Habrocestum benjamin, Jose & Caleb & Sudhikumar, 2024

Jose, Athira, Caleb, John T. D. & Sudhikumar, Ambalaparambil Vasu, 2024, On three species of the genus Habrocestum Simon, 1876 (Araneae: Salticidae: Hasariini) from India, Zootaxa 5448 (2), pp. 212-224 : 213-217

Habrocestum benjamin sp. nov.

Figs 1A–F , 2A–H , 3A–D , 6A–D

Type material. Holotype: ♂ (CATE 10321807a) from INDIA: Kerala: Kozhikode: Thusharagiri (11°28′20″N, 76°3′9″E, 420 m alt.), 04 May 2023, A. Jose leg., from litter, by hand . Paratype: 1♀ (CATE 10321807b), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Prof. Suresh P. Benjamin for his remarkable dedication and significant contributions to the field of arachnology. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The males of Habrocestum benjamin sp. nov. can be distinguished from the known congeners by the presence of compound terminal apophysis on the embolus. The palp is similar to H. longispinum Sankaran, Malamel, Joseph & Sebastian, 2019 in the absence of proximal lobe of tegulum and the presence of anterior median tegular lobe. However, the small, roundish, forwardly bent RTA (vs. broad, flat with finger-like projection in H. longispinum ) and the long, elongated cymbium (vs. short and triangular in H. longispinum ) with an oval, compact tegulum (roundish and saggy in H. longispinum ) distinguishes the two species ( Figs 3A–B , 6A–B vs. figs 3A–E in Sankaran et al. 2019). Females can be differentiated by the narrow epigynal pockets (vs. broad in H. longispinum ), small accessory glands (vs. large in H. longispinum ) and large multi chambered spermatheca (vs. small, single chambered in H. longispinum ) ( Figs 3C–D , 6C–D vs. figs 3G–H in Sankaran et al. 2019).

Description. Male (holotype, CATE 10321807a) ( Figs 1A–C , 2A–D , 3A–B , 6A–B ). Measurements: body length 3.88; carapace 2.12 long, 1.72 wide, height at PME 1.20; abdomen 1.76 long, 1.20 wide. Eye sizes and ocular distance: AME 0.53, ALE 0.31, PME 0.06, PLE 0.18; AME–AME 0.03, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 1.25, PME–PLE 0.36, PLE–PLE 1.08, ALE–PME 0.38, ALE–PLE 0.77; Length of chelicerae 0.66. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.21. Length of pedipalp and legs: pedipalp 2.09 (0.80, 0.36, 0.27, 0.66), I 6.94 (2.26, 1.13, 1.80, 1.09, 0.66), II 4.48 (1.48, 0.75, 1.05, 0.76, 0.44), III 4.94 (1.75, 0.59, 1.13, 1.05, 0.42), IV 4.23 (1.29, 0.47, 0.85, 1.25, 0.37). Leg formula: 1324. Leg spination: femur pld 2, II pld 1 rld 2, III do 1 pld 3, IV do 3 pld 1; patella I–II 0, III pl 1 IV do 1; tibia I plv 4 rlv 3, II pl 1 plv 2 rlv 4, III pl 3 plv 1 rl 2 rld 1, IV pl 2 rl 3 rlv 1; metatarsus I plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 pld 2 plv 2 rl 1 rld 2 rlv 1, IV pl 1 pld 2 rld 3; tarsus I–IV 0. Colouration (in alcohol): carapace orange-brown, adorned with posterolateral white stripes that extend to the dorsum; seven white patches present, one down each PME, one on inner margin of each PME, one down near each PLE, and one down the fovea. Eye field dark, covered with pale golden yellow hairs, intermixed with long black vertical hairs, purfled above AER. Anterior eyes surrounded by orange hairs; clypeus orange-brown, devoid of hairs. Chelicerae chestnut brown provided with sparse black, long hairs; endites, labium and sternum yellow brown. Abdomen hirsute with thin anterior scutum, slightly reddish, marked with nearly cordiform black patch; to the rear a deep black patch present, venter creamy yellow with olive-gray mottling. Anterior and median spinnerets creamy white, posterior spinnerets pale brown. Carapace broad, wide U-shaped, flattish, approximately twice the width of abdomen, with an abruptly truncated base. Fovea small, linear; centrally placed between PMEs. Chelicerae with two closely spaced teeth on the promargin and single bicuspid tooth on the retromargin, with one ramus reduced and blunt; endites marked by sclerotized, smooth anterior edge with reduced scopulae; absent on labium. Leg I dark with distinct long spines on femur and metatarsus; subsequent legs pale with black annulations near joints. Abdomen elliptical, narrower than prosoma. Anterior and median spinnerets are longer than posterior. Pedipalp ( Figs 3A–B , 6A–B ): femur brown at the distal end, other segments creamy yellow, distoprolateraly adorned with white hairs. Cymbium elongated and tri-oval. RTA small, roundish with a significant forward bent ( Figs 3B , 6B ). Bulbus sac-like with an anterior median tegular lobe positioned at tegular cleft; tegular ledge extends conspicuously to embolic base. Embolus short, triangular, emerging at 12 o'clock position; compound terminal apophysis present, broad, twisted dorsally ( Figs 3A , 6A ).

