A new species and new synonym in the genus Colopsus Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae: Plexippina) from India

Abstract

2021a,b; Caleb, Sankaran, 2022; WSC, 2022]. The genus was earlier considered a synonym of Evarcha Simon, 1902 [Prószyński, 1984], but has recently been revalidated based on both morphological and molecular evidence [Kanesharatnam, Benjamin, 2021]. Colopsus was recorded from India with the discovery of C. cinereus Kanesharatnam et Benjamin, 2021 [Logunov, 2021a], which was originally described from Sri Lanka [Kanesharatnam, Benjamin, 2021]. While studying salticid specimens from Karnataka, we have found out that they are very similar both to Hyllus manu Caleb, Christudhas, Laltanpuii et Chitra, 2014 known from South India and to C. cinereus known from India and Sri Lanka. In order to establish the identity of the newly collected specimens and C. cinereus, the types of H. manu have been re-examined. Thus, the present paper aims: (1) to describe a new Colopsus species from Karnataka, India, (2) to provide new detailed digital images of H. manu, and (3) to synonymise the name C. cinereus with H. manu.