Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 February 2022 | 14(2): 20625–20630

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6913.14.2.20625-20630

#6913 | Received 20 November 2020 | Final received 13 January 2022 | Finally accepted 25 January 2022

First record of Prosoponoides Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992 (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from India, with the description of a new species

Anusmitha Domichan¹& K. Sunil Jose²

¹Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Kochi, Kerala 682013, India.

²Department of Zoology, Deva Matha College, Kuravilangad, Kottayam, Kerala 686633, India.

¹anusmithadomichan8@gmail.com (corresponding author), ²sunil32@gmail.com

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3D42B1EC-2F4B-4156-ABBE-824163BB3F10

Editor: John T.D. Caleb, ERI, Loyola College, Chennai, India. Date of publication: 26 February 2022 (online & print)

Citation: Domichan, A. & K.S. Jose (2022). First record of Prosoponoides Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992 (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from India, with the description of a new species. Journal of Threatened Taxa 14(2): 20625–20630. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6013.14.2.20625-20630

Copyright: © Domichan & Jose 2022. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.

Funding: CSIR,New Delhi & SERB, New Delhi.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Acknowledgements: The authors sincerely acknowledge the encouragement and support of the principal, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Kochi. The authors also thank the principal, Deva Matha College, Kuravilangad, Kottayam for lab facilities. The chief wildlife warden, Department of Forests, Kerala, is thanked for collection permit. Financial assistance for Anusmitha Domichan from CSIR (08/469(008)-2019-EMR-I) and for Sunil Jose from SERB (CRG/2018/004708) is gratefully acknowledged. We are grateful to the suggestions and comments of the two anonymous reviewers which helped improve the manuscript substantially.

Abstract: The genus Prosoponoides Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992, is reported for the first time from India. A new species, Prosoponoides idukkiensis sp. nov., is described from the Western Ghats of Kerala. Distally pointed paracymbium, the structure of parmula, arrangement of coils of copulatory duct, and position of spermatheca are the features that differentiate P. idukkiensis sp. nov. from its congeners. Description, illustrations, and distribution map are provided.

Keywords: Distribution, Kerala, Idukki, taxonomy, Western Ghats.

A total of 94 linyphiid species belonging to 39 genera have been reported in India so far (Sharma et al. 2020). Millidge & Russell-Smith established Prosoponoides in 1992 under the subfamily Linyphiinae Blackwall, 1859 with the type species, Prosoponoides hamatum Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992. Prosoponoides comprises of six species, namely: P. hamatum Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992, P. kaharianum Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992, P. simile Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992, P. sinense Chen, 1991, P. jambi Tanasevitch, 2017, and P. youyiensis Liu & Chen, 2020 (WSC 2022). The genus is endemic to Asia, with its distribution in China, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia (WSC 2022). The current study deals with the report of Prosoponoides from India with the discovery of a new species.

Materials and Methods

A study on linyphiids in central Kerala was conducted from January 2020 to October 2021. Specimens were hand collected from various sites and were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol. The specimens were examined using a compound microscope and a Leica SAPO Automontage stereozoom microscope. Microphotographs were captured with Flexacam–C1 and processed with Leica Application Suite X (Las X) software. Leg and palp measurements are given in the following order: total (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus (except palp), and tarsus). Female epigyne was cleared by boiling in 10% KOH for five minutes. All measurements are in millimeters. The distribution map was prepared using an online tool available at https://mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org/. The type specimens are deposited in the Arachnology Lab, Deva Matha College, Kuravilangad, Kottayam, Kerala. The terminology used follows Liu et al. (2020).

Taxonomy

Family Linyphiidae Blackwall, 1859

Genus Prosoponoides Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992

Type species: Prosoponoides hamatum Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992

Diagnosis: Males of Prosoponoides have a small paracymbium, filiform embolus and also a second membrane which is situated on the lamella. Female epigynum possess atrium with a septum, a highly cuticularized parmula (Li et al. 2018) and a bold projecting scape/socket posteriorly (Millidge & Russell-Smith 1992).

Prosoponoides idukkiensis sp. nov.

(Images 1–11; Figures 1–4)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FAE465EB-B07F-4A8C-8D8A-6EDF419052ED

Material examined: Holotype: DMCKLIN023, male, 20.xi.2020, Munnar (10.085°N, 77.058°E), Idukki, Kerala, India, coll. A. Domichan.

Paratypes: DMCKLIN003, female, 30.i.2020, Idukki (9.909°N, 76.918°E), Kerala, India, coll. A. Domichan; DMCKLIN080, male & DMCKLIN027, female, 24.iv.2021, Cherthala (9.652°N, 76.318°E), Alappuzha, Kerala, India, coll. A. Domichan; (DMCKLIN084, male & DMCKLIN018, female, 20.vii.2021, Mailadumpara (9.889°N, 77.155°E), Idukki, Kerala, India, coll. A. Domichan; DMCKLIN079, DMCKLIN082, DMCKLIN085, 3 males, 03.x.2021, Ponkunnam (9.575°N, 76.760°E), Kottayam, Kerala, India, coll. A. Domichan.

