Epidius parvati sp.n., a new species of the genus Epidius from Sri Lanka (Araneae: Thomisidae)

5 Pages·2000·0.31 MB·English

by  Benjamin, S P

284 Bull.Br.arachnol.Soc.(2000)11(7),284–288
Epidius parvati sp. n., a new species of the genus Museum, University of Turku. Standard abbreviations
Epidius from Sri Lanka (Araneae: Thomisidae) follow Schick (1965) and Ono (1988): ALE=anterior
lateral eyes, AME=anterior median eyes, AME-
Suresh P. Benjamin ALE=distance between AME and ALE, AME-
InstituteofZoologyandLimnology, AME=distance between AME, MOA=median ocular
UniversityofInnsbruck, area, MOA-L=length of MOA, MOA-WA=anterior
Technikerstrasse25, width of MOA, MOA-WP=posterior width of MOA,
A-6020Innsbruck,Austria*
PLE=posterior lateral eyes, PME=posterior median
eyes, PME-PLE=distance between PME and PLE,
Summary PME-PME=distance between PME, RTA=retrolateral
tibial apophysis of male palp, VTA=ventral tibial
Epidius parvati, a new species of the crab spider genus
apophysis of male palp.
EpidiusThorell,1877fromSriLankaisdescribedfromboth
sexes. Epidius possesses characters unusual in the well-
known Holarctic Thomisidae, e.g. a tegular structure that
functionsasaconductor.Epidiusseemstobecloselyrelated Epidius parvati sp. n. (Figs. 1–23)
tothegeneraCupaStrand,1906(sensuSong&Kim,1992)
and Sanmenia Song & Kim, 1992. The genus Epidius is
Materialexamined: Holotype(cid:1),SriLanka,Western
knownfromtheOrientalandAfricanregions.
Province,Colombo,Bellanwila-Attidiya(approximately
6(cid:2)50(cid:3)N,79(cid:2)54(cid:3)E),meanelevation0.6m,14August1996,
Introduction depositedinAMNH.Paratypes,samelocality:2(cid:1)3(cid:4),22
The crab spider genus Epidius, established by Thorell February 1998; 1(cid:4), 24 February 1998; 4(cid:1) 3(cid:4), 8 March
(1877)formaterialcollectedinCelebes(Sulawesi),isone 1998;1(cid:1)3(cid:4),22March1998.Allleg.S.P.Benjaminand
of the least known taxa of Thomisidae. These spiders D. A. Benjamin. Paratypes will be deposited in CAS,
occur in the tropics of the Old World and consist of 8 NMW, ZMUC, ZMUT and in the author’s private
speciesand1subspecies(Roewer,1955:755–756),albeit collection.
of unclear taxonomic validity (P. T. Lehtinen, pers. All specimens were collected by beating shrubs and
comm.).Noadditionalspecieshavebeendescribedsince flowering plants up to a height of c. 1m, along the
1943 (Brignoli, 1983; Platnick, 1989, 1993, 1997). The BolgodacanaloutsidetheboundariesoftheBellanwila-
type species of this genus, E. longipalpis Thorell, 1877 Attidiya sanctuary. This protected area comprises
wasfirstmentionedfor‘‘Ins.Taprobane’’(SriLanka)by shrubs and small trees scattered around shallow ponds,
Simon (1897). Recently new specimens of Epidius sp. marshes and seasonally flooded grassland. This marsh-
werecollectedthereontheboundariesoftheBellanwila- land is a residual fragment of the once extensive marsh
Attidiya marshes, Colombo, a wetland of regional around Colombo. Vegetation is considered character-
importance (Benthem & Jeanes, 1993). They proved to isticforthewetlandsoftheregionwithamoderatelevel
be a new species, and are described here as Epidius of salinity (Benthem & Jeanes, 1993).
parvati sp. n. Etymology: Noun in apposition. Named after the
The genus Epidius possesses characters unusual for Hindu goddess Parvati.
