Eusparassus pontii Caporiacco 1935

Eusparassus pontii Caporiacco, 1935

(Figure 18)

Eusparassus pontii Caporiacco, 1935: 216, pl. 6, fig. 4 (description of female; syntypes, two females, examined).

Type material

Syntypes: 1 female, PAKISTAN: Karakoram, Pajue oasis, 3500 m, 28 July 1929 (MNM); 1 female, Tsock meadow, 3940 m, 11 May 1929 (MNM); 1 juvenile, Tolti oasis, 2400 m, 20 April 1929 (MNM).

Additional material examined

1 ♀, 2 immatures, INDIA: Kashmir: 1 ♀, 1 juvenile, Ladakh, Shey, Trockerhay, 3400 m, 2 June 1976, J. Martens leg. (SMF); 1 subadult female, Ladakh, J. Martens leg. (SMF).

Diagnosis

Epigyne resembles that of E. kronebergi stat. nov. in having EFB fused to AMLL bordering MS (Figure 18C) but differs from it by presence of a strong continuous ridge at lateral side of vulva and one large glandular process (Figure 18D,E), in contrast vulva of E. kronebergi stat. nov. has two small and separated glandular parts; It can also be distinguished by the eye interdistances: AME–ALE spaced one-half of AME– AME (as in E. fuscimanus) but differs from this species in having EF longer than wide (Figure 18C).

Redescription

Female (n = 3). Total length: 14.9–18.9, prosoma length 6.4–9.1, prosoma width 5.7–7.8, anterior width of prosoma 3.2–4.7, opisthosoma length 8.5–9.8, opisthosoma width 6.5–7.4. eyes are the same size, eye diameters: AME 0.39, ALE 0.41, PME 0.40, PLE 0.40; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.28, AME–ALE 0.15, PME–PME 0.43, PME–PLE 0.62, AME–PME 0.53, ALE–PLE 0.35, clypeus height at AME 0.32, clypeus height at ALE 0.46.

Chelicerae with two anterior and four to six posterior teeth; cheliceral furrow without denticles (Figure 18B). Leg formula: 21=43. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 10.6 [3.3, 1.6, 1.9, 3.8], I 34.7 [9.6, 4.3, 8.7, 9.5, 2.6], II 37.7 [10.7, 4.5, 10.1, 9.6, 2.8], III 31.1 [9.5, 3.8, 8.2, 7.3, 2.3], IV 34.6 [10.3, 3.9, 8.8, 9.1, 2.5].

Spination. Palp 131, 001, 1111, 1013; Legs: Femur I–III 323, IV 321 / 322; Patella I–IV 000; Tibia I–IV 2024; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3034 / 3036.

Epigyne / vulva. As in diagnosis with two large black triangular LL, AMLL not fused but bordered by EFB (Figure 18C); vulva with a bulge at the area of glandular processes and marked by a continuous ridge (Figure 18D,E).

Male. Unknown.

Colouration [in ethanol]. Reddish brown, dark brown chelicera, dorsal opisthosoma with a patch and series of small chevron-like patterns and additional dots, ventral opisthosoma with pale markings.

Remarks

The type specimens were collected during “the Italian Mission to Karakoram (1929- VII)”. One of the type localities is Pajue, a campsite on the K2 Mountain. The species is recorded from high elevations (∼ 4000 m), the highest altitude recorded for Sparassidae so far. This is the first record of the species after its original description out of the type locality, namely from Indian Himalaya, in Ladakh.

Known geographical distribution and habitat

High altitudes in mountainous Himalaya in Pakistan: Karakoram, K2 Mountain, and India: Ladakh (New record).