JUMPiNG SPIDERS OF BANGLADESH : GENUS MARPI.SSA KOCH (ARANEAE : SAL TICIDAE)

'Jumping spiders' (Salticidae) of the genus Marpissa Koch are one of the important predators of insect pests in the garden and crop-fields. Works on this spiders in this Subcontinent is scarce. In India, Pocock (1900), Narayan (1915), Tikader (1967, '74a, b, '75, '77a, b), Tikader and Biswas (1981), Biswas and Biswas (1992) and Proszynski (1992) reported salticid spiders in different times in which very few species were under the genus Marpissa. In Bangladesh, Chowdhury and Pal (1984), Biswas, et. aI., (1993), Okuma, et. aI., (1993) and Biswas and Raychaudhuri (1997) recorded few salticids but there is no report on this genus. Kamal, et. al., (1992) reported M. calcuttaensis Tikader from the paddy fields in Bangladesh. Works on this spiders was done in· various places of the world by different author& (Cutler, 1985; Chikuni, 1989; Locket & Millidge, 1951; Proszynski 1990; Ikeda, 1993; Yaginuma, 1986; Zabka, 1980a, b, '85, '87).

In view of the importance of spiders .as biological control agents, the present paper is a part of the survey of the 'spider fauna of Barisal division' , Bangladesh. It contains description 'of a new species M. proszynskii together with the taxonomic position of another species M. bengalensis Tikader which is a new record from the area. General : Cephalothorax brown, legs yellow-brown; abdomen pale-brown, with dark brown bands. Total body length 5.60 mm. Carapace 2.80 mm long, 2.00 mm wide; abdomen 3.00 mm long, 2.00 mm wide.
Cephalothorax : Longer than wide, both anterior and posteriorly narrowing, medially broad, clothed with hairs and pubescense; cephalic region raised, anterior margin slightly curved. Eyes pearly-white, dissimilar, anterior row of eyes recurved; anteromedians nearly 21/2 times larger than the anterolaterals; 2nd row of eyes minute; posterior row of eyes straight; ocular trapezium longer than wide ( fig. 1). Chelicerae brown, broad, thick, with. one sharp tooth on inner margin and 2 on outer margin ( fig. 2). Maxillae and labium pale brown; maxillae little longer than wide, anteriroly scopulat~  Abdomen: Oval, anteriorly little wide, posteriorly narrowed, dorsum decorated with few black bands, clothed with hairs and pubescence ( fig. 1), ventrally pale, with irregular brown spots; epigyne as in fit. 5. Types are at present in the Department of Zoology, Government P. C. College, Bagerhat ¥ld will be deposited to the Museum of the Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh in due course of time.
Etymology,: The species is named after the famous Polish-Arachnologist professor Dr. Jerry Proszynski.

Diagnosis:
The present species M. proszynskii sp. nov. differs with M. decorata Tikader (Tikader, 1974) in :the following characters: 1) The· external appearance of the present species shows a little similarity with M. decorata Tikader.

SUMMARY
The jumping spiders of the genus Marpissa Koch of Barisal division, Bangladesh, is represented by 2 (two) species M. bengalensis Tikader and M. proszynskii sp. nov.
Studies on spiders of this area started since 1994, have revealed the existance of above two species of the genus Marpissa of a particular area of Bangladesh. Identity of the species were. later confirmed by the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta.