Habrocestum kerala Asima, Caleb, Babu & Prasad, 2022

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 : 255-257

Habrocestum kerala Asima, Caleb, Babu & Prasad, 2022

Figs 15–23

Habrocestum kerala Asima et al. 2022: 306 , figs 4, 25–33 (D ♂).

Diagnosis

The epigyne of H. kerala is similar to that of H. hantaneensis Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2016 known from Sri Lanka but can be distinguished by the straight accessory gland without any special structures (curved with pin-like structures at the tip in H. hantaneensis ); fertilization ducts arising from anteroventral side of receptacles (vs arising from anterodorsal side of receptacles) (cf. Figs 19–23 ; Kanesharatnam & Benjamin 2016: figs 5e–f, 6c–d). The spermathecae of H. kerala is somewhat similar to that of H. longispinum Sankaran, Malamel, Joseph & Sebastian, 2019 , but can be distinguished by conical spermathecae (vs globular) (cf. Figs 19–23 ; Sankaran et al. 2019: fig. 3h).

Material examined

INDIA • 3 ♀♀; Kerala, Kulathoopuzha, Kattilappara, Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary ; 8.902778° N, 77.11325° E; 146 m a.s.l.; 11 May 2022; A. Asima leg.; from ground; by hand; KUDZ 2022.VII.6c to 2022.VII.6e • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; KUDZ 2022.VII.6f to 2022.VII. 6 g .

Description

Female (KUDZ 2022.VII.6 c; Figs 15–23 )

GENERAL MORPHOLOGY. Cephalothorax brown with pairs of white spots behind each posterior eyes and small vertical white band behind fovea; white patch of hairs present along lateral sides ( Fig. 15 ). Chelicerae reddish-brown with two promarginal teeth and single bicuspid retromarginal tooth ( Fig. 18 ). Sternum oval, dark brown. Leg I dark brown except yellow tarsus, white spot present on proximal portion of tibiae; leg II dark brown, part of femora, patellae and tibiae sparsely covered with white hairs dorsally; legs III–IV light brown with dark annulations. Abdomen small, oval, dorsum brown with three horizontal white bands with the posterior one being discontinuous; median light brown chevron pattern ( Fig. 15 ). Venter creamy yellow with black patches and lateral stripes. Spinnerets creamy yellow ( Fig. 16 ).

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: 3.94; carapace 2.10 long, 1.82 wide; abdomen 1.84 long, 1.30 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.55, ALE 0.33, PME 0.06, PLE 0.21. Eye inter-distances: AME-AME 0.03, AME-ALE 0.06, PME-PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.12, PLE-PLE 0.89. Clypeus height at AME 0.23, at ALE 0.81. Clypeus yellowish brown ( Fig. 15 ). Measurement of legs: I 6.25 (1.57, 1.90, 1.32, 1.00, 0.46), II 4.50 (1.43, 0.66, 1.00, 0.90, 0.51), III 5.65 (2.00, 0.93, 1.18, 1.20, 0.34), IV 6.09 (1.62, 0.54, 0.97, 1.36, 0.60). Leg formula: 1432.

COPULATORY ORGAN ( Figs 19–23 ). Copulatory openings mid-laterally placed, initial portion of copulatory ducts less sclerotized, narrow, tubular and straight; spermathecae elongated, conical, multi-chambered with thick walls, fertilization duct originates from anterior part of spermathecae, diverging from each other.

Male

See Asima et al. (2022).

Distribution

India ( Asima et al. 2022 and present study).

Figures

Figs 15–23. Habrocestum kerala Asima, Caleb, Babu & Prasad, 2022, ♀(KUDZ 2022.VII.6c), habitus and copulatory organ. 15–17. Habitus. 15. Dorsal view. 16. Ventral view. 17. Front view. 18. Chelicera. 19. Intact epigyne, ventral view. 20, 22. Cleared epigyne, ventral view. 21, 23. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 15–16 = 1 mm; 17 =0.85 mm; 18 =0.38 mm; 19–23= 0.2 mm.