Bioacoustics of Meotipa sahyadri

Description. Female ( holotype ). Measurements. Total length— 5.4 mm , Carapace length— 1.93 mm , width— 1.5 mm , height— 1.08 mm . Abdomen length— 3.3 mm , height— 5.1 mm , Leg I—5.38/0.55/3.56/4.42/0.69, Leg II—3.78/0.55/2.21/3.14/0.71, Leg III—2.8/0.51/1.8/2.3/0.7, Leg IV—4.98/0.67/3.07/4.56/0.85. Medium-sized, grossly yellowish-white spider. Cephalothorax: Carapace with dark brown inverted ‘Ψ’ (psi) mark, lateral margins brown ( Fig. 1 ). Clypeus with mid-longitudinal brown stripe, narrowed at base, four times longer than AME diameter. AME dark eXcept on lateral sides, all other eyes pearly white ( Fig. 2 ). Chelicerae white, surface smooth, bearing one anterior, two promarginal, one retro-marginal tooth; whiskered PES at base and stridulatory ridges on dorso-lateral and ventrolateral surface ( Fig. 3 ). Fang surface dorsally smooth, ventrally serrated ( Figs. 3, 4 ). Labium trapezoid, maXillae oval, both pale white; sternum sub-triangular, folded inwards at coXae ( Fig. 5 ). In lateral view, cephalic region flat, thoraX elevated distally ( Fig. 6 ). Legs: Legs slender, with brown, discrete rings on femora, tibia distally brown, metatarsus apically darker; black FS on patella to tibia ( Fig. 7 ); these setae longitudinally striated, bearing spinules and sharp apically ( Fig. 9 ). Cylindrical, forwardly pointed setae bearing spinules on all legs ( Fig. 9 ). Tibia, metatarsus bearing row of slit sensilla ( Fig. 9 ) and short trichobothria ( Figs. 9, 10 ). Tarsal comb with elevated base, straight serrations, distinctly notched ( Fig. 11 ) typical to that of Theridiinae ( Agnarsson 2004 ). Abdomen : tall, colour pale yellow, mottled with pearly white guanine spots, scattered brown, black pattern on dorsum ( Fig. 12 ); laterally white, basal one-third white translucent in live specimens ( Fig. 13 ) (turned opaque white in ethanol); back side of abdominal apeX margined with dark brown lines; black FS on apeX and base ( Fig. 8 ). Spinnerets: Spinnerets white with pair of brown dots and lines laterally. Arrangements of spigots on ALS, PMS, PLS similar to that of other Theridiinae ( Fig.14 ). About 40 piriform spigots on ALS ( Fig.15 ). One cylindrical spigot on PMS ( Fig.16 ) and two on PLS ( Fig.17 ), each with short base. Flagelliform spigot on PLS longer than its cylindrical spigot length. Two aciniform spigots on PMS. Shaft of minor ampullate spigot longer than cylindrical spigot on PMS. Epigynum : small, CD longer than spermatheca diameter ( Fig.18 ). Epigynal projection emerging out medially from atrium ( Fig.19 ), perpendicularly ( Fig.20 ); its length slightly eXceeding rim of atrium, lateral margins curved up to middle margin, converged apically ( Fig.21 ), its head trifid ( Fig. 22 ). CO located underside of this projection. Epigynal projection : Deeleman-Reinhold (2009) referred this term as ‘rod-shaped projection’ in M.picturata . In both, M. sahyadri n. sp. and M.picturata , it arises from the inward fold of upper margin of atrium ( Figs. 22 , 43 ) and CO located underside of it. Variation (in females). Total length in 15 other females: 4.5 mm – 5.6 mm , abdominal height: 4.7 mm – 6.1 mm . The inverted ‘Ψ’ (psi) mark on carapace discrete in 9 females . Flattened setae on legs and abdomen detach easily in alcohol. Description. Male . Measurements. Total length— 1.25 mm , Carapace length— 0.59 mm , width— 0.39 mm , height— 0.35 mm . Abdomen length— 0.66 mm , height— 0.83 mm , Leg I—1.28/0.18/0.9/1.17/0.48, Leg II—0.8/ 0.51/1.8/2.3/0.7, Leg III—0.77/0.20/0.52/0.66/0.32, Leg IV—0.85/0.16/0.45/0.87/0.39. Small-sized, grossly yellowish-white at life, pattern similar to female ( Fig. 24 ). Cephalothorax : Carapace with complete mid-longitudinal brown stripe ( Fig. 25 ), flat, covered with long setae. Clypeus with mid-longitudinal brown stripe, 2.2 times longer than AME diameter. Eye arrangement and colour similar to female. Chelicerae, labium, maXillae pale white ( Fig. 26, 27 ). Labium trapezoid, maXillae oval, both pale white; sternum sub-triangular, 1.7 times longer than wide, uniform margin at coXae ( Fig. 27 ). Legs : Colour pattern similar to female, with cylindrical forwardly pointed setae, devoid of flattened setae. Abdomen : pale white devoid of any translucence, with dark green spots on dorsum and venter, white guanine patches laterally. Abdominal shape triangular in lateral view, not elevated in comparison to female ( Fig. 28 ). Palp : Conductor mostly membranous, folded along length, broader and chitinous apically ( Figs. 29, 30 ). Embolus eXceeding conductor length ( Figs. 29–31 ), broader at base, narrow apically ( Fig. 32 ). Tegulum and subtegulum separated by thin margin ( Fig. 33 ).