Phintella dentis Sudhin, Caleb & Sen sp. nov.

Figs 1A-H, 2A-D, 4A-D, 14

Type material.

Holotype ♂. INDIA: Karnataka, Shimoga District, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, 13°42'24"N, 75°3'17"E, 629 m elev., 07.xii.2022, P.P. Sudhin coll. (NZC-ZSI-8369/18). Paratype: 1♀, same data as holotype (NZC-ZSI-8370/18).

Diagnosis.

The male copulatory organ of P. dentis sp. nov. is most similar to that of P. jaleeli Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2019, from which it can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: RTA robust without basal minute teeth (relatively narrower with basal minute teeth in P. jaleeli); embolus long and narrower, with the distal tip directed at 12 o’clock position in ventral view (short and robust with the distal tip directed at 1 o’clock position in P. jaleeli) (cf. Figs 2A, B, 4A, B with figs 31D, E and 33A, B in Kanesharatnam and Benjamin (2019)). The female genitalia of P. dentis sp. nov. is most similar to that of P. caledoniensis Patoleta, 2009 from which it can be easily distinguished by the small copulatory openings, relatively short copulatory ducts and bilobed spermathecae (cf. Figs 2C, D, 4C, D with figs 6-7 in Patoleta (2009)).

Description.

Male (Holotype, NZC-ZSI-8369/18) (Figs 1A-C, G, 2A, B, 4A, B): Measurements: body length 4.26; carapace length 1.93, width 1.66; abdomen length 2.22, width 1.17. Ocular area length 1.44, width 1.23. Eye diameters: AME 0.51, ALE 0.23, PME 0.06, PLE 0.24. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.01, ALE-AME 0.02, ALE-ALE 1.03, ALE-PLE 0.53, PLE-PLE 1.11, PME-PME 1.18, PME-PLE 0.23. Clypeus height 0.15. Length of chelicera 0.47. Measurement of palp and legs: palp 1.57 [0.60, 0.21, 0.16, 0.60], leg I 4.01 [1.36, 0.62, 0.96, 0.67, 0.40], II 3.16 [1.03, 0.43, 0.74, 0.58, 0.38], III 3.71 [1.10, 0.48, 0.77, 0.86, 0.50], IV 4.23 [1.31, 0.44, 0.99, 0.96, 0.53]. Leg formula: 4132. Leg setation: femur I-III pl 1 rl 1 do 3, IV pl 1 rl 2 do 3; patella III-IV rl 1; tibia I plv 4 rlv 2, II pl 2 rl 2, III pl 1 rl 2 rlv 2, IV pl 2 rl 3 rlv 1; metatarsus I plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 3, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 2. Carapace oval, high, sloping posteriorly, reddish-brown, covered with short white setae, margin of carapace with black lines (Fig. 1A); anterior region of thorax with a transverse diamond-shaped yellow-brown area behind eye field (Fig. 1A); eye field brown; eye bases black; AMEs surrounded by pale yellow setae (Fig. 1G). Clypeus short, reddish-brown, covered with white setae (Fig. 1G). Chelicerae small, sub-vertical, slightly diverging, reddish-brown, inner frontal face with tooth-like outgrowth, situated closer to base (Fig. 1B); chelicerae retromargin with two stout teeth with wide bases, arranged closely and transversely. Endites light brown, scopulate, with pale yellow inner margins; distal tip with beak-like curve (Fig. 1B). Labium light brown, distally pale yellow, covered with setae (Fig. 1B). Sternum oval, truncated anteriorly, pale yellow, with reddish-brown margins (Fig. 1B). Abdomen oval, narrowing posteriorly, pale yellow, laterally with longitudinal white stripes formed of white setae (Fig. 1A); lateral region dark brown (Fig. 1C); venter light brown, laterally with longitudinal white stripes and medially with a pair of yellowish dotted lines (Fig. 1B). Leg I brown with yellow metatarsi and tarsi (Fig. 1C), patella and tibia ventrally provided with brown setae; other leg articles pale yellow (Fig. 1C). Palps yellow-brown (Fig. 2A, B); RTA stout, directed anteriorly, wide at base, narrowing distally, tip slightly bent ventrally (Figs 2B, 4B); cymbium elongate oval, covered with long setae (Figs 2A, B, 4A, B); tegulum nearly rectangular with small U-shaped posterior lobe (Figs 2A, 4A); sperm duct visible on the retrolateral shoulder of tegulum (Figs 2A, 4A); embolus relatively long, situated anterior to bulbus, narrowing towards tip (Figs 2A, 4A).

Female (Paratype) (Figs 1D-F, H, 2C, D, 4C, D): Measurements: body length 4.63; carapace length 1.99, width 1.72; abdomen length 2.70, width 1.46. Ocular area length 1.26, width 1.50. Eye diameters: AME 0.48, ALE 0.25, PME 0.04, PLE 0.23. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.06, ALE-AME 0.05, ALE-ALE 1.01, ALE-PLE 0.58, PLE-PLE 1.07, PME-PME 1.16, PME-PLE 0.27. Clypeus height 0.16. Length of chelicera 0.65. Measurement of palp and legs: palp 1.43 [0.48, 0.16, 0.28, 0.51], leg I 4.84 [1.50, 0.66, 1.27, 0.84, 0.57], II 4.10 [1.35, 0.55, 0.92, 0.75, 0.53], III 4.44 [1.39, 0.67, 0.84, 1.03, 0.51], IV 4.92 [1.49, 0.55, 1.18, 1.16, 0.54]. Leg formula: 4132. Leg setation: femur I-IV pl 1 do 3; tibia I plv 4 rlv 4, II plv 3 rlv 3; metatarsus I plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, III-IV pl 1 rl 1. In all details as male, except the following: carapace dark brown (Fig. 1D); eye field black, middle region decorated with shiny golden yellow patch (Fig. 1D); clypeus red-brown (Fig. 1H); chelicerae vertical, not diverging, reddish-brown, without any modification; cheliceral promargin with two teeth and retromargin with a single tooth; endites yellowish-brown, without any modifications (Fig. 1E); labium brown (Fig. 1E); sternum nearly round, yellowish-brown with darker sides, margin with dark brown lines (Fig. 1E); abdomen brown with yellow patches, medially with two closely-arranged U-shaped pale yellow stripes extending longitudinally from below anterior margin to posterior end (Fig. 1D); abdomen dorso-laterally with thin yellow stripes, bending, moving to ventral margin and terminating just before spinnerets (Fig. 1F); abdomen lateral sides brown with thin yellow streaks (Fig. 1F); venter pale yellow with light brown middle region (Fig. 1E). Epigyne simple, moderately sclerotised, wider than long (Figs 2C, 4C); copulatory openings small, widely separated from each other, situated antero-laterally (Figs 2C, 4C); copulatory ducts long, relatively narrow, sclerotised, anteriorly curved, leading posteriorly and connected to anterior part of spermathecae (Figs 2C, D, 4C, D); spermathecae bilobed, posterior lobe large and oval shaped, anterior lobe small and hump-shaped (Figs 2D, 4D); fertilisation ducts orientated anterolaterally, located at the anterior region of spermathecae (Figs 2D, 4D).

Etymology.

The species name is a noun in apposition originating from the Latin word ' dentis ', meaning tooth and referring to the presence of a tooth-like outgrowth on the frontal face of the male chelicerae.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in Karnataka, India (Fig. 14).