Stenaelurillus tamravarni Marathe & Maddison, 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 : 11-14

Stenaelurillus tamravarni Marathe & Maddison , sp. nov.

Figs. 73–93 , 115 .

Type material. INDIA: Andhra Pradesh: NW of Kuppam: Agastya Foundation campus. 12.825 to 12.826 °N 78.252 to 78.253 °E, elev. 800 m asl, 6 July 2019, coll. W. Maddison & K. Marathe, WPM#19-108 . Holotype: ♂, IBC-BP300 / AS 19.6878. Paratypes: 9 ♂♂ IBC-BP302 / AS 19.6907; IBC-BP304 AS 19.6921; IBC-BP305 / DDKM21.003 ; IBC-BP306 – IBC-BP311 & 2 ♀♀ IBC-BP301 / AS 19.6947; IBC-BP303 / AS 19.6937.

Etymology. The name is derived from Sanskrit, tamra meaning copper, varni meaning coloured, referring to the cupreous sheen on some of the body’s scales.

Diagnosis. Of the fringed-abdomen species, Stenaelurillus tamravarni sp. nov. is unique for the muted colour of the male’s abdomen and the prolaterally-leaning embolus. The male abdomen appears as a brindled greyish brown in the anterior half, composed of a mix of cream and copper scales, much less colourful than the orange of S. metallicus and S. vyaghri sp. nov., and with longer fringes. The embolus differs from S. metallicus in being thicker, especially basally, and from S. vyaghri sp. nov. in leaning prolaterally and lacking a basal retrolateral cusp. The RTA of S. tamravarni sp. nov. is longer than that of S. metallicus , more pointed than that of S. vyaghri sp. nov.. The female of S. tamravarni sp. nov. has markings with less contrast than those of S. metallicus and S. vyaghri sp. nov. with abdominal spots quite indistinct.

Description. Male (based on holotype, specimen IBC-BP300/ AS 19.6878). Measurements: Carapace 1.52 long, 1.06 wide. Abdomen length 1.8, width 0.92. Leg lengths: I—2.9 (1.1, 0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 0.4); II—3.2 (1.2, 0.5, 0.5, 0.6, 0.4); III—5.8 (1.8, 0.9, 1.2, 1.3, 0.5); IV—4.8 (1.5, 0.7, 0.8, 1.3, 0.6). Leg formula: III-IV-II-I. Carapace narrow, about as wide as the abdomen. Anteriorly somewhat black, covered with black and white scales. Orange scales on the sides, more densely around AMEs and ALEs. Medially brown and rust coloured. Posteriorly black. Two longitudinal creamy stripes running down behind PLEs. Two broad yellowish-white bands along the lateral margins. Clypeus brownish, sparsely covered with white hairs. Chelicerae vertical, narrow, yellowish brown, sparsely covered with white hairs. Palp ( Figs. 73, 74, 77, 78 ): Cymbium yellowish with brown. Embolus short, slightly prolaterally leaning with bent tip. Femur with a distally located ventral process (see figs. 67–68, 78– 79 in Caleb et al. 2015). RTA curved apically. Legs robust, yellowish with some black. First leg darkest, with black from femur to tarsus. Femur I–II conspicuously black prolaterally. Legs covered with a mix of white, cream, and black scales. Abdomen with mosaic of reflective cream and copper-coloured scales in anterior half with long black hairs near anterior edge, darkening posteriorly to a patch of black scales that reflects green in alcohol. Lateral edge fringed with lustrous black and white hairs. Spinnerets somewhat long, black and yellow.

Female (based on paratype, specimen IBC-BP301/ AS 19.6947). Measurements: Carapace 1.58 long, 1.15 wide. Abdomen length 1.92, width 1.15. Leg lengths: I—3.4 (1.3, 0.6, 0.7, 0.5, 0.4); II—3.6 (1.3, 0.7, 0.6, 0.6, 0.4); III—6.7 (2.1, 0.9, 1.4, 1.6, 0.7); IV—6.1 (1.9, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, 0.7). Leg formula: III-IV-II-I. Carapace narrower than abdomen. Anteriorly black, covered with black scales and hairs. Medially reddish-brown. Black on sides. Two longitudinal brownish stripes running down behind PLEs. Two cream-coloured bands on lateral margins. Clypeus brownish, three narrow transverse bands of white hairs including anterior to ALEs. Chelicerae vertical, narrow, black with some brown. Legs robust, yellowish orange with black, covered with black, orange, and few white scales. Femur I black prolaterally. Black near III–IV joints. Abdomen melange of rust colour and black with two faint creamish-white spots posteriorly.Anterior edge with white and black hairs. Epigyne ( Figs. 75, 76, 79, 80 ): ECP broad and shallow. Copulatory openings are slit shaped.

Natural history. Within dry scrubland habitat, they were found on open sunny rocky or grassy patches ( Figs. 116–118 ). We often observed them perching on small rocks ( Fig. 112 ) or grass blades. They appear to be locally common.

Figures

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

FIGURES 73–84. Stenaelurillus tamravarni sp. nov. 73, 77 male left palp, ventral view (holotype IBC-BP300/ AS19.6878); 74, 78 same, retrolateral view; 75, 79 epigyne, ventral view (paratype IBC-BP301/ AS19.6947); 76, 80 vulva, dorsal view; 81 male, holotype, dorsal; 82 same, ventral; 83 female, paratype, dorsal view; 84 same, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm for genitalia and 1.0 mm for bodies.

FIGURES 85–93. Stenaelurillus tamravarni sp. nov., habitus photographs. 85–87 male (AS19.6837); 88–90 male (AS19.6878); 91 male (AS19.6921). 92–93 female (AS19.6933). Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

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.

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