A New Species of Whip-Spider from Andhra Pradesh, India

NEW DESCRIPTION

ZOOS ' PRINT JOURNAL 20(12): 2091-2093

A NEW SPECIES OF WHIP-SPIDER (PHRYNICHIDAE: AMBLYPYGI) FROM ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA
D.B. Bastawade ¹, K. Thulsi Rao ², S.M. Maqsood Javed 3 and I. Siva Rama Krishna 3
2,3 1 Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Station, Pune, Maharashtra, India Ecological Research & Monitoring Laboratories, Nallamalai Hill Ranges, Eastern Ghats, Project Tiger Circle, Srisailam, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh 518102, India Email: 2 [e-mail] (corresponding author) web supplement

ABSTRACT A new species of whip-spider (Phrynichidae: Amblypygi) is described from Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India. Phrynichus andhraensis sp. nov. is compared with the known Indian species Phrynichus phipsoni Pocock. The new species has small body, yellowish-brown in colour, darker on carapace, closely granular on dorsum of carapace, abdomen and appendages. Chelicerae and pedipalps long and slender. Pedipalp bearing 32 spines in total, the distitibiae of IV leg with 33 trichobothria. Other morphological details of the new species are also given. KEYWORDS Amblypygi, Eastern Ghats, India, NagarjunasagarSrisailam Tiger Reserve, new species, Phrynichidae, Phrynichus andhraensis sp. nov., whip-spider

name of state from where the specimens were collected. This is being the first report of Amblypygi from Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Diagnostic features Body colour yellowish-brown, darker on carapace, closely granular on dorsum of carapace, abdomen and appendages (Image 1w). Chelicerae and pedipalps long and slender, all basitibiae II - IV with one segment each, distitibiae II - IV with 29, 32 and 33 trichobothria respectively (Fig. 8). Total body length 19.00mm; Carapace 7.00mm long, 13.50mm wide, abdomen 12.00mm long, 7.50mm wide. Female Holotype: Carapace, chelicerae and pedipalps yellowish-brown, black on ocular tubercles and darker on palpal edges, yellowish on tergites, sternites and legs I - IV, but clear yellow

References: Bastawade, D.B. (1995). Redescription of Phrynichus phipsoni (Pocock) (Phrynichidae: Arachnida) collected after 100 yrs from new locations in Maharashtra, western India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 92: 132-136. Borkar, M.R., N. Komarpant and D.B. Bastawade (in press). First report of Whip-spider Phrynichus phipsoni Pocock from human habitations and protected areas of Goa state, India, with notes on habits and habitats. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. Pocock, R.I. (1900). Fauna of British India, Arachnida. Taylor and Francis, London, 279pp. Weygoldt, P. (1998). Revision of the species of Phrynichus Karsch, 1879 and Euphrynichus Weygoldt, 1995 (Chelicerata, Amblypygi). Zoologica Stuttgart 147: 1-65. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors are very much thankful to Sri S.K. Das IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Sri Hitesh Malhotra, IFS, Addl. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (WL), Sri A.V. Joseph IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests (WL), Andhra Pradesh and M. Sudhakar, IFS, Conservator of Forests & Field Director, Project Tiger for constant encouragement and sustained support. We are also grateful to Dr. Rajesh Gopal, IFS, Inspector General of Forests and Director Project Tiger and the MoEF, New Delhi, for their consistent funding support and encouragement. We gratefully acknowledge our thanks to Dr. J.R.B. Alfred, Director, ZSI, Kolkata and Dr. Anil S. Mahabal, Scientist-E and Officer-in-Charge, Z.S.I, WRS, Pune for extending facilities. We wish to acknowledge V. Madhusudhan Reddy, Computer operator, E.R.M. Labs, Project Tiger, Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh. L - Length; W - Width; D - Dorsal side; V - Ventral side; TBL - Total body length; DBLE - Distance between lateral eyes folds with roundish tuberculate impressions on it. Sternite I smooth, sinulate medially on posterior margin and clothed with thick line of short and pointed bristles, sternite provided medially with genitalia, a pair of round gonopods placed on posterior portion. Surface of gonopods and near by areas covered with minute pores and each gonopod extends laterally into a conical portion, openings of ducts not visible dorsally (Figs. 6 & 7). Habitat The specimens were collected under tightly fixed medium sized stones near a perineal stream (Image 2w) in the deep valley. The vegetation in the valley is canopied thickly with wild variety of tall mango trees (Mangifera indica) (Image 3w). The source of stream was from the narrow cavities in a lime stone substratum. The neighbouring places have few lime stone narrow December 2005 Zoos ' Print Journal 20(12): 2091-2093 2093