Nesticella michaliki, Grall & Jäger, 2016

Grall, Elena & Jäger, Peter, 2016, Four new species of the spider genus Nesticella Lehtinen & Saaristo, 1980 from Laos, Thailand and Myanmar and the first description of the male of Nesticella yui Wunderlich & Song, 1995 with a proposed new diagnostic character for the family Nesticidae Simon, 1894 (Arachnida, Araneae), Zootaxa 4085 (2) : -

Nesticella michaliki new species

Figs 20–23 , 31–32 , 40

Type material. Holotype male, 1 male, 5 females paratypes. MYANMAR: Southern Chin State: Nat Ma Taung National Park , Nat Ma Taung summit , 21°14 ' 4.9"N, 93°54 ' 7.2"E, 3066 m elevation, disturbed primary oak forest with bamboo, at day, P. Jäger leg. by hand and sieving, 19.05.2014 ( SMF).

Additional material. 2 female paratypes with same data as the type material ( IZCAS)

Etymology. This species name honours our dear colleague Peter Michalik from Greifswald, who helped us with scanning the female copulatory organ of N. laotica n. sp. and who made excellent contributions to the knowledge of the reproductive systems of spiders; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis. Nesticella michaliki n. sp. is similar to Nesticella foelixi n. sp. in having a thickened embolus but can be distinguished by the shorter embolus, the terminal apophysis with three tips ( Fig. 20 ), the longer palpal tibia and the dark grey abdomen with white spots. Females can be recognized from all other Nesticella species by the epigynum wider than long and the winding of the copulatory duct transversal to the body length axis ( Fig. 22 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 2.10; cephalothorax 0.95 long, 0.85 wide; abdomen 1.10 long, 0.70 wide. Eye measurements: AME; ALE 0.09; 0.085 PME; 0.09 PLE; AME–AME; AME–ALE; PME–PME; PME–PLE; AME–PMA; ALE–PLE 0; clypeus–AME, clypeus–ALE. Leg formula: I, IV, II, III; measurements of palp and legs: palp: 1.22 (0.47, 0.16, 0.23, 0.36); I: 4.75 (1.30, 0.42, 1.25, 1.15, 0.63); II: 3.70 (1.05, 0.35, 0.91, 0.84, 0.55); III: 3.20 (0.91, 0.33, 0.74, 0.73, 0.49); IV: 4.65 (1.30, 0.39, 1.25, 1.10, 0.61).

Cephalothorax yellow to brown with black pattern between fovea and eyes and lateral blackish pattern. Abdomen dark grey, medially with white spots, the latter fused in front of spinnerets to a line ( Fig. 31 ), around spinnerets with white spots. Legs yellow. Mt and Ti reddish-browni.

Palps as in diagnosis. Long palpal tibia. Embolus strongly developed. Distinct terminal apophysis. Conductor pointed. Paracymbium in retrolateral view almost rectangular with two lateral apices.

Female. Total length 2.50; cephalothorax 1.00 long, 0.85 wide; abdomen 1.40 long, 1.10 wide. Eye measurements: AME 0.02; ALE 0.08; PME 0.08; PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.02; AME–ALE 0.02; PME–PME 0.08; PME–PLE 0.01; AME–PMA 0.04; ALE–PLE 0.00; clypeus–AME 0.21, clypeus–ALE 0.22. Leg formula: I, IV, II, III; measurements of palp and legs: palp: 1.38 (0.51, 0.17, 0.23, 0.47); I: 4.47 (1.30, 0.44, 1.19, 0.92, 0.62); II: 3.49 (1.01, 0.39, 0.86, 0.71, 0.52); III: 2.99 (0.82, 0.35, 0.69, 0.63, 0.50); IV: 4.31 (1.30, 0.41, 1.18, 0.85, 0.57).

Cephalothorax yellow to light brown with black pattern between fovea and eyes as well as lateral blackish pattern. Abdomen dorsally dark grey to grey with discrete, delicate light grey patterning ventrally light grey, in the posterior third with median white line reaching spinnerets, around spinnerets with white spots ( Fig. 32 ). Legs light yellow. Ti, Mt & T reddish-brown.

Epigynum as in diagnosis. Short trapezoidal scape. Vulva dorsally with posterior incision between lateral lobes. Large apical chambers with sclerotized structures inside and with apical glandular pores. Copulatory duct with a bit more than one winding.

