Althepus xianxi Liu, Li, Wongprom, Zheng, and Li 2017
- Dataset
- Eleven new species of the spider genus Althepus Thorell, 1898 (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from Thailand
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Liu, Chang, Li, Fengyuan, Wongprom, Prasit, Zheng, Guo, Li, Shuqiang (2017): Eleven new species of the spider genus Althepus Thorell, 1898 (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from Thailand. Zootaxa 4350 (3): 469-499, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4350.3.3
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Arachnida
- order
- Araneae
- family
- Ochyroceratidae
- genus
- Althepus
- species
- Althepus xianxi
description
Description. Male (holotype). Total length 3.22; carapace 1.09 length, 1.41 width; abdomen 1.83 length, 0.88 width. Carapace rounded (Fig. 20 G), yellow, with narrow marginal bands and one wide median band. Anterior margin of thoracic region distinctly elevated. Clypeus brown. Cheliceral promargin with two teeth, followed by a lamina, retromargin with two small teeth (Fig. 21 K). Labium black-brown. Sternum brown. Abdomen elongate, with complex patterns of white and dark-brown dorsally and ventrally. Legs brown, femur and tibia annulated with white. Leg measurements: I missing, II 21.27 (5.77 0.50, 5.64, 8.01, 1.35), III 13.16 (3.85, 0.50, 3.59, 4.49, 1.03), IV 20.82 (5.83, 0.50, 5.71, 7.50, 1.28). Male palp (Figs 19 A – D): tarsus with three slightly curved, serrated bristles at the top of cymbial protrusion (Fig. 19 D), one spine slightly bent with tip directed towards proximally (Fig. 19 A); one strong spine and one bristle arising from tubercles; bulb dark yellow, ovate; embolus arising retrolatero-distally from bulb, curved and extremely long proximally; conductor arising prolatero-proximally from bulb, with forked structures on the distal part; embolus and conductor widely separated (the distance is almost equal to diameter of bulb). Female (paratype). Similar to male in coloration and general features (Figs 20 H – I), but with a smaller body size. Internal genitalia with a pair of loosely twisted transparent spermathecae (Fig. 20 E). Measurements: total length 3.00; carapace 0.88 length, 1.06 width; abdomen 1.75 length, 1.00 width. Legs I 22.89 (5.45, 0.38, 6.03, 8.72, 2.31), legs II missing, III 9.99 (2.88, 0.38, 2.56, 3.21, 2.37), IV 13.97 (3.97, 0.38, 3.85, 4.49, 1.28). Variation. Carapace 1.00 – 1.09 length, 1.19 – 1.41 width, tibia I 5.38 – 8.72 (leg I lost in male holotype) in males; Carapace 0.88 – 0.94 length, 1.06 – 1.09 width, tibia I 6.03 (leg I lost in other specimen) in females.
diagnosis
Diagnosis. The species resembles A. jiandan sp. nov. (Figs 6 – 7) with the male palp, but can be distinguished by the small conductor (Figs 19 A – D) as well as by the loosely twisted spermathecae (Fig. 20 E).
distribution
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 22).
etymology
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Chinese pinyin ' xiān xì', which means ' slender', referring to the slender spermathecae; noun in apposition.
materials_examined
Type material. Holotype: Male (IZCAS) Thailand, Yala Province, Betong District, Ban Bo Nam Ron Village. 05 ° 49.960 ' N, 101 ° 04.080 ' E, altitude 384 m, 24 October 2015. Paratypes: 2 females and 2 males, same data as holotype (IZCAS).