Type species: Maripanthus draconis Maddison in Maddison et al., 2020.

Diagnosis: Members are similar to those of Indopadilla Caleb & Sankaran in Caleb et al., 2019 and Bavia Simon, 1877 but differ in lacking the characteristic ridged chelicerae and the thoracic bulges of Indopadilla spp. and in possessing a much longer embolus than Bavia (embolus shorter than length of tegulum in Bavia). The male palp has a freely articulating, long embolus arising from the basal side of the tegulum from which it is clearly separated (embolus short, arising from distal prolateral corner of bulbus in Bavia; embolus length variable, longer emboli arising as an extension of the tegulum in Indopadilla). The male maxillae have a pointed retrolateral-distal corner (thumb-like in Bavia; rounded in Indopadilla). The ECP is either unpaired and central, or split into two pockets on each side of the epigynal orifice (ECP on prominent medial bulge in Bavia; medial in Indopadilla). The epigynal atrium is long and gaping, situated in an anterior position; the spermathecae are situated posterior to the copulatory openings (spermathecae placed anterior to copulatory openings in Indopadilla) (Maddison et al., 2020).

Type material: ZSIC-I/SP 36; male holotype; India, Karnataka, Bengaluru, Chelekere Lake; 13.025689°N, 77.644119°E; 887 m a.s.l.; 08.10.2020; leg. C.M. Francis & V.K. Bhat. – NCBS-IBC-BN633 & 634; 2 female paratypes, collected together with the holotype.

Etymology: The species is dedicated to Gloria, the daughter of the second author, for her great enthusiasm and interest during field work. The species epithet is a name in apposition.

Diagnosis: Males of the new species are similar to those of Maripanthus draconis, but its palp has the shortest embolus among all known congeneric males; the RTA has a broad base (Figs 12–14, 17–18 cf. Maddison et al., 2020: figs 188-190). Females are similar to those of M. jubatus by also possessing a pair of posterior epigynal pockets, but they differ in having short, simple insemination ducts and globular spermathecae (Figs 15–16, 19-20 cf. Maddison et al., 2020: figs 205-206).

Description

Male holotype: Total length 10.13; carapace 4.69 long, 3.92 wide; abdomen 5.44 long, 2.52 wide. Carapace black, covered with few scattered white scales on dorsal side of thoracic portion and on lateral sides (Figs 1, 3, 7). Clypeal region black, with brown hairs; eyes surrounded by reddish orange-coloured orbital setae (Figs 2, 9). Eye measurements: AME 0.94, ALE 0.50, PME 0.10, PLE 0.48, AER 3.01, PER 3.04, EFL 1.98. Clypeus height 0.13. Chelicerae black; three teeth on promargin and seven teeth on retromargin of fang groove (Figs 10–11). Sternum oval, yellow, with brown margin; labium and palpal coxae brown, with paler margins. Leg I robust, dark brown except for yellow tarsus; legs I-II with dense ventral fringe of hairs (Figs 2–3); legs II-IV brown, with yellow tarsi and metatarsi. Leg measurements: I 14.29 (3.91, 2.62, 3.67, 2.84, 1.25); II 9.75 (3.00, 1.85, 2.08, 1.90, 0.92); III 9.15 (2.96, 1.61, 1.49, 2.23, 0.86); IV 10.76 (3.33, 1.59, 2.36, 2.35, 1.13). Leg formula: 1423. Abdomen narrowing posteriorly; brownish, lighter medially; covered with black hairs (Figs 1, 3). Venter light brown, with a broad dark brown median region. Spinnerets brown. Palps dark brown; cymbium dorsally clothed with yellowish white hairs, with a dense fringe of black hairs prolaterally (Figs 2, 12–14); embolus thick, needle-like, arising from prolateral base of bulbus; RTA blade-like, with a broad base and pointed tip, directed ventrad (Figs 13–14, 18).

Female paratype (IBC-BN633): Total length 9.82, carapace 3.85 long, 3.29 wide; abdomen 5.97 long, 3.13 wide. Eye measurements: AME 0.86, ALE 0.40, PME 0.09, PLE 0.42. AER 2.54, PER 2.61, EFL 1.82. Clypeus height 0.15. Leg measurements: I 8.15 (2.42, 1.71, 1.88, 1.46, 0.68); II 6.85 (2.15, 1.42, 1.40, 1.25, 0.63); III 6.82 (2.21, 1.22, 1.11, 1.58, 0.70); IV 8.26 (2.56, 1.16, 1.82, 2.03, 0.69). Leg formula: 4123. Colouration pattern mostly as in male (Figs 4–6), different in the following: clypeus covered with yellowish hairs (Fig. 5); legs with paler proximal part of femora; legs III-IV with dark annulations close to joints (Figs 4, 6). Palps yellow, with dark brown annulations proximally (Fig. 5). Epigyne with a pair of shallow depressions separated by a raised septum in anterior half; a pair of pockets present at posterior epigynal margin; insemination ducts short, broad; spermathecae globular and contiguous with each other (Figs 15–16, 19-20).

Distribution: Known only from the type locality in India (Karnataka) (Fig. 21).

Note: Both paratype females examined have their epigynal region covered with a mating plug (Fig. 15). The presence of mating plugs in this genus is here recorded for the first time.

Habitat: The new species was collected from a public park in which lies the Chelekere Lake.

Discussion: When Maddison (2015) provided the first phylogenetic classification of the Salticidae only three genera were included in the tribe Baviini Simon, 1901a. In the most recent updated review (Maddison et al., 2020) it includes seven genera (Bavia, Indopadilla, Maripanthus, Padillothorax Simon, 1901b, Padillothorus Prószyński, 2018 [assigned tentatively], Piranthus Thorell, 1895, and Stagetillus Simon, 1885). In India the tribe was known from a single species, Padillothorax casteti (Simon, 1900), until another species, Bavia insularis Malamel, Sankaran & Sebastian, 2015 (presently Indopadilla insularis), was described (see Malamel, Sankaran & Sebastian, 2015). More studies in the past four years have increased our knowledge of this group considerably (Caleb & Sanap, 2017; Malamel et al., 2019; Caleb et al., 2019; Nafin et al., 2020; Maddison et al., 2020). Of the 275 species of Salticidae currently known from India, seven species (2.5%) belong to the Baviini (Indopadilla - 3 species, Piranthus - 2 species, and one each of Padillothorax and Maripanthus) (see Caleb & Sankaran, 2021). The present paper adds the description of another species from southern India.

Some members of Bavia and Indopadilla superficially resemble those of Maripanthus, and confusion in generic placement of species among these three genera can occur. We place the new species confidently in Maripanthus on the basis of the following characters: chelicerae without the characteristic ridge and the thorax without bulges as seen in Indopadilla (Figs 1, 4, 7–9); embolus free, arising on the prolateral side of the bulbus, separated from the tegulum (Figs 12–13, 17), unlike in Bavia and Indopadilla; ECP split into pockets on each side of the epigynal orifice as in M. jubatus, but unlike in Bavia and Indopadilla which have an unpaired medial ECP; epigynal atria gaping (Figs 16, 19–20) (see Maddison et al., 2020). This leaves no doubt that the new species is a member of Maripanthus, not of Bavia or Indopadilla.