Paratus perus, Sankaran, Pradeep M., Malamel, Jobi J., Joseph, Mathew M. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2017

Sankaran, Pradeep M., Malamel, Jobi J., Joseph, Mathew M. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2017, A new species of Paratus Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Liocranidae, Paratinae) from India, Zootaxa 4286 (1), pp. 139-144 : 142-144

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4286.1.12

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:60288DCA-210C-4B07-A7C1-E553D15435B7

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6048733

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7A2187E2-FF92-4731-FF47-FD843AC9FDF7

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Paratus perus
status

sp. nov.

Paratus perus View in CoL sp. nov. ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 , 3 View FIGURE 3 )

Type material: Holotype ♂ without left legs I & IV ( ADSH 50221 View Materials ), INDIA: Kerala: Kottayam, Palai, Areeppara in Edappady , 09°42'35.62''N, 76°42'48.42''E, 27 m, 24.X.2015, leg. M.S. Pradeep, from bark of Artocarpus hirsutus , by hand GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 1♀ ( ADSH 50222 View Materials ), same data as holotype except 5.X.2015 and from bark of Tectona grandis GoogleMaps ; 1 subadult ♂, 2♀♀, 1 subadult ♀ ( ADSH 50223 View Materials ), same data as holotype except 26.VII.2015 and from bark of A. heterophyllus . GoogleMaps

Additional material examined: INDIA, Kerala: Trivandrum, Kallar in Ponmudi , 0 8o 45'35.79''N, 77o07'00.75''E, 920 m, 1.X.2014, leg. M.S. Pradeep, from bark, by hand: 1 subadult ♂, 2♀♀ ( ADSH 50224 View Materials ) . Ernakulam, Kothamangalam, Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary), 10°07'48.3''N, 76°41'43.24''E, 96 m, leg. M.S. Pradeep, 8.III.2016, from bark, by hand: 3♂♂, 2♀♀ ( ADSH 50225 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective and refers to the sac-like median diverticulum ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 F). Latin pera = bag. The gender is masculine.

Diagnosis. Paratus perus sp. nov. is most similar to P. indicus , the only Indian congener, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following combination of characters: Males: conductor absent (present in P. indicus ), tegulum with a median circular depression and a triangular lobe (tegulum of P. indicus lacks these structures), and embolic base rests on tegular prop (absent in P. indicus ). Females. epigynal plate with ‘W’-shaped posterior borderline (concave in P. indicus ), long copulatory ducts (short in P. indicus ), spermathecae adjoining (diverging in P. indicus ), copulatory openings on the epigynal plate (copulatory openings hidden under epigynal plate in P. indicus ), and long fertilization ducts (short in P. indicus ) (cf. Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A–F with Marusik et al. 2008: figs 8–11, 19–21, 27–29).

Description. Male (holotype, Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 A, C–D). Carapace, eye field, clypeus, chelicerae, fangs, maxillae, labium, spinnerets brownish. Carapace clothed with black hairs shorter at thoracic part, with indistinct marginal and submarginal bands and radial stripes. Fovea straight, longitudinal, reddish. Eyes encircled with black patches. Clypeus narrow, with a single row of black setae. Chilum absent. Chelicerae baso-dorsally armed with 2–3 strong, spine-like macrosetae ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 C, arrows), with a greatly elongated, strong, unmodified shaggy hair / bent hair originating near the base of fang, confronting each other ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 D, Sh); promargin bordered by a series of long hairs with ventrally oriented tips and are of uniform size and shape, but slightly smaller than the shaggy hair/bent hair ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 C–D), with three teeth, second and third widely placed and largest, retromargin with four small teeth, almost equally spaced. Boss prominent. Maxillae with scopulae, labium lacks scopula, instead provided with a few hairs. Sternum pale brown, clothed with mat of fine black hairs, truncate between coxae IV. Opisthosoma roughly oval, greyish, hirsute, without white guanine spots; dorsum and laterals with small, irregular, black patches and transverse bands; venter without any patches or spots. Colulus absent. Anterior and posterior spinnerets nearly of equal in length. Leg segments pale brown to brown progressively; all femora with inconspicuous black annulations, one ring on basal, two rings on apical; tibia I (right) with 14 (2–2–2–2–2–2–2) and II (right) with 12 (2–2–2–2–2–2) long ventro-lateral spines; metatarsi I & II each with 3 pairs (2-2-2) of long ventrolateral spines; all tarsi with a single row of 4 to 7 trichobothriae. Body 2.82 long. Prosoma 1.44 long, 1.42 wide. Opisthosoma 1.38 long, 0.92 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09. ALE 0.09. PME 0.10. PLE 0.10; ALE–PLE 0.02. AME–AME 0.10. AME–ALE 0.08. AME–PME 0.08. PME–PME 0.10. PME–PLE 0.11. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.03, at ALEs 0.03. Chelicerae 0.59 long. Palp and legs length: palp 1.53 [0.52, 0.26, 0.26, 0.49], I (right) 4.03 [1.19, 0.51, 1.22, 0.78, 0.33], II 3.88 [1.16, 0.46, 1.08, 0.81, 0.37], III 4.15 [1.22, 0.44, 1.10, 0.93, 0.46], IV (right) 4.32 [1.28, 0.43, 1.03, 1.08, 0.50]. Leg formula: 4312. Spination: palp: femur pl 1 plv 2 do 2 rl 1 rlv 3, patella pl 1, tibia pl 2 do 1; legs (I & IV right): femur I pl 1 plv 4 do 2 rl 2 rlv 3, II pl 2 do 2 rl 1, III pl 2 do 2, IV do 3; patellae I–IV spineless; tibia I plv 7 rlv 7, II pl 1 plv 6 rlv 6, III pl 1 plv 2 do 1 rl 1, IV pl 1 do 1 rl 1 v 2; metatarsus I–II pl 2 plv 3 rl 2 rlv 3, III pl 2 plv 1 rl 2 vp 1 vt 1, IV pl 2 plv 1 rl 2 rlv 1 vp 1 vt 1; tarsi I–IV spineless. Palp ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A–D): segments pale brownish; cymbium spineless, with long, moderately narrow tip bearing dorsal bristle mat (not shown in the illustrations). Retrolateral tibial apophysis short, beak-like, angular with wide base, directed at 10 o’clock ventrally ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 B–C). Bulb globular. Tegulum with a median circular depression, prolateral edge formed into a short, triangular lobe/bulging near the base of embolic base ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A–B). Subtegulum absent. Conductor absent. Embolus moderately long with round tip, without stylus, originating disto-medially near the triangular lobe of tegulum, medially with a smooth curve, directed at 1 o'clock ventrally; embolic base lying in the median circular depression of tegulum on a short, tegular prop ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 B–C). Sperm duct long, with a sharp basal twist, forming a wide twist near distal part of embolic base ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 D).

