Piratula acuminata, Sudhin & Sankaran & Sen, 2025

Sudhin, Puthoor Pattammal, Sankaran, Pradeep M. & Sen, Souvik, 2025, First record of the genus Piratula Roewer, 1960 from India, with the description of a new species (Araneae: Lycosidae: Zoicinae), Zootaxa 5659 (4), pp. 593-598 : 594

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5659.4.9
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16601801
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/121B6D3B-FF99-2741-FF04-D3BBFEDD120B
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Piratula acuminata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Piratula acuminata sp. nov.

Figs 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective and refers to the acute basal arm of the tegular apophysis of the new species ( Figs 1I View FIGURE 1 , 2A View FIGURE 2 ). The Latin term ‘acuminatus’ means sharp.

Type material. Holotype ♂ (NZC-ZSI-9647/18) and paratypes 1♂, 1♀ (NZC-ZSI-9648/18), INDIA: West Bengal: South 24 Parganas district, Kastala (21°52’N 88°08’E; 16 m a.s.l.), 03 November 2019, leg. K. Valarmathi. GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Males of P. acuminata sp. nov. are most similar to the males of Piratula piratoides ( Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) as both share a ridge-like subterminal apophysis, conductor which is absent, and basolaterally located subtegulum. It can be distinguished from the latter species by the apical arm of tegular apophysis with comparatively narrow proximal part (vs. broad in P. piratoides ), and tegular apophysis with single tooth (vs. three in P. piratoides ; cf. Figs 1G, I–K View FIGURE 1 , 2A, C View FIGURE 2 and Omelko et al. 2011: figs 109–110, 113). Females of the new species are similar to those of Piratula yaginumai ( Tanaka, 1974) as both share a triangular epigynal plate with concave posterior margin, and short and thick copulatory ducts, but can be separated from the latter by ovate spermathecae (vs. elongate in P. yaginumai ; cf. Figs 1M–N View FIGURE 1 , 2E–F View FIGURE 2 and Omelko et al. 2011: fig. 156a–b).

Description. Male in ethanol (holotype, Fig. 1A, C, E View FIGURE 1 ). Color overall pale creamy white with brown shades ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ; the yellowish colouration of Fig. 1C–F, I—L View FIGURE 1 is due to increased light exposure); opisthosoma covered with chalk white spots, dorsum posterolaterally provided with a pair of light brown stripes. Cheliceral pro- and retromargins with three teeth each ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ). Opisthosoma nearly ovate, hirsute ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Body length 8.81. Carapace 5.08 long, 3.82 wide. Opisthosoma 3.73 long, 2.28 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.13, AME 0.17, PLE 0.18, PME 0.28; AME–ALE 0.05, AME–AME 0.11, AME–PME 0.12, PME–PLE 0.16, PME–PME 0.22. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.09, at ALEs 0.15. Chelicerae 1.53 long. Length of palp and legs: palp 4.89 [1.85, 0.86, 0.97, 1.21], I 12.48 [3.67, 1.40, 3.04, 3.13, 1.24], II 11.86 [3.55, 1.25, 2.64, 3.20, 1.22], III 10.81 [3.23, 1.22, 2.25, 3.04, 1.07], IV 13.90 [4.02, 1.48, 3.08, 3.97, 1.35]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination of palp: femur pl 2 do 3 rl 1; legs: femur I pl 1 do 2, II pl 1 do 3 rl 1, III pl 2 do 2 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 1; patellae I–II pl 1, III pl 1 do 1 rl 1, IV pl 1 rl 1; tibia I plv 2 rlv 1 v 1, II pl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III–IV pl 2 plv 3 do 2 rl 2 rlv 3; metatarsus I plv 3 rlv 3, II pl 3 plv 2 rlv 3 v 1, III–IV pl 3 plv 3 rl 3 rlv 3 v 1; tarsi I–IV spineless. Palp ( Figs 1G–L View FIGURE 1 , 2A–D View FIGURE 2 ). Subtegulum small, basolaterally located ( Figs 1G View FIGURE 1 , 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Tegular apophysis with long, curved apical arm having smoothly rounded tip and short, triangular basal arm with acute tip, with broadly triangular basal tooth ( Figs 1G, I View FIGURE 1 arrow 1, 2A). Terminal apophysis broad at base, with blunt tip, dorsally having a longitudinal groove to accommodate embolus ( Figs 1K–L View FIGURE 1 , 2C–D View FIGURE 2 ). Subterminal apophysis ridge-like, lying very close to terminal apophysis ( Figs 1K View FIGURE 1 arrow 2, 2C). Conductor absent. Embolus short, apically curved, with acute tip ( Figs 1L View FIGURE 1 arrow 3, 2D).

Female in ethanol (paratype, Fig. 1B, D, F View FIGURE 1 ). Habitus and details like male except for the following: opisthosoma without prominent patches/markings ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Body length 10.57. Carapace 4.77 long, 3.52 wide. Opisthosoma 5.80 long, 4.44 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.12, AME 0.20, PLE 0.22, PME 0.34; AME–ALE 0.09, AME–AME 0.11, AME–PME 0.11, PME–PLE 0.22, PME–PME 0.23. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.14, at ALEs 0.17. Chelicerae 2.12 long. Length of palp and legs: palp 4.53 [1.66, 0.65, 1.09, 1.13], I 10.74 [3.24, 1.39, 2.59, 2.45, 1.07], II 10.05 [3.10, 1.50, 2.17, 2.23, 1.05], III 9.79 [2.96, 1.09, 2.12, 2.57, 1.05], IV 13.14 [3.84, 1.39, 3.06, 3.61, 1.24]. Spination of palp: femur pl 1 do 3; legs: femur III pl 2 do 3 rl 2; patella IV pl 1 do 1 rl 1; tibia I plv 2 rlv 1, II pl 2 rlv 1; metatarsus II pl 2 plv 3 rlv 3 v 1. Genitalia ( Figs 1M–N View FIGURE 1 , 2E–F View FIGURE 2 ). Epigynal plate broadly triangular, with concave posterior margin ( Figs 1M View FIGURE 1 , 2E View FIGURE 2 ). Copulatory openings indistinct. Copulatory ducts short, thick, sclerotised, converging ( Figs 1N View FIGURE 1 , 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Spermathecae small, ovate, widely separated, slightly converging ( Figs 1N View FIGURE 1 , 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Fertilization ducts narrow, curved medially, diverging ( Figs 1N View FIGURE 1 , 2F View FIGURE 2 ).

Variation. Male (n=2): body length 6.93–8.81. The carapace length of the new species described here is nearly five (female) to six (male) millimetres, which is higher than in other Piratula species (<3 mm) examined by Omelko et al. (2011).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in West Bengal, India ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ). This is the first record of the genus from India.