Wadicosa ghatica Kronestedt 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kronestedt, Torbjörn
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Lycosidae
Wadicosa
Wadicosa ghatica

description: Wadicosa ghatica sp. nov.
Figs 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15–16
Type material. Holotype ♂ from INDIA. Karnataka: Jog Falls (14°14’N 74°50’E), 20–22 January 1990 (V. & B. Roth, CASENT 9071571).— Paratypes. INDIA, same collection data as holotype (CASENT 9043828), 1♂ 1♀. Kerala: Pathanamthitta District, Pamba River drainage, Pedenada River, Lahai Estate (9°22’N 76°54E), on river bank, 27 March 1990 (B. Gustafsson, NHRS), 1♂.
Etymology. The epithet ghatica refers to the occurrence of this species in the Western Ghats.
Diagnosis. Male differs from other Wadicosa species except W. quadrifera by having a corkscrew-shaped embolus. It differs from W. quadrifera by lacking a ridge-formed projection (Figs 5, 13, cf. rf.pr in Figs 6, 14) retrolaterally on the tegulum and by having an embolus without a curved acute tip (Figs 3, 11); female differs from that of W. quadrifera (1) by proportions in the epigyne, e. g., plate-formed median depression wider than long in W. ghatica, (2) by lacking the unsclerotized lateral elevations (arrow in Fig. 17) present in W. quadrifera (compare Figs 7, 15 to 8, 17), and (3) by shape of the receptacular complex (compare Fig. 16 to 18).
Description. Male (Kerala). Total length 5.1; carapace 2.80 long, 2.20 wide.
Cephalothorax. Carapace greyish brown with wide, lighter brown indistinct field around fovea. Lateral bands broken into lighter spots, posterior one elongated. Thoracic part furnished with short dark and recumbent whitish hairs, the latter numerous in median field and lateral spots. Clypeus yellowish brown, medially greyish. Chelicerae greyish brown, inner sides distally yellowish. Sternum yellowish grey.
Eyes. Width of row I 54 (slightly procurved as seen from in front), row II 70, row III 88, row II–III 68. Diameter of AME 13, ALE 9, PME 26 and PLE 24. Distance between AME 8, between AME and ALE 2.
Abdomen. Dorsum blackish, mottled with yellowish dots and with a pattern of yellowish blotches and spots, median spots posterior to lanceolate stripe with blackish dot medially. Lanceolate stripe dark greyish. Venter yellowish grey with recumbent light pubescence and scattered dark hairs.
Legs (Table 1). Yellowish with dark greyish annulation. Ti I with two retrolateral spines.
Palp (Figs 1, 9, 13). Pt 1.10, Ti 1.05, Cy 2.50. Fe sooty with yellowish patches medially and apically. Pt and Ti yellowish, proximally more sooty. Cy sooty, distally yellowish. Fe apically, Pt, Ti, and Cy proximally with white hairs, otherwise dark and thin lighter hairs. Tegular apophysis with curved main branch (in frontal view) having sclerotized tip pointing obliquely ventrad, and with short, partly sclerotized basal branch (Figs 1, 9). Anterior part of tegulum gives off a conspicuous wide retrolateral process pointing ventrad (Fig. 13, rl.p). No ridge-formed projection as in W. quadrifera (cf. rf.pr in Fig. 14). Terminal part with curved, sclerotized conductor (Figs 11, 13). Embolus shaped as a corkscrew (Figs 1, 3, 9) with tip as in Fig. 11 (cf. tip in W. quadrifera: Fig. 12).
Female (paratype). Total length not available (abdomen in bad condition); carapace 3.30 long, 2.80 wide.
Cephalothorax and abdomen. Carapace lighter than in male; lateral bands broken into yellowish spots. Chelicerae lighter than in male. Dorsum of abdomen greyish, lighter than in male, venter light brownish.
Eyes. Width of row I 60 (slightly procurved as seen from front), row II 78, row III 103, row II–III 78. Diameter of AME 13, ALE 10, PME 27, PLE 25. Distance between AME 10, between AME and ALE 2.
Legs (Table 1). Light yellowish brown with dark greyish annulation.
Epigyne (Figs 7, 15, 16). Posteriorly with a median quadrangular depression, slightly wider than long, and anteriorly with two close, almost confluent foveolae. Fused rim of foveolae evenly arched (in W. quadrifera this rim is medially slightly protruding). Receptacula bulbous (Fig. 16).
Size variation. Carapace lengths of material measured: males 2.80–3.00 (N=3).
Distribution. India (Karnataka and Kerala) (Fig. 19).
description: Published as part of Kronestedt, Torbjörn, 2017, Species of Wadicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae): a new species close to W. quadrifera (Gravely) from the Western Ghats, India, pp. 295-300 in Zootaxa 4300 (2) on pages 296-299, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4300.2.11, http://zenodo.org/record/838087