Phintelloides, Kanesharatnam, Nilani & P. Benjamin, Suresh, 2019

Kanesharatnam, Nilani & P. Benjamin, Suresh, 2019, Multilocus genetic and morphological phylogenetic analysis reveals a radiation of shiny South Asian jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae), ZooKeys 839, pp. 1-81 : 1

Genus Phintelloides gen. n.

Type species.

Chrysilla jesudasi Caleb & Mathai, 2014.

Etymology.

Combination of “Phintell” taken from Phintella and “oides” meaning "having the form of". This name also refers to the closer relationship of Phintelloides to Phintella than to other chrysillines. Gender masculine.

Monophyly and phylogenetic placement.

The monophyly of Phintelloides is recovered in all ML molecular trees (except in the 18S single gene analysis; see supporting information) and the morphology parsimony tree (Figs 1, 3). Supported by the following morphological unambiguous putative synapomorphies: triangular-shaped bulbus, slightly oblique to apical lobe (39-1) (Figs 5D, 7A, 9D, 11A, 15D, 16A, 17D, 18A), conspicuous black blotches on the prosoma of females (7-1) (Figs 4D, G, H, 12A, E, 14 D–F), duck-neck-shaped diverging curves at anterior margin of epigynum (46-1) (Figs 6C, D, G, H, 7C, D, 10C, D, G, H, 11C, D, 12C, D, G, H, 13 A–D, 16C, D, 18C, D), apical origin of FD (55-3). The genus Phintelloides is a member of the tribe Chrysillini both as defined by Maddison (2015) and Proszynski (2016).

All molecular trees recover Phintelloides brunne and P. flavoviri as sister species with high support. This is in contrast to the morphological tree where P. orbisa and P. flavoviri are recovered as sister species ( P. orbisa was not included in the molecular analysis, due to lack of fresh materials). We predict that it would branch with P. flavoviri , due to similar genital morphology (Fig. 12G, H). All genes trees, individual single gene phylogenetic trees as well as male and female habitus, palpal, and epigynal structure suggest that Chrysilla jesudasi Caleb & Mathai, 2014 should be transferred to Phintelloides .

Diagnosis.

This genus can be recognised from other chrysillines by white tuft of hairs on the clypeus, white diamond-shaped mark behind PLE, pale white band on the anterior eye field, black median band bordered by two lateral bands on the abdomen. Further, presence of LP, comparably longer embolus in males and the duck-neck-shaped diverging curves of CD in females. This genus is closely related to Proszynskia in appearance than to Phintella and Chrysilla .

Description.

Medium sized spiders. Male with white tuft of hairs on the clypeus (described as “moustache” in Caleb and Mathai (2014); prosoma with pale yellow/ white band behind AME; white diamond-shaped mark behind the eye field; white belts on lateral prosoma; leg I slightly robust in males; abdomen with blackish or brownish grey longitudinal median band bordered by pale yellow bands; long embolus; apical portion of bulbus with lamellar process; small posterior lobe of bulbus; long RTA with bent tip. Female with black patches on the eye field and surrounding PME, behind PLE and posterior slope of prosoma; abdomen with longitudinal lateral stripes or devoid of markings; duck-neck-shaped diverging curves at anterior margin of epigynum; CO laterally outwards; CD medium or very long and bent or twisted; spermatheca pyriform or spherical; broad PEB. See species descriptions below.

Composition.

Phintelloides alborea sp. n., P. brunne sp. n., P. flavoviri sp. n., P. flavumi sp. n., P. jesudasi (Caleb & Mathai, 2014) comb. n., P. orbisa sp. n., P. versicolor (CL Koch, 1846) comb. n.

Remarks.

The transfer of P. versicolor is based on the tree from the ML phylogenetic analysis of the combined matrix (Fig. 1). Additionally, P. versicolor shares with other species of Phintelloides the following characters: in males, the lateral white belts of the prosoma, white band on the anterior eye field, white diamond mark, black longitudinal abdominal median band bordered with pale yellow bands and similar shape of tegulum. In females, it differs in the absence of black blotches of prosoma, stripe pattern of abdomen and absence of DDC of the epigynum. It is also not clear if all specimens described under this name belong to a single species; special attention needs to be given to this matter in future studies.

Distribution.

India, Sri Lanka (excluding P. versicolor ).