Female (paratype, Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 B, E–F). Like male except the following. Carapace, eye field, clypeus, chelicerae, fangs, maxillae, labium, spinnerets, leg and palp segments pale brown. Carapace with distinct marginal and submarginal bands and radial stripes. Cheliceral promarginal teeth nearly equally spaced. Maxillae, labium, leg trochanters with diffused black patches. Tibia I with 13 (2–2–2–2–2–2–1) long ventro-lateral spines; all tarsi with a single row of 6 trichobothriae. Body 2.68 long. Prosoma 1.43 long, 1.43 wide. Opisthosoma 1.25 long, 1.16 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.07. ALE 0.06. PME 0.08. PLE 0.08; ALE–PLE 0.05. AME–AME 0.11. AME–ALE 0.08. AME–PME 0.10. PME– PME 0.11. PME–PLE 0.15. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.03, at ALEs 0.04. Chelicerae 0.51 long. Palp and legs length: palp 1.33 [0.47, 0.23, 0.31, 0.32], I 3.49 [1.01, 0.42, 1.05, 0.73, 0.28], II 3.72 [1.12, 0.42, 1.02, 0.75, 0.41], III 4.18 [1.25, 0.46, 1.09, 0.93, 0.45], IV 4.23 [1.26, 0.43, 1.02, 1.04, 0.48]. Leg formula: 4321. Spination: palp: femur pl 1 plv 2 do 2 rlv 2, patella pl 1, tibia pl 2 do 2, tarsus pl 1 do 1; legs (all left): femur I pl 1 plv 3 do 2 rlv 3, II–III pl 1 do 2 rl 1, IV do 2; patellae I–IV spineless; tibia I plv 7 rlv 6, II pl 1 plv 6 rlv 6, III pl 1 plv 1 rl 2, IV pl 1 plv 2 rl 2; metatarsus I–II pl 2 plv 3 rl 2 rlv 3, III pl 2 plv 1 rl 2 vp 1 vt 1, IV pl 2 plv 1 rl 2 rlv 1 vp 1 vt 1; tarsi I–IV spineless. Epigyne ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 E–F): plate simple, undivided, hirsute, weakly sclerotised, trapezoid, with ‘W’ shaped posterior border line, lacking fovea, pockets, furrows or outgrowths ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 E). Copulatory openings small, circular, contiguous, proximo-medially placed ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 E). Median diverticulum large, with an inverted triangular plate ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 F, arrow) arising medio-basally from diverticulum, lying firmly attached to the ventral wall of diverticulum. Copulatory ducts long, moderately sclerotised, with a sharp, median twist, distal halves smoothly curved, confronting each other, proximal halves slightly wider than distal halves, fused with spermathecae at apico-prolaterally ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 F). Spermathecae globular, weakly sclerotised, adjoining ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 F). Fertilization ducts long, narrow, arising baso-retrolaterally from spermathecae, diverging each other ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 F).

Variation. Males, excluding subadults (n=4): body length 2.82–3.26. Females, excluding subadults (n=7): body length 2.57–3.14. Specimens from Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary are slightly darker in colouration than those from Edappady and Ponmudi. The tegular lobe of males from Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary is slightly longer than that of the male from Edappady. The ventro-lateral spination on tibia I varies significantly between specimens, both in males and females. The three male specimens from the Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary show remarkable variations on ventro-lateral spination: male 1 with 15 ventro-lateral spines (plv 8 rlv 7) on both left and right tibiae, male 2 with 16 ventro-lateral spines (plv 8 rlv 8) on both left and right tibiae, and male 3 with 18 ventro-lateral spines (plv 9 rlv 9) on the left tibia, but 17 (plv 9 rlv 8) on the right. One female from the Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary has 15 ventro-lateral spines (plv 8 rlv 7) on both left and right tibiae, where as another female has 13 ventro-lateral spines (plv 7 rlv 6) on the left tibia, but 14 (plv 7 rlv 7) on the right. One female specimen from Ponmudi has 14 ventro-lateral spines (plv 7 rlv 7) on both left and right tibiae, where as one female specimen from Edappady has 12 ventro-lateral spines (plv 6 rlv 6) on both left and right tibiae.

Natural history. Paratus perus sp. nov. is bark-dwelling and rests in a small, sheet-like retreat built over the bark of trees.

ADSH

Arachnology Division, Sacred Heart College

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Liocranidae

Genus

Paratus

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