Report ofPlatythomisus octomaculatus(C. L. Koch, 1845) andPlatythomisus sudeepiBiswas, 1977 from India (Araneae, Thomisidae).
BACKGROUND
The genusPlatythomisusDoleschall, 1859 presently comprises 13 valid species, nine known from Africa and four from Asia. AllPlatythomisusspecies are known from females only, exceptP. jucundusThorell, 1894 andP. sudeepiBiswas, 1977 from both sexes andP. quadrimaculatusfrom juvenile. Only,P. sudeepiwas reported from India.


CONCLUSIONS
Platythomisus octomaculatus(C. L. Koch, 1845) is recorded after 120 years of its last report; newly recorded from Assam, India which extends its distribution from the previously known localities, Java and Sumatra.Platythomisus sudeepiis newly recorded from the Maharashtra State. The variation in the number of abdominal spots on juvenile, sub-adult and adult ofP. octomaculatusobserved during rearing is reported. Although, the species name 'octomaculatus' suggests eight spots, we observed that the anterior pair of abdominal spots is fused in adults.
Zoology Department, Yashavantrao Chavan Institute of Science, Satara, Satara, Maharashtra, India.
Swara
S
Yadav
College of Forestry, Dapoli 415712, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India.
Vinayak
V
Patil
Makunda Christian Leprosy and General Hospital, Bazaricherra, District Karimganj, Assam, India.
Vijay Anand
VA
Ismavel
Crab spider; Taxonomy; Western Ghats.; morphology