Lysania prolixus Malamel, Sankaran, Joseph & Sebastian, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Malamel, Jobi J.
name: Sankaran, Pradeep M.
name: Joseph, Mathew M.
name: Sebastian, Pothalil A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Lycosidae
Lysania
Lysania prolixus

description: Lysania prolixus sp. nov.
(Figs 1A–L, 2A–H)
Type material. Holotype: Male (ADSH 510162): India, Kerala, Ernakulam, Cherukadu (10o08'22''N, 76o40'02''E) in Bhoothathankettu Forest Reserve, 37 m. alt., 6 November 2013, Pradeep M. S. leg. by hand; Paratypes: 2 females (ADSH 510262), same data as holotype; 1 female (ADSH 510362): India, Kerala, Ernakulam, Illithodu (10o11'56''N, 76o33'01''E) in Malayatoor, 25 m alt., 25 February 2014, Pradeep M. S. leg. by hand.
Diagnosis. The male of L. prolixus sp. nov. can be separated from all other described congeners (except L. sabahensis, which is unknown) by the presence of an elongated embolus (Figs 1F, 2C), (which is very short in L. deangia (Li et al. 2013, fig 1A) and in L. pygmaea, it is long (Li et al. 2013, fig 3A), but shorter than that of L. prolixus sp. nov.) and a stout spine-like terminal apophysis situated below the distal half of the embolus (Figs 1G, 2D) (which is not reported in both L. deangia and L. pygmaea). Females can be recognised by very long, coiled copulatory ducts (Fig 2F) (in L. deangia and L. pygmaea, the copulatory ducts are straight (Li et al. 2013, figs 1D, 3D)) and the widely elongated median plate (Fig 2E) (in both L. deangia and L. pygmaea, it is W-shaped (Li et al. 2013, figs 1C, 3C) and in L. sabahensis, it is squarish (Lehtinen & Hippa 1979, fig 55)).
Description. Male (holotype, figs 1A–C): Prosoma uniformly yellowish-brown, except for a light posterior stripe behind fovea. Fovea longitudinal (0.23), reddish-brown. Eye field black; AER slightly recurved; PER strongly recurved (Fig 2H). Opisthosoma yellowish-green, hirsute; dorsally and laterally provided with numerous small chalk-white spots, mid-dorsally with 7 short straw-coloured transverse bands bordered on each side by longitudinal chalk-white bands and large spots; venter yellowish. Clypeus and chelicerae yellowish-brown. Cheliceral pro- and retromargins with three teeth each; 2nd promarginal tooth largest. Sternum, maxillae and labium yellowish; maxillae and labium without scopulae. Spinnerets yellowish. Legs yellowish with inconspicuous light annulations; all leg and pedipalp patellae disto-dorsally with a long spine.
Body length 3.52. Prosoma length 1.79, width 1.27, thickness 0.69. Opisthosoma length 1.73, width 0.99, thickness 0.92. Eyes diameter: AME 0.08. ALE 0.05. PME 0.13. PLE 0.10. Eye interdistance: AME–AME 0.02. PME–PME 0.06. AME–ALE 0.03. PME–PLE 0.06. AME–PME 0.05. PLE–PLE 0.21. Clypeus height at AME 0.08, at ALE 0.09. Chelicera length 0.75. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 2.32 [0.77, 0.35, 0.45, 0.75], I 7.44 [1.97, 0.73, 1.83, 1.76, 1.15], II 6.70 [1.81, 0.67, 1.54, 1.63, 1.05], III 5.73 [1.66, 0.43, 1.14, 1.53, 0.97], IV 8.98 [2.29, 0.63, 2.19, 2.69, 1.18]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination. Palp: femur 1300, patella 0 200, tibia 0 120, tarsus 0002; legs: femur I 1310 (right 0310), II–IV 1310; patellae I–IV 0200; tibia I 0 204 (right 0104), II 0 212, III 1313 (right 1213), IV 2214; metatarsus I 0 0 0 6, II 1005, III 4033 (right 4043), IV 5033 (right 5043); tarsi I–IV 0 0 0 0.
Copulatory organ (Figs 1D–G, 2A–D): Palpal segments stout, yellowish-brown; cymbium disto-ventrally with a pair of spines (Figs 1F, 2C). Subtegulum small (Figs 1E–F, 2B–C). Embolus long (Fig 1F, 2C), originating distally from the bulb (Figs 1E, 2B–C); median part lies behind the anterior margin of tegulum (Fig 2C); tip of embolus thin, directed at 11 o’clock position (Figs 1F, 2C). Conductor wide and membranous (Fig 2C). Lateral apophysis originates prolateromedially from the tegulum (Figs 1F, 2C), with a broad base, while its tip narrow, hook-like (Figs 1F, 2C). Terminal apophysis short, stout spine-like situated behind the distal half of the embolus (Figs 1G, 2D), with a pointed tip directed at 1 o’clock position (Figs 1G, 2D).