Etymology: The species is named after the district ‘Idukki’ in Kerala, which is the type locality.

Diagnosis: The males of P. idukkiensis sp. nov. can be distinguished by the distally pointed paracymbium, anterior part of paracymbium which is positioned upward and posterior tip which is not arched (arched in P. hamatum Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992 and P. youyiensis Liu & Chen, 2020 (Liu & Chen 2020)); suprategular apophysis not curved (curved in P. hamatum). The structure of tegulum and subtegulum is similar to that of P. youyiensis but is different in the shape of the lamella; lateral side of lamella narrow (broad in P. hamatum and P. youyiensis); the U–shaped curve between lateral and anterior ends of lamella found in P. hamatum, P. simile Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992, P. sinense Chen, 1991, and P. youyiensis is absent in P. idukkiensis sp. nov.

The females of P. idukkiensis sp. nov. possess copulatory ducts with one and a half coils as in P. hamatum and P. youyiensis (P. sinense has two-and-a-half coils); parmula with a shallow depression at the centre (deep in P. hamatum), the depression wider than long and semicircular as in P. sinense (tongue-shaped in P. hamatum and as wide as long in P. youyiensis); spermathecae located medially as in P. youyiensis (lateral in P. hamatum).

Description: Male: total length-: 2.38. Cephalothorax length: 1.08, width: 0.71. Abdomen length: 1.29, width: 0.82. Chelicerae length 0.52. Eye interdistances: AME–ALE 0.05, AME–AME 0.03, PME–PLE 0.10, PME–PME 0.04. Eye diameter (PME) 0.08. Measurements of legs and palp: I 4.88 (0.93 + 0.17 + 0.87 + 0.68 + 0.23), II 4.38 (1.24 + 0.26 + 1.06 + 1.32 + 0.5), III 1.75 (0.64 + 0.14 + 0.34 + 0.43 + 0.2), IV 4.04 (1.17 + 0.27 + 0.86 + 1.29 + 0.45), palp 1.53 (0.45 + 0.35 + 0.39 + 0.34).

Cephalothorax yellowish-brown. Ocular area raised with long hairs. Eyes heterogeneous. White eyes placed in black rings; ALEs and PLEs juxtaposed. Stridulatory ridges not visible on lateral sides of chelicerae. Chelicerae with three promarginal teeth and two retromarginal teeth. Legs yellowish-brown with spines and short hairs. Leg formula 1243. Sternum blackish, heart-shaped (Image 2). Abdomen elongated oval, with white dorsal portion and black medial portion, postero-lateral half with pairs of dark brown spots (Image 1). Palp: anterior tip of paracymbium pointed, directed upwards; embolus and DSA elevated above cymbium; embolus long, originating near base of cymbium; pointed tip of DSA extends upwards; tegulum wide, bulges medially on ventral side; subtegulum bulges medially, with a pointed thin tip that curves anteriad; radix small, gradually narrows medially, like a minor constriction; lamella well-developed, thin and narrow, lateral side projecting apically with pointed tip, anterior portion small without projection, posterior portion narrow and pointed (Images 5–7, Figures 1–2).

Female: total length: 2.55. Cephalothorax length: 1.2, width: 0.84. Abdomen length: 1.33, width: 0.91. Chelicerae length 0.46. Eye interdistances: AME–ALE 0.05, AME–AME 0.04, PME–PLE 0.05, PME–PME 0.06. Eye diameter (PME): 0.04. Measurements of legs and palp: I 2.69 (0.99 + 0.24 + 0.93 + 0.28 + 0.25), II 2.31 (1.06 + 0.19 + 0.42 + 0.38 + 0.26), III 1.35 (0.43 + 0.16 + 0.36 + 0.23 + 0.17), IV 2.06 (1 + 0.22 + 0.25 + 0.36 + 0.23), palp 0.75 (0.29 + 0.13 + 0.19 + 0.14).

Cephalothorax brownish. Ocular region dark brown, V-shaped. Eyes heterogenous; anterior row recurved and posterior row procurved. ALEs and PLEs juxtaposed. Legs yellowish-brown. Leg formula 1243. Tarsus of palp orangish with many long black spines. Sternum dark brownish, heart-shaped (Image 4). Chelicerae dark brownish with three promarginal teeth and two retromarginal teeth. Abdomen brownish with white markings; brown patches present on either side postero-medially (Image 3). Epigynal atrium semi-elliptical, separated by a short septum, arises from dorsal wall; parmula semicircular, wider than long, with a shallow, wide depression at centre; scape shallow; copulatory ducts starts from the openings of atrium with one and a half coils; fertilisation ducts run downwards from spermathecae (Images 8–11, Figures 3–4).

Distribution: India (Kerala) (Image 12).

For figures & images - - click here

References

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Li, J.Y., J. Liu & J. Chen (2018). A review of some Neriene spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from China. Zootaxa 4513(1): 1–90.

Liu J, Q. Chen, Y. Zhong & J. Chen (2020). The spider genus Prosoponoides (Araneae: Linyphiidae) in China. Zootaxa 4786(1): 023–036.

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