Variation Male (n=1). Total length 2.10; cephalothorax 0.90–0.95 long, 0.80–0.85 wide; abdomen 1.10–1.20 long, 0.70–0.85 wide. Eye measurements: 0.02 AME; 0.08–0.09 ALE; 0.07–0.085 PME; 0.09–0.09 PLE; 0.025 AME–AME; 0.02 AME–ALE; 0.055 PME–PME; 0.025 PME–PLE; 0.04 AME–PMA; 0–0ALE–PLE; 0.13 clypeus–AME, 0.16 clypeus–ALE. Leg formula for all male spiders: I, IV, II, III; measurements of palp and legs: palp: total length: 1.19–1.22, Fe 0.44–0.47, Pa 0.14–0.16, Ti 0.22–0.23, Ta 0.36–0.39; I: 4.59–4.75, Fe 1.22–1.30, Pa 0.40–0.42, Ti 1.22–1.25, Mt 1.13–1.15, Ta 0.62–0.63; II: 3.50–3.70, Fe 0.97–1.05, Pa 0.33–0.35, Ti 0.85–0.91, Mt 0.81–0.84, Ta 0.54–0.55; III: 2.94–3.20, Fe 0.83–0.91, Pa 0.29–0.33, Ti 0.68–0.74, Mt 0.66–0.73, Ta 0.48–0.49; IV: 4.29–4.65, Fe 1.21–1.30, Pa 0.37–0.39, Ti 1.17–1.25, Mt 1.00–1.10, Ta 0.54–0.61.

Ti of paratype male with one black band distally and proximally.

Female (n=6). Total length 2.30–3.00; cephalothorax 1.00–1.10 long, 0.80–0.90 wide; abdomen 1.20–1.90 long, 0.88–1.35 wide. Eye measurements: 0.02–0.025 AME; 0.08–0.09 ALE; 0.08–0.09 PME; 0.08–0.10 PLE; 0.02–0.04 AME–AME; 0.02–0.03 AME–ALE; 0.06–0.08 PME–PME; 0.01–0.03 PME–PLE; 0.03–0.06 AME– PMA; 0.00–0.01 ALE–PLE; 0.18–0.22 clypeus–AME, 0.20–0.26 clypeus–ALE. Leg formula for all female spiders: I, IV, II, III; measurements of palp and legs: palps: total length 1.25–1.38, Fe 0.4 0–0.51, Pa 0.16–0.18, Ti 0.22–0.26, Ta 0.42–0.48; I: 4.32–4.58, Fe 1.20–1.30, Pa 0.42–0.46, Ti 1.14–1.22, Mt 0.92–1.00, Ta 0.60–0.63; II: 3.40–3.64, Fe 0.96–1.05, Pa 0.36–0.40, Ti 0.84–0.91, Mt 0.71–0.78, Ta 0.52–0.57; III: 2.98–3.13, Fe 0.82–0.91, Pa 0.34–0.35, Ti 0.66–0.73, Mt 0.62–0.65, Ta 0.46–0.51; IV: 4.18–4.44, Fe 1.20–1.30, Pa 0.41–0.44, Ti 1.12–1.22, Mt 0.85–0.93, Ta 0.53–0.59.

Fe, Ti & Mt of some females distally with brown band.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 40. Map with distributional records of Nesticella spp. Blue triangle— N. yui, green squares— N. beccus new species, brown stars— N. laotica new species, red circle— N. foelixi new species, black diamond— N. michaliki new species.

FIGURES 20 – 23. Nesticella michaliki new species. 20 – 21, Male palp (20, ventral; 21, retrolateral). 22, Epigynum, ventral. 23, Vulva, dorsal. AC, apical chamber of functional receptaculum; C, conductor; CD, copulatory duct; DP, dorsal process of paracymbium; E, embolus; FD, fertilization duct; GP, glandular pores; Ta, terminal apophysis; VP; ventral process of paracymbium.

FIGURES 24 – 32. Nesticella new species, habitus, dorsal. 24 – 25, Nesticella yui; 26 – 27, Nesticella beccus n. sp.; 28, Nesticella foelixi n. sp.; 29 – 30, Nesticella laotica n. sp.; 31 – 32, Nesticella michaliki n. sp. (24, 26, 28, 29, 31 male, 25, 27, 30, 32 female).