Female (Paratype, Figs 1H–J, 2H): Prosoma uniformly yellowish-brown, except for three light stripes, two anterolaterally to and one behind the fovea. Fovea longitudinal (0.25), reddish-brown. Eye field black; AER slightly recurved; PER strongly recurved (Fig 2H). Opisthosoma yellowish-green, hirsute; dorsally and laterally provided with numerous small chalk-white spots, mid-dorsally with 7 short straw-coloured transverse bands bordered on each side by longitudinal chalk-white bands and large spots; venter yellowish. Clypeus, chelicerae, sternum, maxillae and labium yellowishbrown. Cheliceral pro- and retromargins with three teeth each; 2nd promarginal tooth largest. Maxillae and labium without scopulae. Spinnerets, palpal segments yellowish. Legs yellowish with conspicuous light greenish-black annulations; all leg and pedipalp patellae disto-dorsally with a long spine.
Body length 3.58. Prosoma length 1.62, width 1.08, thickness 0.72. Opisthosoma length 1.96, width 1.32, thickness 1.37. Eyes diameter: AME 0.07. ALE 0.03. PME 0.14. PLE 0.11. Eye interdistance: AME–AME 0.01. PME–PME 0.08. AME–ALE 0.03. PME–PLE 0.07. AME–PME 0.05. PLE–PLE 0.29. Clypeus height at AME 0.07, at ALE 0.06. Chelicera length 0.64. Measurements of pedipalp and legs: Palp 1.86 [0.65, 0.29, 0.41, 0.51], I 5.50 [1.53, 0.57, 1.36, 1.22, 0.82], II 4.70 [1.33, 0.48, 1.10, 1.04, 0.75], III 4.49 [1.28, 0.43, 1.01, 1.12, 0.65], IV 6.89 [1.80, 0.50, 1.68, 1.93, 0.98]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination. Palp: femur 1300, patella 0 200, tibia 2100, tarsus 1012; legs: femora I–II 1300, III 1310, IV 1310 (right 2310); patellae I–IV 0200; tibia I 0 204, II 2202, III 2123 (right 2124), IV 2124; metatarsus I 0 0 0 6, II 2013, III 4033, IV 4043; tarsi I–IV 0 0 0 0.
Copulatory organ (Figs 1K–L, 2E–F, 2G): Median plate broad, hirsute with slightly convex posterior border (Figs 1K, 2E). Copulatory openings lie postero-laterally to the median plate (Figs 1K, 2E).Copulatory ducts long, coiled with small, ovate spermathecal heads (Figs 1L, 2F).
Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective and is derived from the elongated embolus: Latin prolixus = long. Gender feminine.
Distribution. At present known only from Kerala, India and representing the first records of the genus Lysania from the Indian subcontinent.
Natural history. Both male and females of L. prolixus sp. nov. were collected from small sheet-webs constructed near the ground.
Notes. Li et al. (2013) suggested the presence of metallic luster on the dorsal opisthosoma of male Lysania species as a diagnostic feature for the genus. However, the male of L. prolixus sp. nov. has no such feature on its dorsal opisthosoma. Instead, it is simply covered with black hairs.
We considered both Lysania and Zoica Simon, 1898 as genera for this new species, however, it best fits the generic characters of the genus Lysania proposed by Lehtinen & Hippa (1979) and Li et al. (2013): opisthosoma dorsally and laterally with a pattern of yellowish-white spots and bands (see figs 1A, 1C, 1H, 1J); legs with annulations (see figs 1A, 1H); beak-like lateral apophysis (see figs 1F, 2C) (in Zoica, this kind of modification is absent); wider conductor (see fig 2C); spine-like embolus having distal origin (see figs 1F, 2C); long copulatory ducts (here it is coiled) (see fig 2F). In Zoica, the copulatory ducts are reduced in length (see Li et al. 2013); moreover, the specimens (both male and females) were collected from small sheet webs, which are apparently absent in members of a vagrant genus like Zoica.
description: Published as part of Malamel, Jobi J., Sankaran, Pradeep M., Joseph, Mathew M. & Sebastian, Pothalil A., 2015, First record of the wolf spider genus Lysania Thorell, 1890 from India with the description of a new species (Araneae: Lycosidae: Zoicinae), pp. 293-297 in Zootaxa 3904 (2) on pages 294-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3904.2.8, http://zenodo.org/record/244764