Bathippus directus, Zhang & Maddison, 2012

Zhang, Jun-Xia & Maddison, Wayne P., 2012, New euophryine jumping spiders from Papua New Guinea (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae) 3491, Zootaxa 3491, pp. 1-74 : 6

Bathippus directus sp. nov.

Figs 1–14

Type material. Holotype: male, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Southern Highlands Province: Tualapa, near Wanakipa , 5.283° S, 142.498° E, elev. 1000–1100 m a.s.l., 11–22 July 2008, forest interior and river side, coll. W. Maddison & Luc Fimo Tuki, WPM#08-008 ( UBC-SEM AR00077 ) . Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype ( UBC-SEM AR00078 ) ; 5 males and 3 females in three vials, same data as holotype ; 1 female, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Southern Highlands Province: Umgé , 5.304 –5.305 ° S, 142.510– 142.512° E, elev. 1400–1450 m a.s.l., 15–19 July 2008, coll. W. Maddison & Aislan Tama Wanakipa Indiaf, WPM#08-012 .

Etymology. Latin directus , referring to the male chelicerae projecting almost straight forward.

Diagnosis. Differs from other species by the presence of two cusps near the base of the male cheliceral fang ( Figs 10–11), the long embolus and the abruptly narrowed distal end of the retrolateral tibial apophysis of the male palp ( Figs 7–9), the large window of the epigynum ( Fig. 13), and the large and spherical spermathecae of the vulva ( Fig. 14). Female genitalia resembles that of Euophrys evae Żabka, 1981 , but can be distinguished by the narrower copulatory duct and the larger spermatheca of the vulva ( Fig. 14).

Description. Male (holotype, UBC-SEM AR00077). Carapace length 3.6 (variation 3.5–3.8, n=6); abdomen length 5.0. Chelicera ( Figs 10–11): dark red brown; elongate and extending forward; promargin with four teeth and retromargin with one big tooth; fang with two cusps near the base. Palp ( Figs 7–9): sandy yellow. Retrolateral loop of sperm duct wide, occuping about three quaters of the bulb width. Embolus coiled for about half a circle. Retrolateral tibial apophysis thick proximally and narrowed abruptly near distal end. Measurements of legs: I 13.7, II 9.0, III 10.7, IV 9.3. Color in alcohol ( Fig. 5): carapace yellow orange with indistinct gray markings; abdomen gray brown, with yellow orange speckles and yellowish stripes; legs light yellow to brown.

Female (paratype, UBC-SEM AR00078). Carapace length 2.8 (variation 2.8–3.1, n=5); abdomen length 4.9. Chelicera ( Fig. 12): with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Measurements of legs: I 6.3, II 5.7, III 7.5, IV 6.7. Epigynum ( Figs 13–14): window large with a narrow median septum; opening to copulatory duct at anterior lateral edge of the window. Copulatory duct short and slightly curved; spermatheca large and spherical. Color in alcohol ( Fig. 6): similar but lighter than that of male.

Natural history. Specimens were collected by beating forest understory vegetation.