Thomisidae, e.g. a tegular structure that functions as a Genericidentification: TaxonomicworkonEpidiusis
conductor and a single tibial apophysis. The detailed limited. Apart from E. binotatus Simon, 1897, no other
studyofthemalepalpofE.parvatisp.n.isthereforeof species have been studied in detail. Somatic and palpal
considerable interest. characters given by various authors (Simon, 1897;
Badcock, 1918; Lessert, 1930; Millot, 1941) agree well
with the specimens from Bellanwila-Attidiya. In
Methods
addition Millot (1941: fig. 30 A–E) gives illustrations of
Structures were examined in temporary mounts habitus, cheliceral dentition and palp for E. binotatus
embeddedinglycerine.Vulvaewereclearedwithtrypsin from West Africa, which enable correct generic place-
(0.1%trypsin,0.1%CaCl ,in0.05Mtris-buffer,pH7.6). ment. This is confirmed by illustrations and description
2
All drawings were made with Nikon Labophot-2 of the palp of E. longipalpis in Badcock (1918). Cupa
and Nikon SMZ-U microscopes with drawing tube. gongi Song & Kim, 1992 from China is very similar to
Structures examined by SEM (ZEISS DSM 950) Epidiusparvatisp.n.inpalpalandvulvalstructuresbut
were cleaned ultrasonically and critical-point dried. differs in details of the embolus and conductor (Song &
Measurements are in mm. Kim, 1992: figs. 6, 7; cf. Figs. 1–3, 10). In the genus
Abbreviations: AMNH=American Museum of SanmeniaSong&Kim,1992,thepalpalfemurandtibia
NaturalHistory,NewYork;CAS=CaliforniaAcademy are not elongated.
of Sciences, San Francisco; NMW=Naturhistorisches Diagnosis: E. parvati sp. n. differs from E. longipalpis
Museum, Wien; ZMUC=Zoological Museum, by the shape and length of the tegular apophysis. The
University of Copenhagen; ZMUT=Zoological embolus of E. parvati sp. n. is bifurcate, but much
simpler than in E. longipalpis. In E. longipalpis the tip
of the conductor is wider and rounder, and its furrow
*Present address: Section Conservation Biology (NLU), Dept. of
smoother than in E. parvati sp. n. (P. T. Lehtinen, pers.
Integrative Biology, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10,
CH-4056Basel,Switzerland. comm.).
S.P.Benjamin 285
Description: Male: Totallength3.9;prosomalength dorsal folium. Some individuals with irregular reddish
1.7,width1.6;opisthosomalength2.1,width1.5.LegI: brown markings on legs I and II. Prosoma with sparse
femur 3.0, patella 0.6, tibia 3.3, metatarsus 3.0, tarsus hairs,headnarrow,withsetae,posteriorrowofeyesre-
1.0. Markings of specimen in alcohol: Fig. 14. Prosoma curved, wider than anterior row. Eyes without tubercles
light yellow, without prominent markings or con- (Fig. 11), surrounded by dark rings. ALE(cid:1)PLE>
spicuous setae. Opisthosoma light yellow, dorsally with PME>AME, AME-ALE 0.05, AME-AME 0.05,
inconspicuous white spots and occasionally brown PME-PLE 0.1, PME-PME 0.1, MOA-L 0.3, MOA-WA
spots, prominent setae absent. Living specimens: pro- 0.2, MOA-WP 0.3. Chelicera with conspicuous fringe
somalightgreen,opisthosomadarkerwithgreen-yellow of hairs along promargin, with three and two teeth on
Figs.1–6: Epidiusparvatisp.n.,male(1–3),female(4–6).1Leftpalp,mesalview;2Ditto,ventralview;3Ditto,ectalview;4Epigyne,ventralview;
5Vulva,ventralview;6Ditto,dorsalview.Abbreviations:C=conductor,CO=copulatoryopening,E=embolus,FD=fertilisationduct.
Scalelines=0.1mm(5,6),0.2mm(4),0.3mm(1,2,3).
