Colyttus nongwar, Pattammalsudhin & Sen, 2025

Colyttus nongwar sp. nov.

Figs 4–6 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 , 7 View FIGURE 7

Type material. Holotype ♂ (NZC-ZSI-9827/18) from INDIA: Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills District, Laitkynsew, Nongwar ( 25°13’12.14”N, 91°40’6.74”E), 927 m, a.s.l., 11.VI.2024, leg. P. P. Sudhin. GoogleMaps Paratypes: 2♀♀ (NZC-ZSI-9828/18), same data as for holotype GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The species is named after its type locality, Nongwar, a village in Meghalaya, North East India. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The male copulatory organ of Colyttus nongwar sp. nov. is most similar to those of C. proszynskii Caleb, Chatterjee, Tyagi, Kundu & Kumar, 2018 , and C. yiwui Lin & Li, 2020 , in having a similarly shaped RTA and a long embolus, but it can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: RTA slender and oriented more anteriorly in retrolateral view (oriented more ventrally in C. proszynskii and relatively robust, with distal half slightly bent ventrally in C. yiwui ); tegular lobe well developed (less well developed in C. proszynskii ); lamella of embolus sickle-shaped (dagger-like in C. proszynskii and wedge-shaped with blunt tip in C. yiwui ); embolus arched, with distal tip directed laterally in ventral view (slightly curved, with the distal half directed apically in both C. proszynskii and C. yiwui ) (cf. Figs 5B–C View FIGURE 5 , 6A–B View FIGURE 6 with figs 5–8, 10–11 in Caleb et al. 2018; fig. 1A–C in Lin & Li 2020). The female genitalia of C. nongwar sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from those of all other Colyttus species by the long, inverted U-shaped copulatory ducts and the absence of subdivided spermathecae ( Figs 5D–F View FIGURE 5 , 6C–D View FIGURE 6 ).

Description. Male. ( Holotype, Figs 4A–B, E View FIGURE 4 , 5A–C View FIGURE 5 , 6A–B View FIGURE 6 ): Measurements: body length 7.93; carapace length 3.97, width 3.18; abdomen length 3.89, width 2.58. Ocular area length 2.03, width at ALE 2.72, at PLE 2.68. Eye diameters: AME 0.81, ALE 0.50, PME 0.11, PLE 0.48. Clypeus height at AME 0.11. Chelicerae 1.71 long, with 2 promarginal teeth and 1 retromarginal bifid tooth. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.08, ALE– ALE 1.79, PLE–PLE 2.07, PME–PME 2.14, PME–PLE 0.38, PLE–ALE 0.88, PME–ALE 0.51. Measurement of palp and legs: Palp: 03.05 (1.20, 0.38, 0.36, 1.11), leg I 9.25 (2.80, 1.40, 2.31, 1.63, 1.11), II 8.52 (2.72, 1.22, 2.09, 1.68, 0.87), III 8.87 (3.01, 1.14, 1.93, 1.88, 0.91), IV 9.44 (2.98, 1.17, 1.98, 2.42, 0.89). Leg formula: 4132. Spination. Palp: femur do 2. Legs: femur I–II do 3 pl 2 rl 2, III do 3 pl 3 rl 1, IV do 3 pl 1 rl 1; patellae I–IV pl 1 rl 1; tibia I pl 2 plv 3 rlv 3, II pl 3 rl 1 plv 3 rlv 3, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 3, IV do 1 pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 1; metatarsi I–II pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 3 rlv 3; tarsi I–IV spineless. General appearance as in Figs 4A–B, E View FIGURE 4 . Carapace oval, high, sloping posteriorly, dark reddish-brown, covered with white and brown setae ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ); anterior of thorax with broad, yellowish area extending to lateral sides and behind eye field ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ); margin of carapace with narrow black lines. Eye bases black ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ). Fovea short, black, longitudinal, situated medially between PLEs ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ). Clypeus low, dark reddish-brown, covered with white setae ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ). Chelicerae dark reddish-brown, frontal face with white setae ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ). Endites reddish-brown, scopulate, with white inner tips ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Labium dark reddish-brown, with paler tips ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Sternum whitish yellow, covered with white setae ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Abdomen oval, light brown, covered with short white, and long brown setae ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ); dorsum with a creamy white band anteriorly, and five chevron-shaped white markings posteriorly ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ); lateral sides creamy white, anterior sides dark. Venter light brown to creamy yellow, with a broad greyish brown median band ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Legs I & II dark reddish-brown with pale yellow tarsi, patellae, and metatarsi ( Figs 4A–B View FIGURE 4 ); tibiae ventrally covered with dense setae; femur II ventrally pale reddish-yellow. Legs III and IV light reddish-brown to pale yellow, becoming more yellowish distally ( Figs 4A–B View FIGURE 4 ).

