New species of Habrocestum Simon, 1876 and a redescription of Curubis tetrica Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae: Salticinae: Hasariini) from India

ABSTRACT

The jumping spider genus Habrocestum Simon, 1876 is recorded for the first time from India. Habrocestum longispinum sp. nov. is described and illustrated in detail. The hitherto unknown female of the species Curubis tetrica, 1902 is described and illustrated along with a detailed redescription and illustration of its male. The distribution of both H. longispinum sp. nov. and C. tetrica is mapped.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B43C845B-4427-46CE-A97F-E2AC8D8C5D3A.

KEYWORDS:

• first record
• new species
• redescription
• taxonomy
• Western Ghats

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Rev. Fr. Prasanth Palackappillil CMI, Principal, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin for providing all facilities for completing this work. We thank the Chief Conservator of Forests, Kerala State Forest Division for the collecting permit. We are indebted to Drs Samson Davis, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Ernakulam for the images of the pedipalp of Curubis material from his collection and Elise- Anne Leguin (MNHN) for providing the images of C. tetrica type from Simon’s collection. We extend our heartfelt thanks to three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the MS and to Dr Andrew Polaszek, Natural History Museum, London for his editorial efforts.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)-DST, New Delhi under the Major Research Project No. SR/SO/AS-99/2012.