Female (paratype) ( Figs 1D–F , 2E–H , 3C–D , 6C–D ). Measurements: body length 3.64; carapace 1.74 long, 1.34 wide, 1.01 height; abdomen 1.90 long, 1.19 wide. Eye sizes and ocular distance: AME 0.41, ALE 0.27, PME 0.08, PLE 0.17; AME–AME 0.03, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.96, PME–PLE 0.26, PLE–PLE 0.87, ALE–PME 0.21, ALE–PLE 0.54. Length of chelicerae 0.46. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.16. Length of palp and legs: palp 1.46 (0.55, 0.22, 0.27, 0.42), I 3.54 (1.16, 0.53, 0.96, 0.47, 0.42), II 2.59 (0.84, 0.45, 0.55, 0.42, 0.33), III 3.44 (1.29, 0.49, 0.60, 0.68, 0.38), IV 3.31 (0.97, 0.52, 0.52, 0.85, 0.45). Leg formula 1342. Spination of legs: femur I 0, II pld 3, III pld 2 rld 1, IV do 2 pld 1; patella I–II 0, III–IV rl 1; tibia I plv 4 rlv 3, II pl 1 plv 2 rlv 3, III pl 1 rl 2 rlv 1, IV 0; metatarsus I plv 2 rlv 2, II plv 4 rlv 2, III pl 1 pld 2 plv 1 rl 1 rld 1 rlv 2, IV plv 2 pl 1 rlv 2; tarsus I–IV 0. Colouration (in alcohol): body form and color same as in male except for the following: carapace not exceeding width of abdomen, lateral margin not apparent in dorsal view, abdomen ovoid with median W-shaped black patch on creamy-white background. Palps pale yellow. Epigyne with a postero-median epigynal pocket. Copulatory openings present at mid-posterior region, positioned above epigynal pockets ( Figs 3C , 6C ). Copulatory ducts narrow, gently bending and moving anteriorly entering spermathecae at mid-lateral region; spermathecae moderately sclerotized, multi-chambered, anterior portion tubular and bent, with thick walls. Accessory glands present laterally. Fertilization ducts originated from anterior portion of tubular part of spermatheca ( Figs 3D , 6D ).

Natural history. Habrocestum benjamin sp. nov. was spotted in the damp leaf litter of tropical rainforest, in a slightly shaded area along the forest edge. Several females and juveniles were observed staying within retreats made on small, low-lying leaves, by folding the leaf blade.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 1. General habitus of Habrocestum swaminathan sp. nov. (A–F). A. Holotype male, dorsal view; B. Same, lateral view; C. Same, frontal view; D. Paratype female, dorsal view; E. Same lateral view; F. Same, frontal view. General habitus of Habrocestum benjamin sp. nov. (G–H). G. Holotype male, dorsal view; H. Paratype female, dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Somatic morphology of Habrocestum benjamin sp. nov. A–D. Holotype male; A. Dorsal view; B. Lateral view; C. Frontal view; D. Leg I retrolateral view. E–H. Female paratype; E. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; G. Frontal view; H. Leg 1 retrolateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, D, E); 0.5 mm (B–C, F–H).

FIGURE 3. Genital morphology of Habrocestum benjamin sp. nov. A. Left male palp, ventral view; B. Same, retrolateral view; C. Female epigyne, ventral view; D. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–D). Abbreviations: AG—accessory gland; amTL—anterior median tegular lobe; CO—copulatory opening; CTA—compound terminal apophysis; E—embolus; EP—epigynal pocket; FD—fertilization duct; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; S—spermatheca; SM—spermaphor; TL— tegular ledge.

FIGURE 6. Genital morphology of Habrocestum benjamin sp. nov. A. Left male palp, ventral view; B. Same, retrolateral view; C. Female epigyne, ventral view; D. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–D).