Heptathela uken, Xu, Xin, Ono, Hirotsugu, Kuntner, Matjaz, Liu, Fengxiang & Li, Daiqin, 2019

Xu, Xin, Ono, Hirotsugu, Kuntner, Matjaz, Liu, Fengxiang & Li, Daiqin, 2019, A taxonomic monograph of the liphistiid spider genus Heptathela, endemic to Japanese islands, ZooKeys 888, pp. 1-50 : 1

Heptathela uken sp. nov. Fig. 13

Type material.

Holotype: JAPAN · ♂; Kagoshima-ken, Amami, Uken-son, Oshima-gun, Road No. 85, Redsoil Park; 28.24N, 129.34E; alt. 260 m; 15 September 2013; D. Li and B. Wu leg.; XUX-2013-297.

Paratypes: JAPAN · 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; XUX-2013-298, 301, 302, 304 · 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Kagoshima-ken, Amami, Yamato-son, Amami Forest Park; 28.31N, 129.33E; alt. 300 m; 17 September 2013; D. Li and B. Wu leg.; XUX-2013-305 to 314.

Diagnosis.

Males of H. uken sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of H. kanenoi by the spiniform conductor apex ( Fig. 13A, B, D, E ), from those of H. amamiensis by the dorsal extension of tegular terminal apophysis without dentation ( Fig. 13F, G ). Females of H. uken sp. nov. cannot be diagnosed from those of the other Amami group Heptathela species morphologically ( Fig. 13 H–M ), only by the following unique nucleotide substitutions in the standard DNA barcode alignment: T (161), T (191), G (227), C (236), T (287), T (297), A (299), C (389), T (395), G (413), C (416), G (503), C (509), C (510), T (527), T (558), G (560), G (569), C (578), T (584), C (596), T (614), G (629), G (635), C (650), C (665).

Description.

Male (Holotype). Carapace brown; opisthosoma light brown, with dark brown tergites; cheliceral groove with eight denticles; seven spinnerets. Measurements: BL 11.60, CL 6.10, CW 5.60, OL 6.00, OW 4.30; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; leg I 17.47 (4.80 + 2.28 + 3.67+ 4.42 + 2.30), leg II 17.95 (4.65 + 2.30 + 3.60 + 4.90 + 2.50), leg III 18.80 (4.45 + 2.40 + 3.55 + 5.20 + 3.20), leg IV 23.60 (5.60 + 2.45 + 4.45 + 7.20 + 3.90).

Palp. Prolateral side of paracymbium unpigmented and unsclerotised, numerous setae and spines at the tip of paracymbium ( Fig. 13 A–C ). Contrategulum with serrated margin ( Fig. 13A, B, D, F ). Tegulum with smooth dorsal extension of terminal apophysis ( Fig. 13F, G ). Conductor wide, sclerotised and rugose, with several folds and a spiniform apex ( Fig. 13A, B, D, F ). Embolus sclerotised, wide with a flat opening, and wide saddle-shaped in the prolateral view ( Fig. 13A, B, D, E ).

Females (N = 8). Carapace and opisthosoma colour as in male; cheliceral groove with 13-15 pronounced denticles; tergites similar to male; 7 or 8 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 11.80-16.00, CL 5.90-8.26, CW 5.20-7.20, OL 6.00-8.10, OW 4.60-6.00; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; palp 10.04 (3.05 + 1.89 + 2.30 + 2.80), leg I 12.05 (3.90 + 2.10 + 2.25 + 2.40 + 1.40), leg II 11.30 (3.55 + 2.05 + 1.80+ 2.45 + 1.45), leg III 12.42 (3.60 + 2.05 + 2.10 + 3.00 + 1.67), leg IV 18.33 (5.15 + 2.40 + 3.30 + 4.78 + 2.70).

Female genitalia. A pair of indistinct depressions on the ventro-lateral part of genital atrium ( Fig. 13K ). Two pairs of receptacular clusters along the anterior margin of bursa copulatrix, the inners almost globose, with short genital stalks in distal view, the laterals tuberculate, without genital stalks ( Fig. 13 H–M ).

Etymology.

The species epithet, a noun in apposition, refers to the type locality.

Distribution.

The species is known from the Japanese island Amamioshima ( Fig. 1C ).

Figures

Figure 1. General somatic morphology of Heptathela kimurai (Kishida, 1920) A dorsal view B ventral view and map showing the sampling localities of Heptathela specimens from Kyushu to central Ryukyus (C).

Figure 13. Male and female genital anatomy of Heptathela uken sp. nov. A-G 3297 (holotype, short for XUX- 2013 - 297) H, K, J 3301 I, L, M 3309 A palp prolateral view B palp ventral view C palp retrolateral view D-G palp distal view H, I vulva dorsal view K, L vulva ventral view J, M vulva distal view; 3297, 3301: Uken-son, Amamioshima; 3309: Yamato-son, Amamioshima. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.