Makdiops montigenus (Simon, 1889) Simon, 1889

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 62-64

Makdiops montigenus (Simon, 1889) comb. n. Figs 81-84112Map 3

Selenops montigena Simon 1889b: 335. Gravely 1931: Fig. 15D.

Type material.

Holotype female (apparently lodged in ZSI; not examined):Jaonsar, Kumia, Uttarakhand, India [30°33'N, 78°10'E], 6000 feet, Oldham. The female type was not examined, but it is clear from Gravely’s (1931) illustration that this is the same species.

Other material examined:

INDIA: Himachal Pradesh: Patlikuhl Town, 32°07.4'N, 77°08.8'E, 1200m, 17-23.VI.1999, Y. Marusik, 4♀ (ZMUM); Jharkhand: 6 miles northeast of Borio [25°07'N, 87°37'E], 220 m, 30.X.1961, E.S. Ross, D.Q. Cavagnaro, 1♂ (CAS 9031587); Uttarakhand: Bhowali [29°23'N, 79°31'E], 1800 m, 1.XII.1961, E.S. Ross, D.Q. Cavagnaro, 1♂, 1♀ (CAS 9031784); 5 miles southwest of Dehra Dun [30°15'N, 77°56'E], 600 m, 9.XII.1961, E.S. Ross, D.Q. Cavagnaro, 1♂ (CAS 9031785); 8 miles southwest Dehra Dun [30°15'N, 77°56'E], 750 m, 11.XII.1961, E.S. Ross, D.Q. Cavagnaro, 1♀ (CAS 9031585); Gobind Ghat Village, 30°37.5'N, 79°33.5'E, 1750-1900 m, 17-23.V.1999, Y. Marusik, 2♀, 2 immature (ZMUM); Joshimath Town, 30°33.3'N, 79°33.9'E, 1870 m, 14.V.1999, Y Marusik, 1♀ (ZMUM). NEPAL: Chitwan National Park, near Sauraha [27°29'N, 84°21'E], 1♂ (CAS sel_985).

Literature records.

INDIA: Jharkhand: Chota Nagpur, pass between Chaibassa and Chaardharpur [22°35'N, 85°43'E] ( Gravely 1931); Uttarakhand: Painsur, above Lohba [30°04'N, 79°19'E], 8000 feet ( Gravely 1931).

Diagnosis.

Males can be separated from other selenopids by the RTA, a single, bifid process, the large T-shaped conductor, and the small, hooked MA (Figs 83-84). In females, the internal ducts are convoluted and laterally asymmetrical (Fig. 82).

Description.

Female (CAS 9031784):Color: carapace uniformly red-brown; sternum yellow-brown, darker around border; chelicerae uniformly dark red-brown; maxillae brown, lightening distally; labium pale yellow-brown, lightening distally; abdomen dorsally cream colored with darker cardiac mark and some darker w-shaped marks caudally, festoon mark also present caudally; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs tan, darkening distally, no annulations visible. Cephalothorax: setae long and thin; 0.91 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, somewhat shallow. Eyes: AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 2.18; eye diameters, AME 0.17, ALE 0.13, PME 0.23, PLE 0.31; interdistances AME-ALE 0.57, PME-PLE 0.55, ALE-PLE 0.38, AME-PME 0.15; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.27, PME-PME 0.92; clypeus 0.06 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.96 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp: claw present, without teeth. Legs:leg I much shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 2341; some scopulae on tarsus I and distally on metatarsus I; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw with c. 10 teeth, rl claw with none; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –0– 0; Ti v 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 2 –2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 1 –1– 0; Mt 2-0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 1-1; Mt 1-0. Abdomen:terminal setal tufts present. Epigyne:sinusoidal m-shaped ridge located medially, copulatory openings underneath, epigynal pockets present; internally, ducts are convoluted, laterally asymmetrical, differing in their folding amongst specimens, leading to long spermathecae at the lateral margins, small posterodorsal infoldings (Figs 81-82). Dimensions: Total length 9.31. Cephalothorax length 4.07, width 4.46. Sternum length 2.20, width 2.30. Abdomen length 5.24, width 4.07. Pedipalp: Fm 1.34, Pt 0.80, Ti 0.82, Ta 1.34, (total) 4.30. Leg I: Fm 4.40, Pt 2.30, Ti 3.51, Mt 3.17, Ta 1.40, (total) 14.78. Leg II: Fm 5.38, Pt 2.34, Ti 4.44, Mt 3.70, Ta 1.49, (total) 17.35. Leg III: Fm 5.36, Pt 1.97, Ti 4.45, Mt 3.51, Ta 1.34, (total) 16.63. Leg IV: Fm 5.15, Pt 1.72, Ti 3.7, Mt 3.52, Ta 1.34, (total) 15.43.

Male (CAS sel_985): Color: carapace uniformly red-brown; sternum yellow brown, darker around border; chelicerae uniformly dark red-brown; maxillae brown, lighten ing distally; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally cream colored with darker cardiac mark and some darker w-shaped marks and festoon caudally; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs tan, darkening distally, no annulations visible. Cephalothorax:setae long and thin; 0.91 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, somewhat shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 2.24; eye diameters, AME 0.23, ALE 0.13, PME 0.29, PLE 0.38; interdistances AME-ALE 0.52, PME-PLE 0.50, ALE-PLE 0.40, AME-PME 0.10; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.25, PME-PME 0.86; clypeus 0.06 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.96 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:femur, spination dorsal 0 –1– 2; retrolateral tibial apophysis with 1 apophysis that is bifid, the posterior process longer, tapering and slightly truncate at the tip, the ventral process shorter, pointier; retrolateral basal cymbial process absent; cymbial scopulae present, cymbium oval; conductor emerging from center of bulb on a long stalk, T-shaped, tapering to a point, pointed laterally; embolus very long and slender, beginning at 4 o’clock, terminating at 2 o’clock; median apophysis small, hooked on end, directed distally (Figs 83-84). Legs:leg I much shorter than leg I but only slightly shorter than leg III; leg formula 2314; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claws with c.10-15 teeth, rl claw lacking teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti v 2 –2– 2, rl 1 –0– 0; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti 2 –2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 1 –0– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 1 –1– 1; Ti v 1 –1– 0; Mt 2-0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 1-1; Mt 1-0. Abdomen:terminal setal tufts present. Dimensions: Total length 9.78. Cephalothorax length 4.25, width 4.68. Sternum length 2.40, width 2.50. Abdomen length 5.53, width 4.44. Pedipalp: Fm 1.68, Pt 0.94, Ti 0.77, Ta 1.62, (total) 5.01. Leg I: Fm 6.04, Pt 2.48, Ti 5.70, Mt 5.13, Ta 1.83, (total) 21.18. Leg II: Fm 7.99, Ti 7.41, Mt 6.77, Ta 1.94, (total) 26.75. Leg III: Fm 7.33, Ti 5.62, Mt 5.15, Ta 1.59, (total) 21.85. Leg IV: Fm 6.15, Pt 2.19, Ti 5.36, Mt 5.38, Ta 1.66, (total) 20.75.

Natural history.

Collected under bark and rocks, and taken from over 2500 m elevation.

Distribution.

This species is found in northern India and Nepal, near the Himalaya Mountains (Map 3).