Phintella platnicki Sudhin, Sen & Caleb, 2023

Figs 6E-F, 9A-H, 10A-D, 11A-H, 14

Phintella platnicki Sudhin, Sen & Caleb, 2023: 76, figs 16-23 (♂, examined).

Type material.

Holotype male from INDIA: Tamil Nadu: Salem, Yercaud (10°46′13.95″N, 78°12′6.37″E), 18.x.2019, J. Thilak coll. (NZC-ZSI-7352/18).

Material examined.

INDIA: Karnataka: Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Kodachadri, 14♀♀ & 8♂♂, 13°51'25.51"N, 74°52'2.03"E, 1330 m elev., 01.xii.2022, P. P. Sudhin coll. (NZC-ZSI-8376/18) . Kerala: Idukki, Kuttikkanam, 7♀♀ & 6♂♂, 9°33'38.44"N, 77°1'2.99"E, 1106 m elev., 24.i.2023, P. Girish Kumar coll. (NZC-ZSI-8377/18) .

Diagnosis.

The female epigyne of P. platnicki Sudhin, Sen & Caleb, 2023, is most similar to that of Phintella nilgirica Prószyński, 1992, from which it can be easily distinguished by the broad, funnel-shaped copulatory openings (relatively small and round in P. nilgirica) and parallel copulatory ducts (separated, sub-parallel in P. nilgirica) (cf. Figs 6E, F, 11C, D, G, H with figs 61-62 in Prószyński (1992)). For the diagnosis of male, see Sudhin et al. (2023).

Description.

Male. See Sudhin et al. (2023)

Female (NZC-ZSI-8376-77/18) (Figs 6E, F, 9A-H, 10A-D, 11A-H): Measurements: body length 5.64; carapace length 2.09, width 1.52; abdomen length 3.05, width 1.31. Ocular area length 0.95, width 1.31. Eye diameters: AME 0.42, ALE 0.23, PME 0.04, PLE 0.20. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.04, ALE-AME 0.03, ALE-ALE 0.89, ALE-PLE 0.50, PLE-PLE 0.98, PME-PME 1.08, PME-PLE 0.20. Clypeus height 0.20. Length of chelicera 0.72. Measurement of palp and legs: palp 1.80 [0.64, 0.22, 0.34, 0.60], leg I 3.81 [1.16, 0.60, 0.87, 0.70, 0.48], II 3.59 [1.17, 0.51, 0.79, 0.66, 0.46], III 4.24 [1.39, 0.45, 0.85, 0.93, 0.62], IV 5.12 [1.57, 0.63, 1.13, 1.24, 0.55]. Leg formula: 4312. Leg setation: femur I pl 1 do 3, II- III pl 1 rl 1 do 3, IV rl 1 do 3; patella III-IV rl 1; tibia I-II pl 2 rl 1 plv 4 rlv 4, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1, IV pl 2 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 1; metatarsus I-II pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 2, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 1 rlv 2. Carapace oval, high, sloping posteriorly, pale yellow, covered with short pale white and dark brown setae (Fig. 9D); thoracic region dorsally with two broad dark brown longitudinal stripes (Fig. 9D); margin of carapace with narrow black lines; eye field pale yellow to brown, eye bases black, anterior eyes surrounded by pale yellow orbital setae (Fig. 9D, H). Clypeus low, pale yellow, covered with pale white setae (Fig. 9H). Chelicerae small, yellowish-brown (Fig. 9H), promargin with two teeth and retromargin with a single tooth. Endites pale yellow to yellow, scopulate (Fig. 9E). Labium light-brown, with paler tip, distally with dark brown setae (Fig. 9E). Sternum oval, pale white (Fig. 9E). Abdomen elongate oval, narrowing posteriorly, pale yellow, dorsally with a pair of broad lateral longitudinal light brown bands extending along entire length (Fig. 9D); abdomen lateral sides with irregular light brown longitudinal streaks and patches (Fig. 9F); venter pale yellow, medially with broad light brown longitudinal band and sides with irregular light brown patches (Fig. 9E). Spinnerets light brown. Legs pale yellow with black pro- and retrolateral mottling on proximal and distal areas of tibiae I and distal areas of tibiae II. Epigyne simple, moderately sclerotised, nearly apple-shaped, covered with white setae (Figs 6E, 11C, G); copulatory openings broad, funnel-shaped, anterolaterally orientated (Figs 6E, 11C, G); copulatory ducts long, highly sclerotised, slightly curved anteriorly, running parallel along mid-longitudinal axis and then connected to posterior part of spermathecae (Figs 6E, 11C, G); spermathecae highly sclerotised, nearly semi-circular in shape, separated from each other (Figs 6F, 11D, H); fertilisation ducts long, orientated anteriorly, located at anterior region of spermathecae (Figs 6F, 11D, H).

Distribution.

India: Type locality - Tamil Nadu. New records from Karnataka and Kerala (Fig. 14).

Variation.

Both sexes of the species have been collected from new localities in south India. Darker and lighter forms have been found in the collections and the variation in the colour pattern of the female have also been illustrated in Figs 9A-H, 10A-D, 11A-H.