Myrmarachne dirangicus, Bastawade, D. B., 2002

Bastawade, D. B., 2002, Three New Species From The Spider Families Amaurobiidae, Thomisidae And Salticidae (Araneae: Arachnida) From India, JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 99 (2), pp. 274-281 : 278-280

Myrmarachne dirangicus sp. novo

( Figs 20-28 )

General: Ant-like spider, blackish-brown, more blackish on cephalic region while light brownish on thoracic region, abdomen with two pairs of narrow lateral whitish bands, median anterior portion darker with a blackish patch on posterior portion ( Fig. 20 ), light brown to yellowish-brown on ventral portion; Chelicerae brown, palps dark blackish on distal segments, legs darker on exterior margins and on joints, otherwise pale brown. Anterior median eyes larger than others and pearly white.

Measurements (in mm): Total length 7.10; Cephalothorax 2.90 long, 2.00 wide; Abdomen 4.20 long, 2.00 wide.

Cephalothorax: Longer than wide, cephalic region high and flat, posteriorly sloped into a shallow constriction and continues posteriorly into thoracic region, further narrowing posteriorly in to a pedicel ( Fig. 21 ), entire surface smooth, clypeus narrow and not high, eight eyes placed in two rows, anterior two pairs placed in front in a row, median pair being larger and pearly white; posterior row deeply procurved, the medians being shifted much laterally almost in a same line to posterior laterals and much smaller in size ( Fig. 20 ), ocular trapezium wider than long; Cephalothoracic sternum elongated and acutely pointed posteriorly, labium elongated with lateral margins parallel, rounded on anterior margin, endites narrowed behind to accommodate labium ( Fig. 22 ); Chelicerae.depressed from sides, almost quadrangular, with a ridge on interior surface, basal segments armed with promarginal and retromarginal row of 10 and 4 minute teeth respectively ( Figs 23, 24 ), fangs pointed and almost 1 1/3rd of basal segment. Palps short as compared to body length, dorsoventrally flat and expanded, fringed ventrally with short setae and other portion covered with hair, a long Trichobothridial hair present on proximal portion of Tibiae. Legs 1- IV thin, in 4312 formulae, Tibiae I with 4 pairs, and II with 2 pairs of anteriorly directed ventral spines ( Figs 25, 26 ), Tarsomeres fringed with

short setae.

Abdomen: Longer than wide, entirely smooth, leathery except the Epyginal portion, covered with short hair, with two lateral oblique bands ( Fig. 27 ), internal genitalia with a pair of sacs, curved on inner portions and each sac bears two dark spots in it ( Figs 27, 28 ).

Type Data: Holotype 1♀, Paratype 5 ♀♀. Holotype ♀ dissected for genitalia and kept separately in micro vial, all in 70% rectified spirit, will be deposited in National Collection Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata .

Type Locality: 15 kms 0' Dirang, West­ Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh, India. ColI. Dr. D.B. Bastawade, 22.ix.1990.

Distribution: So far known only from type locality.

Etymology: Named after the type locality Dirang.

Figures

Figs 20 - 28: Myrmarachne dirangicus sp. novo. 20. Female, dorsal aspects (legs omitted); 21. Cephalothorax, lateral aspects; 22. Cephalothoracic sternum, labium and endite, ventral aspects; 23. Chelicera, dorsal aspects; 24. Chelicera, ventral aspects; 25. & 26. Tarsi I & IV, ventral aspects; 27. Female epigyne, ventral aspects; 28. Female genitalia, dorsal aspects