Oxytate elongata ( Tikader, 1980 )

Sudhin, Puthoor Pattammal & Sen, Souvik, 2023, Taxonomic notes on the crab spider genus Oxytate L. Koch, 1878 (Araneae: Thomisidae) from India, Zootaxa 5315 (6), pp. 549-558 : 551

Oxytate elongata ( Tikader, 1980)

Figs 2A–I , 5D–E , 7

Dieta elongata Tikader, 1980: 234 , figs 306–307 (description and illustrations of female). Gajbe 2007: 453, figs 62–63 (description and illustrations of female).

Type material. Holotype female from INDIA: Maharashtra: Poona, Shivajinagar , 12 August 1974, leg. M.S. Malhotra ( NZC-ZSI, Kolkata, Regd. No. 4576/18), examined.

Other material examined. 1♀ from INDIA: Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary (8°32’02”N 77°09’02”E), 82 m, 16 January 2019, leg. P. M. Sureshan (NZC-ZSI-8092/18) .

Diagnosis. The female copulatory organ of O. elongata is most similar to that of O. greenae ( Tikader, 1980) , from which it can be easily distinguished by the anteriorly placed hood (antero-medially in O. greenae ), long copulatory duct (relatively shorter in O. greenae ), and kidney-shaped spermathecae (more elongated in O. greenae ) ( Figs 1G–H , 2C–D, G–H , 5B–E ).

Redescription. Female (NZC-ZSI-8092/18) ( Figs 2A–I , 5D–E ): Measurements: Body length 7.31. Carapace length 2.21, width 2.11. Abdomen length 5.03, width 1.15. Eye diameter: ALE 0.09, AME 0.05, PLE 0.09, PME 0.06. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.13, ALE–AME 0.12, PME–PME 0.08, PLE–PME 0.30, ALE–PLE 0.21, AME–PME 0.20, ALE–ALE 0.45, PLE–PLE 0.75, AME–PLE 0.40, ALE–PME 0.18. Clypeus height 0.28. Length of chelicerae 0.61. Measurements of legs: I 10.70 [3.28, 1.12, 3.17, 2.15, 0.98], II 10.45 [3.06, 1.08, 3.03, 2.23, 0.95], III 5.21 [1.47, 0.47, 1.55, 1.14, 0.58], IV 4.97 [1.84, 0.44, 1.22, 0.93, 0.54]. Leg formula: 1234. Spination. Legs: femur I pl 6 rl 3 do 3 plv 2, II pl 5 rl 3 do 3, III pl 1 rl 3 do 2, IV pl 2 rl 1 do 1; patella I–II pl 1 rl 1 do 1, III–IV do 2; tibia I–II pl 2 rl 2 do 1 plv 4 rlv 4, III pl 2 rl 1 do 2, IV pl 2; metatarsus I–II pl 2 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 3, III pl 2 rl 1 rlv 1, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1; tarsus I–IV spineless. Description based on newly collected material. Carapace greenish white, with dark brown markings ( Fig. 2A ). Eyes located on white tubercles ( Fig. 2A ). Clypeus and chelicerae greenish white. Endites, labium and sternum dull white ( Fig. 2B ). Abdomen covered with fine hairs, dorsum light greenish white with dark brown markings ( Fig. 2A ), posterior region with regular transverse rows of spines ( Fig. 2A ); venter light greenish white, without any markings ( Fig. 2B ). Epigyne as shown in Figs 2C–D, G–H , 5D–E : epigyne with deeply divided anterior hood ( Figs 2C, G ); copulatory openings funnel-like, oriented antero-medially, located almost in the middle region of the epigyne ( Figs 2C, G , 5D ); copulatory duct, long, anterior part sclerotized, median part looped inwards, posterior part leading forward and connected to the anterior part of spermathecae ( Figs 2C–D, G–H , 5D–E ); spermathecae kidney-shaped, and widely separated from each other ( Figs 2D, H , 5E ).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. India: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala (new locality record) ( Tikader, 1980; Gajbe, 2007; present data) ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1A–I. Oxytate chlorion (Simon, 1906) (A–D), and Oxytate greenae (Tikader, 1980) (E–I). A, E Holotype female, dorsal view; B, F Same, ventral view; C, G Epigyne ventral view; H Vulva, dorsal view; D, I Labels. Scale bars: A–B: 5 mm. C: 0.5 mm; E–F: 2 mm. G–H: 0.2 mm. Oxytate chlorion © MNHN, Paris.

FIGURES 2A–I. Oxytate elongata (Tikader, 1980) (A–D Female from Kerala and E–I Holotype female). A, E Habitus dorsal view; B, F Same, ventral view; C, G Epigyne ventral view; D, H Vulva, dorsal view; I Label. Scale bars: A–B, E–F: 2 mm. C: 0.4 mm. D, G, H: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 5A–E. Oxytate chlorion (Simon, 1906) (A), Oxytate greenae (Tikader, 1980) (B–C), and Oxytate elongata (Tikader, 1980) (D–E). A–B, D Epigyne ventral view; C, E Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: A: 0.3 mm; B–E: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 7. Records of Oxytate species in India.