Palp as shown in Figs 5A–C View FIGURE 5 , 6A–B View FIGURE 6 : femur, patella, and tegulum light reddish-yellow, rest of segments reddish brown; tibia with tuft of long prolateral setae; RTA long and finger-like, directed anteroventrally in retrolateral view ( Figs 5C View FIGURE 5 , 6B View FIGURE 6 ); cymbium elongate-oval, covered with setae; tegulum nearly oval with U-shaped proximal tegular lobe ( Figs 5B View FIGURE 5 , 6A View FIGURE 6 ); ED large ( Figs 5B View FIGURE 5 , 6B View FIGURE 6 ); lamella of embolus sickle-shaped ( Figs 5B View FIGURE 5 , 6A View FIGURE 6 ); embolus long, arched, tapering distally with blunt tip ( Figs 5B View FIGURE 5 , 6A View FIGURE 6 ); embolus arising from 3 o’clock position of embolic disc ( Figs 5B View FIGURE 5 , 6A View FIGURE 6 ).

Female. ( Paratype, Figs 4C–D, F View FIGURE 4 , 5D–F View FIGURE 5 , 6C–D View FIGURE 6 ): Measurements: body length 8.71; carapace length 3.32, width 2.56; abdomen length 5.06, width 3.46. Ocular area length 1.75, width at ALE 2.28, at PLE 2.19. Eye diameters: AME 0.68, ALE 0.43, PME 0.09, PLE 0.40. Clypeus height 0.09. Chelicerae 1.26 long, with 2 promarginal teeth and 1 retromarginal bifid tooth. Measurement of palp and legs: Palp: 2.07 (0.71, 0.26, 0.36, 0.74), leg I 5.53 (1.61, 0.53, 1.54, 1.39, 0.46), II 5.06 (1.55, 0.50, 1.35, 1.22, 0.44), III 5.44 (1.65, 0.42, 1.39, 1.56, 0.51), IV 6.95 (1.87, 0.47, 1.59, 2.12, 0.68). Leg formula: 4132. Spination. Legs: femur I–IV do 3 pl 1 rl 1; patellae I–IV spineless; tibia I–II pl 1 rl 3 plv 5 rlv 5, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1, IV do 1 pl 2 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 1; metatarsi I–II do 1 pl 1 rl 1 plv 4 rlv 4, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1; tarsi I–IV spineless. General appearance as in Figs 4C–D, F View FIGURE 4 . In all details like male, except the following: chelicerae light reddish-brown ( Fig. 4F View FIGURE 4 ); endites and labium yellowishbrown ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ). Abdomen broader and longer with faint markings ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ); venter creamy white, with two pairs of dotted lines ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ).

Epigyne and vulva as shown in Figs 5D–F View FIGURE 5 , 6C–D View FIGURE 6 . Epigyne as wide as long ( Figs 5D View FIGURE 5 , 6C View FIGURE 6 ); epigynal window large, occupying almost entire epigynal plate, weakly defined, with median septum; posterior margin of epigynal window bordered with S-shaped rims ( Figs 5D View FIGURE 5 , 6C View FIGURE 6 ); CO located posteromedially, below S-shaped rims, distinctly separated from each other ( Figs 5D View FIGURE 5 , 6C View FIGURE 6 ); CD long and broad, membranous for short portion near CO, inverted U-shaped, entering posterior part of spermathecae ( Figs 5E–F View FIGURE 5 , 6D View FIGURE 6 ); spermathecae oval ( Figs 5F View FIGURE 5 , 6D View FIGURE 6 ); FD oriented anterolaterally, situated at anterior region of spermathecae ( Figs 5F View FIGURE 5 , 6D View FIGURE 6 ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Meghalaya, India) ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ).