Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5716 No. 2: 30 Oct. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-10-30
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5716.2.7
Page range: 279-288
Abstract views: 314
PDF downloaded: 4

Rediscovery of the enigmatic genus Pilia Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae) with the description of a new species from India

Department of Anatomy, Saveetha Medical College & Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
#84, 6th A Main, Tata Silk Farm, Basvangudi, Bangalore 560004, Karnataka, India
Indraprastha Organic Farm, Kalalwadi Village, Udboor Post, Mysuru 570008, Karnataka, India
104, Sagar Xia, Sagar hills, Saripalla Neermarga, Mangalore 575029, Karnataka, India
Araneae biodiversity hot spot Karnataka life on land taxonomy Western Ghats

Abstract

The jumping spider genus Pilia Simon, 1902, previously known from only three species and exclusively from male specimens, has remained taxonomically enigmatic due to limited material and uncertain placement within Salticidae. During recent field surveys in Chickmagaluru, Karnataka, we rediscovered the genus in the wild after 123 years and collected both male and female specimens, leading to the description of a new species, Pilia malenadu sp. nov. This work represents the first documented female of the genus. Natural history observations are presented for the new species. Pilia albicoma Szombathy, 1915 is transferred to Simaetha Thorell, 1881 to become Simaetha albicoma (Szombathy, 1915) comb. nov. The updated distribution of the genus Pilia and new insights into its taxonomy, and phylogenetic context within Salticidae are provided.

References

  1. Basumatary, P., Caleb, J.T.D., Das, S., Jangid, A.K., Kalita, J. & Brahma, D. (2020) First record of the genus Vailimia Kammerer, 2006 from India, with the description of two new species (Araneae: Salticidae: Plexippina). Zootaxa, 4790 (1), 178–186. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4790.1.11
  2. Caleb, J.T.D. (2016) A discovery and redescription of Curubis erratica Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae) from India. Arthropoda Selecta, 25 (2), 207–211. https://doi.org/10.15298/arthsel.25.2.07
  3. Deeleman-Reinhold, C., Addink, W. & Miller, J. (2024) The genera Chrysilla and Phintelloides revisited with the description of a new species (Araneae, Salticidae) using digital specimen DOIs and nanopublications. Biodiversity Data Journal, 12 (e129438), 1–57. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e129438
  4. Kanesharatnam, N. & Benjamin, S.P. (2016) Three new generic records and descriptions of four new species of jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae) from Sri Lanka. European Journal of Taxonomy, 228, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2016.228
  5. Lin, L., Yang, Z.Y. & Zhang, J.X. (2024) Revalidation of the jumping spider genus Cheliceroides Żabka, 1985 based on molecular and morphological data (Araneae, Salticidae). ZooKeys, 1196, 243–253. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1196.117921
  6. Maddison, W.P. (2015) A phylogenetic classification of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Journal of Arachnology, 43 (3), 231–292. https://doi.org/10.1636/arac-43-03-231-292
  7. Maddison, W.P., Beattie, I., Marathe, K., Ng, P.Y.C., Kanesharatnam, N., Benjamin, S.P. & Kunte, K. (2020) A phylogenetic and taxonomic review of baviine jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae, Baviini). ZooKeys, 1004, 27–97. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1004.57526
  8. Metzner, H. (2025) Jumping spiders (Arachnida: Araneae: Salticidae) of the world. Available from: https://www.jumping-spiders.com (accessed 24 July 2025)
  9. Montesanto, G. (2015) A fast GNU method to draw accurate scientific illustrations for taxonomy. In: Taiti, S., Hornung, E., Štrus, J. & Bouchon, D. (Eds.), Trends in Terrestrial Isopod Biology. ZooKeys, 515, pp. 191–206. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.515.9459
  10. Prószyński, J. (1983) Redescriptions of types of Oriental and Australian Salticidae (Aranea) in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. Folia Entomologica Hungarica, 44 (2), 283–297.
  11. Prószyński, J. (1987) Atlas rysunków diagnostycznych mniej znanych Salticidae 2. Zeszyty Naukowe Wyższej Szkoły Rolniczo-Pedagogicznej, Siedlcach, 172 pp.
  12. Prószyński, J. (2016) Monograph of Salticidae (Araneae) of the World 1995–2015. Part II. Global Species Database of Salticidae (Araneae). Version 30 October 2016, Available from: http://www.salticidae.pl (accessed 28 July 2025)
  13. Reimoser, E. (1934) The spiders of Krakatau. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 104 (1), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1934.tb06215.x
  14. Shorthouse, D.P. (2010) SimpleMappr, an online tool to produce publication-quality point maps. Available from: http://www.simplemappr.net (accessed 5 August 2025)
  15. Simon, E. (1902) Description d’arachnides nouveaux de la famille des Salticidae (Attidae) (suite). Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique, 46, 24–56 + 363–406.
  16. Simon, E. (1903) Histoire naturelle des araignées. Deuxième Édition. Tome Second. Roret, Paris, 412 pp. [pp. 669–1080] https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.51973
  17. Szűts, T. (2004) A revision of the genus Bristowia (Araneae: Salticidae). Folia Entomologica Hungarica, 65, 25–31.
  18. World Spider Catalog (2025) World Spider Catalog. Version 26. Natural History Museum Bern, Bern. Available from: http://wsc.nmbe.ch (accessed 28 July 2025) https://doi.org/10.24436/2
  19. Yamasaki, T., Yamaguchi, M., Phung, L.T.H., Huang, P.S. & Tso, I.M. (2018) Redescription of Chrysilla lauta Thorell 1887 (Araneae: Salticidae) based on the comparison with the holotype, and DNA barcoding. Acta Arachnologica, 27 (1), 23–29. https://doi.org/10.2476/asjaa.67.23
  20. Yang, Z.Y., Hoang, Q.D., Wang, W.H., Maddison, W.P. & Zhang, J.X. (2024) On the enigmatic jumping spider genus Ogdenia Peckham, 1908 (Araneae, Salticidae, Chrysillini). ZooKeys, 1202, 155–168. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1202.124199
  21. Żabka, M. (1994) Salticidae (Arachnida: Araneae) of Oriental, Australian and Pacific regions, X. Genus Simaetha Thorell. Records of the Western Australian Museum, 16, 499–534.

How to Cite

Caleb, J.T., Padiyar, A., Abhijith, A. & Pai, J. (2025) Rediscovery of the enigmatic genus Pilia Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae) with the description of a new species from India. Zootaxa, 5716 (2), 279–288. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5716.2.7