Habrocestum sahyadri, Asima & Caleb & Prasad, 2024

Asima, Ashraf, Caleb, John T. D. & Prasad, Gopal, 2024, On a collection of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, India, European Journal of Taxonomy 932, pp. 252-270 : 257-261

Habrocestum sahyadri sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:71B97C85-5C98-4781-811A-5EB36A4FAF19

Figs 24–35

Diagnosis

The male of H. sahyadri sp. nov. is very similar to H. liptoni Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2020 and can be distinguished by the narrow embolus directed at 1 o’clock position (vs broad, flattened and directed at 11 o’clock position), well developed posterior rounded bulbal process (vs irregular) and RTA with broad base, triangular (vs RTA narrow) (cf. Figs 26–27 , 32–33 ; Kanesharatnam & Benjamin 2020: figs 1d, 3a, 1c–e, 3a–b). The female of H. sahyadri is very similar to that of H. dubium Wesołowska & van Harten, 2002 , but can be distinguished by the placement of the copulatory openings, placed mid-laterally (vs placed posteriorly), copulatory duct wide (vs narrow) (cf. Figs30–31 , 34–35 ; Wesołowska & van Harten 2002: figs 11–13).

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the Sanskrit word for the Western Ghats, from where the species was collected.

Type material

Holotype INDIA • ♂; Kerala, Kulathupuzha, Pandimotta, Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary ; 8.827582° N, 77.217172° E; 1235 m a.s.l.; 11 May 2022; A. Asima leg.; from ground, by hand; KUDZ 2023.VI.23a .

Paratype INDIA • 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; 25 Apr. 2023; KUDZ 2023.VI.23 b to KUDZ 2023. VI.23e .

Description

Male (holotype, KUDZ 2023.VI.23 a; Figs 24–27 , 32–33 )

GENERAL MORPHOLOGY. Carapace brown with black eye field, sparsely covered with light hairs ( Fig. 24 ). Anterior eyes surrounded with reddish-orange orbital setae. Clypeus black. Chelicerae reddish brown; promargin with two closely spaced teeth; retromargin with single bifurcated tooth. Sternum dark brown. Legs I–IV yellow brown with black annulations near joints ( Figs 24–25 ). Femur I–IV sparsely covered with white hairs. Abdomen oval, dorsum brownish with chevron shaped markings ( Fig. 24 ). Venter dark brown ( Fig. 25 ). Spinnerets yellow in dorsal view and with dark brown patches in ventral view ( Figs 24–25 ).

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 3.50; carapace 2.00 long, 2.53 wide; abdomen 1.50 long, 1.21 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.49, ALE 0.30, PME 0.041, PLE 0.20; AME-AME 0.04, AME-ALE 0.07, PME-PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.13, PLE-PLE 0.97. Clypeus height at AME 0.20, at ALE 0.82. Measurement of palp and legs: palp 1.76 (0.38, 0.32, 0.17, 0.89), I 3.45 (1.03, 0.45, 0.80, 0.67, 0.50), II 3.15 (1.00, 0.40, 0.66, 0.50, 0.59), III 3.79 (1.19, 0.43, 1.00, 0.65, 0.52), IV 3.98 (1.38, 0.30, 0.81, 0.98, 0.51). Leg formula 4312.

PALP ( Figs 26–27 , 32–33 ). Yellowish with dark brown femur, patella, tibia and cymbium; RTA short and hook shaped with pointed tip; cymbium short with broad anterior end, covered with dark hairs dorsally and white hairs prolaterally ( Figs 26–27 ); tegulum long with well-developed proximal lobe, oval bulbus, part of sperm duct is clearly visible at distal tegular region, apicomedial tegular lobe present near base of embolus; embolus long, originate from under tegular ledge, directed above sperm duct and then curved towards the cymbial groove.

Female (Paratype, KUDZ 2023.VI.23 b; Figs 28–29 , 34–35 )

GENERAL MORPHOLOGY. Similar to male in colour except having venter yellowish brown ( Figs 28–29 ).

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 5.13; carapace 2.76 long, 2.00 wide; abdomen 2.37 long, 2.30 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.82, ALE 0.48, PME 0.12, PLE 0.40; AME-AME 0.09, AME-ALE 0.07, PME-PME 2.17, PME-PLE 0.40, PLE-PLE 1.96. Clypeus height at AME 0.27,ALE 0.76. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 3.94 (1.38, 0.82, 0.73, 1.01), I 4.46 (1.32, 0.88, 1.00, 0.76, 0.50), II 8.03 (2.54, 1.62, 1.68, 1.21, 0.98), III 9.10 (3.30, 1.55, 1.83, 1.70, 0.72), IV 8.15 (2.53, 1.18, 1.70, 1.78, 0.96).

COPULATORY ORGAN ( Figs 30–31 , 34–35 ). Moderately sclerotized; initial portion of copulatory ducts membraneous, joins at posterior region of spermathecae; long, multi-chambered spermathecae with thick walls; fertilization duct arise from anterior end of spermathecae, diverging from each other.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figs 24–27. Habrocestum sahyadri sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (KUDZ 2023.VI.23a). 24–25. Habitus. 24. Dorsal view. 25. Ventral view. 26–27. Left palp. 26. Ventral view. 27. Retrolateral view. Scale bars: 24–25 =0.6 mm; 26–27= 0.2 mm.

Figs 28–31. Habrocestum sahyadri sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (KUDZ 2023.VI.23b). 28–29. Habitus. 28. Dorsal view. 29. Ventral view. 30. Intact epigyne, ventral view. 31. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 28–29 =1 mm; 30–31 = 0.2 mm.

Figs 32–35. Habrocestum sahyadri sp. nov. 32–33. Holotype, ♂ (KUDZ 2023.VI.23a). 34–35. Paratype, ♀ (KUDZ 2023.VI.23b). 32–33. Left palp. 32. Ventral view. 33. Retrolateral view. 34. Epigyne, ventral view. 35.Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars =0.2 mm.