

Distribution: India: Mussoorri, Uttaranchal (New record). Elsewhere: North America, Canada).

Remarks: This species having some similarities with Lathus foxii Marx but differs from it in these successive characters (1) Size, length, colour and abdominal ornamentation of Lathys mussooriensis Sp. novo differs from Lathys foxii Marx (2) Size and appearance eyes greatly varies from Lathys foxii Marx (3) Prominent and depressed fovea is present in Lathys mussoooriensis Sp. novo but no such fovea in Lathys foxii Marx (4) Epigyne and internal genitalia are also structurally different.

Comments: Lathys is one of the important genus under the family Dictynidae which was only found in America and Europe. Two genus as Argenna and Dictyna were recorded from India before. Lathys mussooriensis new species from Mussoorri is not only remarkable from Indian Sub-continent but also adds a new line to science of spider fauna from South East Asia.

Figures

Figs. 1 - 3.: (Lathys mussoriensis) sp. novo! i 1 1. Dorsal view (legs are omitted) 2. Epigyne 3. Internal genitalia

Figs. 1-3.: (Lathys mussoriensis) sp. novo!i1 1. Dorsal view (legs are omitted) 2. Epigyne 3. Internal genitalia