Aposphragisma monoceros Thoma, 2014

THOMA, MARCO, KRANZ-BALTENSPERGER, YVONNE, KROPF, CHRISTIAN, GRABER, WERNER, NENTWIG, WOLFGANG & FRICK, HOLGER, 2014, The new Southeast Asian goblin spider genus Aposphragisma (Araneae, Oonopidae): diversity and phylogeny, Zootaxa 3798 (1), pp. 1-86 : 53-54

Aposphragisma monoceros Thoma , sp. nov.

( Figs. 32–33 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male ( PBI_OON 00036324 ), Temburong District ( BRUNEI), Ashton Trail near Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre , 21 km SSW of Bangar, 150 m [04°32′30.78′′N 115°09′18′′E; prov.], 1.X.2009, primary mixed dipterocarp forest, sifting leaf litter, leg. C. Griswold & N. Chousou Polydouri, deposited at CAS ( UT003 , CASENT 9029917 ) . PARATYPES: 2 males ( PBI_OON 00032178 ), collected together with holotype, deposited at CAS ( UT004 , CASENT 9036043 ) .

Etymology. The species epithet, a noun in apposition, is a Greek term meaning ‘unicorn’. It refers to the single ‘horn’ the species bears on the posterior part of its carapace.

Diagnosis. A. monoceros sp. nov. belongs to the stripe-clade and can be distinguished from other species of this clade by the combination of the following traits: carapace with one pair of lateral double-toothed spikes (dts) ( Figs. 32 D–E); carapace margin with pointed denticles, sluice restricted to posterior margin ( Fig. 32D ). It is the only species of the stripe-clade possessing a single ‘horn’ (ho) at the posterior edge of pars cephalica ( Figs. 32D, F ).

Description. Description based on 3 males.

MALE. With the characters of the genus except as noted. Body length 1.66–1.71 mm (n=3), carapace length 0.79 mm (n=3). Sclerotized parts uniformly coloured orange brown, close to colour 36 ‘amber’; legs slightly paler than body. Setae especially on abdominal scutae slightly longer and darker if compared to most congeners. Habitus: Figs. 32 A–C.

CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace: surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides strongly reticulate, partly interrupted by small smooth areas ( Fig. 32F ); posterior edge of pars cephalica with a single ‘horn’ (ho) ( Figs. 32D, F ); carapace margin with pointed denticles, sluice restricted to posterior margin ( Figs. 32 D–E), posterolateral corners with a pair of double-toothed spikes (dts) ( Fig. 32D, E ). Eyes: posterior eye-row recurved from above, procurved from front; ALE largest, separated by their radius to diameter; ALE-PLE touching; PME touching throughout most of their length; PLE-PME touching ( Figs. 32D, G ). Sternum coarsely ornamented except smooth median stripe and broadly smooth edges (ornamentation arranged in an ovoid band; Fig. 32E ); posterior margin with a rather narrow single extension, covered with few blunt denticles ( Fig. 32E ). Pleura: surface smooth with pairs of large pits dorsally of each coxa I, II and III (as in A. brunomanseri sp. nov., cf fig. 10B). Mouthparts: chelicerae promargin distally extending into a short inwards pointing tooth-like projection (tlp) ( Fig. 32E ).

ABDOMEN. Book lung covers large, elongated elliptical (sides slightly concave), about 3 times longer than wide, darker in colour than surroundings ( Fig. 33A ). Epigastric scutum dorsally with widely oval subterminal ridge (sr) ( Fig. 33A , partly covered by dorsal abdominal scutum in this case). Postepigastric scutum long, semicircular, with short posteriorly directed lateral apodemes (lap) ( Fig. 33B ). Dorsal abdominal setae very long and darkish.

GENITALIA. Epigastric region: sperm pore (sp) situated at level of posterior spiracles ( Fig. 33 A–B). Palp: basal segments same colour as body but bulb and cymbium much lighter (pale orange); bulb rather stout, tapering apically ( Figs. 33 C–D). Embolus (em) tip spatulate ( Fig. 33C, E ); embolic spine (esp) with fringed tip ( Fig. 33E ). Conductor (con) with broad tip (appearing ‘snout’-like in lateral view; Fig. 33E ). Embolus-conductor-complex about as long as bulb ( Figs. 33 C–D).

Intraspecific variation. Body size variable (see above). Number of denticles on carapace margin varies. One paratype male much lighter in colour, yellow to pale-orange.

Distribution. Temburong District, BRUNEI ( Fig. 49 ).

Figures

FIGURE 32. Aposphragisma monoceros sp. nov. Male: A. habitus dorsal view; B. habitus ventral view; C. habitus lateral view; D. carapace dorsal view; E. prosoma ventral view; F. carapace lateral view; G. carapace front view. Dts, double-toothed spike; tlp, tooth-like projection of male chelicerae; ho, horn (modified hair-base). Scale bars: A–G 500 µm.

FIGURE 33. Aposphragisma monoceros sp. nov. Male: A. abdomen lateral view; B. abdomen ventral view; C–D. palp prolateral view (D: hairs omitted except trichobothria); E. embolus-conductor-complex prolateral view. Cb, conical bulge; con, conductor; dc, dorsal comb; em, embolus; esp, embolic spine; lap, postepigastric lateral apodemes; lc, lateral comb; sp, sperm pore; spp, spermophor; sr, subterminal widely oval scutal ridge. Scale bars: A–B 500 µm; C–D 100 µm; E 50 µm.

FIGURE 49. Distribution of Aposphragisma gen. nov. in Southeast Asia. Stripe clade: 1) A. baltenspergerae sp. nov., 2) A. borgulai sp. nov., 3) A. brunomanseri sp. nov., 4) A. dayak sp. nov., 5) A. dentatum sp. nov., 6) A. hausammannae sp. nov., 7) A. helvetiorum sp. nov., 8) A. kolleri sp. nov., 9) A. menzi sp. nov., 10) A. monoceros sp. nov., 11) A. retifer sp. nov., 12) A. salewskii sp. nov., 13) A. sepilok sp. nov. Non-stripe clade species: 14) A. confluens sp. nov., 15) A. draconigenum sp. nov., 16) A. nocturnum sp. nov., 17) A. rimba sp. nov., 18) A. scimitar sp. nov., 19) A. stannum sp. nov. Scale bars: 500 km.