A new species of Steriphopus Simon, 1887 from India (Araneae: Palpimanidae, Chediminae), with the proposal of a new combination Author Sankaran, Pradeep M. 0000-0003-0884-5625 Division of Arachnology, Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin, Kerala 682 013, India pradeepmspala@rediffmail.com Author Tripathi, Rishikesh 0000-0002-9192-4609 Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Department of Zoology, Christ College, Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, Kerala 680 125, India rishikesh.tripathi14@gmail.com Author Kadam, Gautam 0000-0002-8254-1323 Division of Arachnology, Department of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin, Kerala 682 013, India gautamkadam7wild@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2024 2024-06-25 5474 1 97 100 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5474.1.10 journal article 298911 10.11646/zootaxa.5474.1.10 deb92840-5ac0-416a-b5bf-c45778322312 1175-5326 12526826 Steriphopus wangala Kadam, Tripathi & Sankaran sp. nov. Figs 1–2 Type material. Holotype ♀ ( ZSI / WGRC /I. R .INV.26757) from INDIA : Meghalaya : Baladinggre , West Garo Hills ( 25°30’28.0”N 90°17’55.5”E ; 1056 m a.s.l. ), from ground, by hand, 13.IV.2022 , leg. G. Kadam. Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, referring to the harvest festival known as ‘the 100 drums festival’ among the Garo community of Meghalaya . This festival is held in honour of Saljong, the Sun-God of fertility, marking the end of a period of toil, and indicating the beginning of the winter season. Diagnosis. The female of S . wangala sp. nov. is most similar to those of S. benjamini Zonstein & Marusik, 2023 , the only known Indian congener, as both have well developed median, unpaired scutum, and long connective stalks of grape-shaped glands with single loop, but it can be distinguished by closely spaced dot-like scuta ( vs . widely spaced), presence of stripe-like lateral scuta ( vs . absent), and medially placed and closely spaced anterior globular parts of receptacles ( vs . basolaterally placed and widely spaced) (cf. Figs 1F–H , 2A–B and Zonstein & Marusik, 2023 : figs 17, 21). Description. Female ( holotype ). Habitus and somatic structures as in Fig. 1A–E . Carapace, clypeus, sternum, mouthparts and legs scarlet red, with orange shades on legs II–IV and spinnerets; opisthosoma creamy white. Cheliceral furrow with 8–10 peg teeth; promargin lacks true tooth, retromargin with two ( Fig. 1E , arrows). Opisthosoma ovate ( Fig. 1A, C ); epigastric scutum nearly circular ( Fig. 1B ); venter with seven thin scuta lying near epigastric scutum, one pair of lateral, one pair of stripe-like and one pair of dot-like lateral, and one patch-like median, unpaired and posteriorly with pair of dot-like scuta on both sides of tracheal spiracle ( Fig. 1B ). Body length 7.36. Carapace 2.66 long, 2.09 wide. Opisthosoma 4.69 long, 3.08 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.07, AME 0.13, PLE 0.08, PME 0.08; AME–ALE 0.14, AME–AME 0.12, AME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.19, PME–PME 0.18. Clypeus height at ALEs 0.48, at AMEs 0.47. Chelicerae 1.06 long. Measurements of palp and legs: palp 1.61 [0.50, 0.19, 0.38, 0.54], I 6.42 [2.02, 1.63, 1.31, 0.70, 0.76], II 5.88 [1.75, 0.89, 1.62, 0.93, 0.69], III 5.00 [1.63, 0.69, 1.15, 1.05, 0.48], IV 8.38 [2.24, 0.94, 1.73, 1.78, 1.69]. Copulatory organs as in Figs 1F–H , 2A–B . Epigastric scutum moderately sclerotised, with internally thick posterior edge having median concavity ( Figs 1F–G , 2A ). Median transverse plate (MTP) of epigastric scutum sclerotised, remained internal to epigastric scutum ( Fig. 2B ). Receptacles (Re) long, sclerotised, spiralled remained contiguous posteriorly, whereas medially placed blunt anterior parts lying close to each other, but not contiguous ( Figs 1H , 2B ). Grape-shaped glands (GG) lying adjacent to anterior parts, with long thread-like twisted connective stalks ( Figs 1H , 2B ). Male . Unknown. Distribution. Known only from the type locality. Note. With the description of this species, the known palpimanid fauna in India is increased from seven to eight species belonging to four genera ( Tripathi et al. 2023 ; Zonstein & Marusik 2023 ).