Additions to the knowledge on the genus Phintella Strand, 1906 (Araneae, Salticidae, Chrysillini) from India Author Sudhin, Puthoor Pattammal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0325-3981 Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata - 700053, West Bengal, India Author Caleb, John T. D. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9471-9467 Department of Anatomy, Saveetha Medical College & Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India Author Sen, Souvik https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7149-5376 Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata - 700053, West Bengal, India sensouvik07@gmail.com text Zoosystematics and Evolution 2024 2024-01-26 100 1 31 48 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.113049 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.113049 1860-0743-1-31 486B29D088E9465BB70F96FF3CBEDD26 05559329DAE15BAC93F95252A0052FAD Phintella luna Sudhin, Sen & Caleb sp. nov. Figs 5A-E , 6A, B , 14 Phintella vittata Tyagi et al., 2019 : supplement, figs S3.29-30 (♀ misidentified). Type material. Holotype ♀. INDIA: West Bengal, Nadia District, Kalyani, 22°59'6.54"N , 88°26'0.06"E , 17.ix.1969, D. Sinharny coll. (NZC-ZSI-6559/18); Paratype : 1♀, Andhra Pradesh, East Godavari District, Kittukuru, 17°19'16.5"N , 82°2'26.55"E , 05.xii.2021, D. Jaiswal coll. (NZC-ZSI-8374/18). Diagnosis. P. luna sp. nov. is similar to Phintella vittata (C.L. Koch, 1846) in having the similar body colour patterns and female genitalia with well-developed epigynal scape and rounded spermathecae, but it can be distinguished by the following characters: epigyne with straight anterior epigynal border (arched in P. vittata ); copulatory ducts gently curved, U-shaped and relatively longer (straight, converging posteriorly, V-shaped in P. vittata ) (cf. Figs 5D , 6A with Figs 12G , 13C ). Description. Female (Holotype, NZC-ZSI-6559/18) (Figs 5A-E , 6A, B ): Measurements: body length 2.92; carapace length 1.24, width 1.07; abdomen length 1.60, width 1.25. Ocular area length 0.82, width 0.94. Eye diameters: AME 0.35, ALE 0.18, PME 0.03, PLE 0.16. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.02, ALE-AME 0.02, ALE-ALE 0.73, ALE-PLE 0.37, PLE-PLE 0.77, PME-PME 0.81, PME-PLE 0.17. Clypeus height 0.06. Length of chelicera 0.43. Measurement of palp and legs: palp 1.18 [0.43, 0.15, 0.20, 0.40], leg I 2.37 [0.76, 0.34, 0.55, 0.44, 0.28], II 2.13 [0.76, 0.23, 0.52, 0.36, 0.26], III 2.77 [0.89, 0.30, 0.60, 0.67, 0.31], IV 3.23 [1.02, 0.32, 0.75, 0.78, 0.36]. Leg formula: 4312. Leg setation: femur I-IV pl 1 rldo 3; patella III-IV rl 1; tibia I pl 1 plv 3 rlv 3, II pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 III pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 1, IV pl 1 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1; metatarsus I pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III-IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1. Carapace oval, sloping posteriorly, light yellowish-brown, with few black patches and stripes (Fig. 5A ); eye bases black (Fig. 5A ), anterior eyes surrounded by pale white setae. Clypeus low, light yellowish-brown. Chelicerae small, vertical, yellow-brown, promargin with two teeth and retromargin with a single tooth. Endites pale yellow, scopulate, margins with narrow reddish-brown lines (Fig. 5B ). Labium pale yellow, distally with few light brown setae (Fig. 5B ). Sternum yellowish-brown, with pale yellow posterior sides (Fig. 5B ). Abdomen oval, pale yellow with light brown anterior region, medially with a dark brown transverse band and posterior tip with a dark brown patch (Fig. 5A ). Venter pale yellow without any prominent markings (Fig. 5B ). Legs pale yellow. Epigyne nearly round, moderately sclerotised, posterior region with well-developed epigynal scape (Figs 5D , 6A ); copulatory openings small, widely separated from each other, situated antero-laterally (Figs 5D , 6A ); copulatory ducts comparatively long, gently curved and connected to anterior region of spermathecae (Figs 5D , 6A ); spermathecae nearly round, separated from each other (Figs 5E , 6B ); fertilisation duct long, orientated laterally, located at anterior region of spermathecae (Figs 5E , 6B ). Figure 5. Phintella luna sp. nov. A. Female, dorsal view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Same, lateral view; D. Female epigyne, ventral view; E. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm ( A-C ); 0.2 mm ( D-E ). Male. Unknown. Etymology. The specific epithet is noun in apposition, referring to the curved, crescent-like copulatory ducts ( 'luna' in Latin for the moon). We also take this occasion to mark the successful landing of the spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 close to the South Pole of the moon for the first time during the third Indian lunar expedition. Distribution. India: West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat ( Tyagi et al. 2019 ) (Fig. 14 ). Remarks. A specimen previously identified as P. vittata from Gujarat ( Tyagi et al. 2019 ) has been listed here as belonging to this species. The epigyne of this specimen has a longitudinal groove on the ventral surface, present at the mid-line just below the spermathecae. The spermathecae are also comparatively wider than the type illustrated here. The scape is similar to that of the holotype of Salticus ranjitus Tikader, 1967 (a synonym of Phintella vittata ) (cf. fig. S3.29 in Tyagi et al. (2019) with Fig. 13C herein).