286 Epidiusparvatisp.n.fromSriLanka
Figs.7–14: Epidiusparvatisp.n.,male(7–11,13–14),female(12).7Rightpalpaltibia,ectalview;8Cheliceraeandlabium,aboralview;9Right
palp,mesalview;10Rightpalpwithmacrosetae,ventralview;11Oculararea,frontalview;12Female,habitus,dorsalview;13Male
habitus,lateralview;14Ditto,dorsalview.Abbreviations:MS=macrosetae,S=longseta.Scalelines=0.2mm(10),1.0mm(7,8,9,11),
2.0mm(12,13,14).
S.P.Benjamin 287
Figs.15–23: Epidiusparvatisp.n.,SEMmicrographsofrightmalepalp(15–20,22,23)andlegI(21).15Embolus;16Ditto,detail;17Conductor;
18Ditto,detail;19VTA(15–19allventralview);20Chemosensitivehairsondistalpartofcymbium;21Tipoftarsus,withcircular
cross-sectionscopulahairsoflegI;22Trichobothriumbase,palpaltibia;23Setabase,palpaltibia.Abbreviation:MS=macrosetae.
Scalelines=0.02mm(17,19,23),0.01mm(15,18),0.005mm(20,22),0.002mm(16,21).
pro- and retromargin of fang furrow respectively Palp (Figs. 1–3, 7, 9, 10, 15–20): Femur and tibia
(Fig. 8). Labium as in Fig. 8. Leg formula 1243, Femur characteristically elongated, femur as long as tibia,
I with 4 dorsal pairs of spines, 2 prolateral and 2 c.1.6, with well developed spines (Figs. 7, 9). Patella
apical spines, tibia I with 4 pairs of dorsal and dorsallywithtwospines.Anteriormarginoftibiawith4
3 prolateral spines, metatarsus I with dorsal pair and stiff ventral bristles, pointing forward, almost reaching
2 prolateral spines. Scopula hairs as in Fig. 21. base of tegular apophysis, and a long fine seta ectally
288 Epidiusparvatisp.n.fromSriLanka
(Fig. 10). Pattern of trichobothria as in Figs. 7, 9. VTA A detailed study of Oriental Thomisidae, currently
transparent, hardly discernible (Figs. 10, 19), tutaculum being conducted by Dr P. T. Lehtinen, will probably
absent, i.e. lateral margin of cymbium without a modi- provideanalternativeclassificationforthisgroup(P.T.
fication which guides the embolus. Bulbus ovoid, Lehtinen, pers. comm.).
conductor with sharp end pointing ectally and distal
furrow (Figs. 2, 3, 17, 18). Embolus bifurcate (Figs. 2,
Acknowledgements
10, 15).
Female: Total length 4.7; prosoma length 1.8, width I am grateful to Dr K. Thaler for literature and
1.5;opisthosomalength2.8,width2.3.LegI:femur2.5, discussion. I thank Dr P. T. Lehtinen (Turku) for
patella 0.7, tibia 2.6, metatarsus 2.0, tarsus 0.9. Color- comparing specimens of E. parvati with E. longipalpis
ation as in male (Fig. 12). Posterior eye row recurved, and for his comments on the manuscript. Mr D.
wider than anterior row. Eyes without tubercles. Leg Benjamin (University of Colombo, Sri Lanka) is
spination as in male. ALE(cid:1)PLE>PME>AME, AME- thanked for accompanying me on collecting trips to the
ALE0.05,AME-AME0.05,PME-PLE0.1,PME-PME study area and collecting some material, and Mr A. H.
0.1, MOA-L 0.3, MOA-WA 0.2, MOA-WP 0.3. Sumanasena (Department of Wild Life Conservation,
Epigynum and vulva (Figs. 4–6): Epigynum without Colombo) for help and for providing research permits.
hood, with distinct sclerotised margin. Intromittent Thanks are also due to Mr K. Eller, K. Schatz and
ducts running from lateral corners of epigynal mar- W. Salvenmoser for their help with the SEM and
gin posteriorly to sclerotised receptacula. Copulatory for photographic work. Also thanked are Drs P.
openings and fertilisation ducts as in Fig. 6. Schwendinger and A. Tadler (Innsbruck) for various
Distribution: Known only from the type locality. support.
TherecordofE.longipalpismentionedforSriLankaby
Simon (1897) might refer to E. parvati sp. n.
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Discussion
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