What is Asceua tertia?

About Asceua tertia:

• It is a new species of ground-dwelling spider discovered in the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, which forms part of the Western Ghats.
• It is the third species of the genus Asceua to be documented in India, the others being Asceua cingulata (Simon, 1905) and Asceua thrippalurensis (Sankaran, 2023). 
• This genus belongs to the ant-eating spider family Zodariidae and is distinguished by its small size, laterally compressed bulbs, well-developed cymbial folds, long and convoluted copulatory ducts, and dual femoral glands.
• Features of Asceua tertia:
  • The size ranges from 2.54 mm in males to 3.2 mm in females. 
  • The males of the species have a yellow-brown prosoma with creamy white to yellow-brown leg and palp segments featuring broad brown patches and narrow longitudinal stripes.
  • The abdomen displays three pairs of narrow, creamy white stripes arranged obliquely, a white dot near the rear, and numerous tiny creamy white spots on the sides.
  • The females have a dark brown prosoma and a wide, oval abdomen with four pairs of creamy white stripes, along with small anterior and broad posterior creamy white patches on the sides. 

Key Facts about Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is a protected area located in the Western Ghats of India, in the Kollam district of Kerala.
• This sanctuary derives its name from Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica), a tree species endemic to this region.
• It comes under the control of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve.
• Flora: Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests cover a major area of the sanctuary.
• Fauna:Includes tigers, gaurs, elephants, sambar deers, sloth bears, Malabar Raven, Malabar banded swallowtail, Red-disc Bushbrown, etc.