Wadicosa ghatica, Kronestedt, 2017

Kronestedt, Torbjörn, 2017, Species of Wadicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae): a new species close to W. quadrifera (Gravely) from the Western Ghats, India, Zootaxa 4300 (2), pp. 295-300 : 296-299

Wadicosa ghatica sp. nov.

Figs 1, 3, 5, 7 , 9, 11, 13 , 15–16

Type material. Holotype ♂ from INDIA . Karnataka: Jog Falls (14°14’N 74°50’E), 20–22 January 1990 (V. & B. Roth, CASENT 9071571).— Paratypes. INDIA, same collection data as holotype (CASENT 9043828), 1♂ 1♀ . Kerala: Pathanamthitta District , Pamba River drainage, Pedenada River, Lahai Estate (9°22’N 76°54E), on river bank, 27 March 1990 (B. Gustafsson, NHRS), 1♂ .

Etymology. The epithet ghatica refers to the occurrence of this species in the Western Ghats.

Diagnosis. Male differs from other Wadicosa species except W. quadrifera by having a corkscrew-shaped embolus. It differs from W. quadrifera by lacking a ridge-formed projection ( Figs 5 , 13 , cf. rf.pr in Figs 6 , 14 ) retrolaterally on the tegulum and by having an embolus without a curved acute tip ( Figs 3 , 11 ); female differs from that of W. quadrifera (1) by proportions in the epigyne, e. g., plate-formed median depression wider than long in W. ghatica , (2) by lacking the unsclerotized lateral elevations (arrow in Fig. 17 ) present in W. quadrifera (compare Figs 7 , 15 to 8, 17), and (3) by shape of the receptacular complex (compare Fig. 16 to 18).

Description. Male (Kerala). Total length 5.1; carapace 2.80 long, 2.20 wide.

Cephalothorax. Carapace greyish brown with wide, lighter brown indistinct field around fovea. Lateral bands broken into lighter spots, posterior one elongated. Thoracic part furnished with short dark and recumbent whitish hairs, the latter numerous in median field and lateral spots. Clypeus yellowish brown, medially greyish. Chelicerae greyish brown, inner sides distally yellowish. Sternum yellowish grey.

Eyes. Width of row I 54 (slightly procurved as seen from in front), row II 70, row III 88, row II–III 68. Diameter of AME 13, ALE 9, PME 26 and PLE 24. Distance between AME 8, between AME and ALE 2.

Abdomen. Dorsum blackish, mottled with yellowish dots and with a pattern of yellowish blotches and spots, median spots posterior to lanceolate stripe with blackish dot medially. Lanceolate stripe dark greyish. Venter yellowish grey with recumbent light pubescence and scattered dark hairs.

Legs ( Table 1). Yellowish with dark greyish annulation. Ti I with two retrolateral spines.

Palp ( Figs 1 , 9, 13 ). Pt 1.10, Ti 1.05, Cy 2.50. Fe sooty with yellowish patches medially and apically. Pt and Ti yellowish, proximally more sooty. Cy sooty, distally yellowish. Fe apically, Pt, Ti, and Cy proximally with white hairs, otherwise dark and thin lighter hairs. Tegular apophysis with curved main branch (in frontal view) having sclerotized tip pointing obliquely ventrad, and with short, partly sclerotized basal branch ( Figs 1 , 9 ). Anterior part of tegulum gives off a conspicuous wide retrolateral process pointing ventrad ( Fig. 13 , rl.p). No ridge-formed projection as in W. quadrifera (cf. rf.pr in Fig. 14 ). Terminal part with curved, sclerotized conductor ( Figs 11, 13 ). Embolus shaped as a corkscrew ( Figs 1, 3 , 9 ) with tip as in Fig. 11 (cf. tip in W. quadrifera : Fig. 12 ).

Female (paratype). Total length not available (abdomen in bad condition); carapace 3.30 long, 2.80 wide.

Cephalothorax and abdomen. Carapace lighter than in male; lateral bands broken into yellowish spots. Chelicerae lighter than in male. Dorsum of abdomen greyish, lighter than in male, venter light brownish.

Eyes. Width of row I 60 (slightly procurved as seen from front), row II 78, row III 103, row II–III 78. Diameter of AME 13, ALE 10, PME 27, PLE 25. Distance between AME 10, between AME and ALE 2.

Legs ( Table 1). Light yellowish brown with dark greyish annulation.

Epigyne ( Figs 7 , 15, 16 ). Posteriorly with a median quadrangular depression, slightly wider than long, and anteriorly with two close, almost confluent foveolae. Fused rim of foveolae evenly arched (in W. quadrifera this rim is medially slightly protruding). Receptacula bulbous ( Fig. 16 ).

Size variation. Carapace lengths of material measured: males 2.80–3.00 (N=3).

Distribution. India (Karnataka and Kerala) ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Wadicosa ghatica sp. nov. (1, 3, 5, 7) and W. quadrifera (Gravely) (2, 4, 6, 8). 1, 2. Right male palp, ventral view. 3, 4. Left embolus. 5, 6. Left retrolateral tegular process in retrolateral view, in 6 with ridge-formed projection (rf. pr). 7, 8. Epigyne. Scale lines = 0.5 mm (1, 2, 7, 8) and 0.25 mm (3 – 6). 3 – 6 after Kronestedt 1993.

FIGURES 9 – 14. Wadicosa ghatica sp. nov. (9, 11, 13) and W. quadrifera (Gravely) (10, 12, 14). Left palp in ventral (9, 10) and retrolateral (13, 14) view. 11, 12. Details of left embolus and conductor in ventral view. Abbreviations: co, conductor; em, embolus; rf. pr, ridge-formed projection; rl. p, retrolateral tegular process; tg. a, tegular apophysis. Scale lines = 300 µm (9, 10, 13, 14) and 100 µm (11, 12).

FIGURES 15 – 19. Epigyne of Wadicosa ghatica sp. nov., ventral (15) and dorsal (16) view, and of W. quadrifera (Gravely), ventral (17) and dorsal (18) view. Scale line = 0.2 mm. 19, collection localities of W. ghatica marked on map from Google Earth, modified.