Systaria elberti ( Strand 1913 )

Jäger, Peter, 2018, On the genus Systaria (Araneae: Clubionidae) in Southeast Asia: new species from caves and forests, Zootaxa 4504 (4), pp. 524-544 : 538-539

Systaria elberti ( Strand 1913)

Figs 40–43 , 45–46

Clubiona elberti Strand 1913: 119 (description of male; holotype male, 2 females [not mentioned in the original paper, but on the label as questionable, one described as S. elberti by Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: 212, one belonging to Theridiidae {sub Araneidae in Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: 209 }]; examined)

Systaria elberti ; Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: 209 (transfer, description of female)

Note: Strand (1913) did not describe the female as mentioned in the World Spider Catalog (2018), but Deeleman- Reinhold (2001).

Amended diagnosis. Small to medium sized spiders with body length of males: 9.4, of females: 10.1. Males are similar to S. insulana and S. princesa spec. nov. in having a similar conformation of the palp including arising point and shape of embolus and the simple, stretched RTA ( Figs 40–41 ), but may be distinguished from the former by the male RTA with base relatively very wide (=a) and very short distal part (=b, best seen in retrolateral view, Fig. 41 ; with a/b=1.4; 1.0 in S. insulana , Fig. 44 ) and from the latter by the relatively shorter RTA base in comparison to the maximal cymbium width in retrolateral view, i.e. a <width (a> width in S. princesa spec. nov.). Females are similar to those of S. dentata in having similarly bent copulatory ducts leading to connecting tubes between bursae and spermathecae as well as relatively small bursae, but may be distinguished by copulatory ducts roughly right-angled (U-shaped in S. dentata ) and copulatory openings surrounded by strongly sclerotised rims opened medially (with closed rims in S. dentata ).

Description. See Deeleman-Reinhold (2001). One pair of slit sensilla and only few sclerotised spheres are present in the female epigyne.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Figs 45–46 ).

Natural history. The label suggests that specimens were found in the forest in an altitude between 1000 and 1500 metres.

Figures

FIGURE 45. Records of Systaria spp. in SE Asia described in this paper. Triangles—species recorded from caves, circlesspecies recorded from forest.

FIGURE 46. All known records of the genus Systaria (World Spider Catalog 2018) including undescribed species mentioned in Deeleman-Reinhold (2001) according to habitats. Triangles—species recorded from caves, circles—species recorded from forest. See discussion.

FIGURES 40–44. Systaria spp., copulatory organs. 40–43 Systaria elberti (Strand 1913) from Indonesia, Lombok Island (40– 41 holotype male, 42–43 female), 44 Systaria insulana (Rainbow 1809), male from New Hebrides. 40–41, 44 Left palp (40 ventral, 41, 44 retrolateral). 42 Epigyne, ventral. 43 Vulva, dorsal. For explanations of a, b see diagnosis (44 modified from Platnick & Bonaldo 1995, not to scale). Abbreviation: CO—copulatory opening.