Corresponding author: Swara Yadav (
Academic editor: Emma McCarroll Shaw
The genus
During a field survey in the private property of Makunda Christian Leprosy & General Hospital, Karimganj District, Assam, we found a bright yellow thomisid spider with black spots. Based on the literature
Specimens are preserved in 70% alcohol, deposited at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai. Specimens were studied under a Leica stereozoom (MZ6) microscope, photographed using mounted Canon Powershot S50 camera, assembled using Combine ZM software and the images were processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5. Measurements were done with Erma stage and ocular micrometer and an accurate scale. Epigyna were cleared in 10% KOH and kept in Polyvinyl Lactophenol (PVLP) gel with Lignin pink stain for seven days before imaging. All measurements are in millimetres; measurements of other specimen of
Depository: BNHS - Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India (Curator-Rahul Khot); NHMW- Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria (Curator- Christoph Hörweg).
Total length- 10.7 (14.2) mm; Carapace width- 4.9 (5.2) mm; Ophisthosoma widest- 5.1 (5.9) mm; Leg I- 19.8 mm; Leg II- 21 mm; Leg III- 11.3 mm; Leg IV- 12.5 mm.
Medium sized-spider. Carapace pale orange with two large and one small paired black spots dorsally; larger spots on ocular region and near fovea, smaller spots on lateral sides along mid-length of carapace. Chelicerae base, fangs, palpal patella to claws, black. Legs yellow (become paler in ethanol), tibia to tarsus I, II and metatarsus, tarsus III, IV black. Abdomen yellow with three pairs of large spots arched by a large spot anteriorly (Fig.
Cephalothorax without hair, slightly convex dorsally, abdomen dorso-ventrally flat. Carapace narrow anteriorly, wider posteriorly, surface covered with inconspicuous tubercles. Sternum sub-triangular, maxillae, labium oval, rebordered. Legs slender, II>I>IV>III. Abdomen grossly oval, anteriorly truncate, posteriorly narrow and wrinkled along margins.
Spermathecae kidney-shaped, sclerotized, with folds, narrow at base, closer to each other at apex (Fig.
Known from localities in Java, Sumatra and India (see map, see Introduction).
Total length- 8.5 mm; Carapace width- 3.66 mm; Ophisthosoma widest- 3.86 mm; Leg I- 16.45 mm; Leg II- 17.45 mm; Leg III- 11.00 mm; Leg IV- 11.38 mm.
Medium-sized spider. Carapace reddish orange at life, brownish in alcohol, with four conspicuous round black spots forming trapezium, wider posteriorly. All eyes except AME situated on anterior spots. Legs slender, patella to tarsus black, except metatarsus which is yellowish with black dorsal line. Femur I black, proximal half of II, III red, rest black, IV entirely red. Chelicerae short, pale orange; palps black. Maxillae and labium black distally. Abdomen reddish orange with three black transverse bands, the posterior-most being the thickest and widest (Fig.
Cephalothorax without hair, glabrous, slightly convex dorsally, narrow anteriorly, wider posteriorly. Sternum sub-triangular, maxillae, labium oval, rebordered. Legs slender, II>I>IV>III. Abdomen dorso-ventrally flat, roughly pentagonal, longer than wide, wider posteriorly, extending beyond dorsum, wrinkled along margins.
Spermathecae oblong, sclerotized, with folds, closer to each other at apex (Fig.
The geographical coordinates (
The epigynum illustrated in
Known from several localities in the Western Ghats of India and Sri Lanka (Fig.
Authors are thankful to Rejoice Gassah (Assam), Antina Pasyad (Assam) of the Makunda Nature Club and Sachin Shelke (Maharashtra) for assistance during field trips. VKP thanks Dr. Satish Narkhede and Dr. V. P. Uniyal for support. Thanks are also due to Siddharth Kulkarni (The George Washington University, USA) and David Court (Singapore) for discussions on
habitus, dorsal view
habitus, ventral view
epigynum , dorsal view
epigynum, ventral view
Female guarding egg sac
spiderlings
habitus, dorsal view
habitus, ventral view
epigynum, dorsal view
epigynum, ventral view
Map showing distribution of