Stenaelurillus vyaghri Sanap, Joglekar & Caleb, 2022

Marathe, Kiran, Sanap, Rajesh, Joglekar, Anuradha, Caleb, John T. D. & Maddison, Wayne P., 2022, Three new and notes on two other jumping spider species of the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886 (Salticidae: Aelurillina) from the Deccan Plateau, India, Zootaxa 5125 (1), pp. 1-19 : 14

Stenaelurillus vyaghri Sanap, Joglekar & Caleb , sp. nov.

Figs. 94–115 .

Type material. INDIA: Maharashtra: Sinnar , 19.871°N 74.020°E, elev. 703 m asl, 2 July 2019, coll. R. Sanap & A. Joglekar. Holotype: ♂, (NRC-AA-2061). Paratypes: 2 ♂♂ (NRC-AA-2062 & NRC-AA-2063) & 3 ♀♀ (NRC-AA-2064–NRC-AA-2066) .

Etymology. The name is derived from the Sanskrit root word vyaghra. We call this species vyaghri , meaning “like a tiger”, as the male spider’s orange and black body colouration resembles that of a tiger.

Diagnosis. Stenaelurillus vyaghri sp. nov. males have an orange abdomen, like S. metallicus , but lacks the latter’s pair of black spots and the bright orange-red laterally and medially. S. vyaghri sp. nov. further differs from S. metallicus and S. tamravarni sp. nov. in the short, thick embolus with a broad base having a retrolateral cusp, and in the inconspicuous TP. The females can be distinguished by the globular spermathecae (bean-shaped in S. sarojinae ; globular and double-chambered in S. metallicus ) and a well-developed, narrow, and deep epigynal pocket.

Description. Male (based on holotype, specimen NRC-AA-2061). Measurements: Carapace 2.00 long, 1.50 wide. Abdomen length 2.01, width 1.35. Leg measurements: I—2.93 (1.01, 0.55, 0.64, 0.40, 0.33); II—2.83 (0.98. 0.53, 0.59, 0.41, 0.32); III—4.67 (1.53, 0.72, 0.93, 1.02, 0.47); IV—4.10 (1.22, 0.54, 0.86, 1.00, 0.48). Leg formula III-IV-I-II. Carapace narrow, as wide as abdomen. Anteriorly black covered with black and white scales and black hairs. Remaining black with some rusty brown to orange medially. Two longitudinal yellowish white stripes running down behind PLEs. Two yellowish-white bands on lateral margins. AMEs surrounded by white scales. Clypeus brownish, covered with white hairs. Chelicerae vertical, narrow, dark brown short brown hairs. Palp ( Figs. 94, 95, 98, 99 ): Cymbium yellowish with brown. Embolus short, hook shaped. Femur with a distally located ventral process. RTA long with pointy tip. Legs robust, yellow with orange tint, covered with black and white scales. Tarsus, metatarsus I black. Tibia, patella I black ventrally. Femur I–II black prolaterally. Abdomen with orange and black scales. Anteriorly covered with white scales and mix of black and white hairs. Two yellowish white spots middorsally. Two iridescent black spots posteriorly, just anterior to edge of abdomen. Lateral margins fringed with long white hairs. Spinnerets long, yellow with black tips.

Female (based on paratype, specimen NRC-AA-2064). Measurements: Carapace 2.24 long, 1.72 wide.Abdomen length 2.78, width 2.20. Leg measurements: I—2.97 (1.10, 0.60, 0.61, 0.40, 0.26); II—3.06 (1.04, 0.59, 0.61, 0.43, 0.39); III—5.24 (1.73, 0.89, 1.09, 1.13, 0.40); IV—4.91 (1.54, 0.65, 1.02, 1.21, 0.49). Leg formula III-IV-II-I. Carapace narrower than abdomen. Anteriorly black, covered with black scales and hairs. Two longitudinal yellow stripes running down behind PLEs. AMEs surrounded by yellowish-orange scales. Clypeus brownish with two narrow transverse bands of white hairs. Chelicerae vertical, narrow, yellowish-brown, sparsely covered with white to brown hairs. Legs robust, yellow with some black, covered with white and black scales. I–II with dark brown annulations near joints. Abdomen brownish black, with two large yellow spots posteriorly. Anterior edge covered with white and black hairs. Sides yellow. Spinnerets yellowish brown. Epigyne ( Figs. 96, 97, 100, 101 ): Posterior edge deeply incised with a notch, in front of which is a narrow and deep ECP. Copulatory openings are round.

Natural history: Stenaelurillus vyaghri sp. nov. was mostly found inhabiting rocky patches in a scrub forest ( Fig. 119 ). Both males and females were observed perching on or resting underneath rocks. Although the spiders were observed largely throughout the year, the maximum number of adult individuals was found in May and June (~30– 40 males and ~10– 12 females from 9:00 to 11:00 AM). The spiders were observed feeding on termites.

Figures

FIGURES 94–105. Stenaelurillus vyaghri sp. nov. 94, 98 male left palp, ventral view (holotype NRC AA-2061); 95, 99 same, retrolateral view; 96, 100 epigyne, ventral view (paratype NRC-AA-2064); 97, 101 vulva, dorsal view; 102 male, holotype, dorsal view; 103 same, ventral view; 104 female, paratype, dorsal view; 105 same, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm for genitalia and 1.0 mm for bodies.

FIGURES 106–114. Stenaelurillus vyaghri sp. nov., habitus photographs. 106–112 male; 113–114 female.

FIGURES 115. The type localities (solid black) and distribution records (solid white) of Stenaelurillus species studied in this work.

FIGURES 116–119. Photographs showing microhabitats of Stenaelurillus shwetamukhi sp. nov. and S. tamravarni sp. nov. (Figs. 116–118); S. marusiki and S. vyaghri sp. nov. (Fig. 119). These grassland and scrubland habitats offer a variety of microhabitats suitable for aelurillines. We have documented a considerable diversity of Langelurillus, Langona, Phanuelus, Phlegra and other species of Stenaelurillus.