Latouchia formosensis smithi, Tso & Haupt & Zhu, 2003

Tso, I-Min, Haupt, Joachim & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2003, The Trapdoor Spider Family Ctenizidae (Arachnida: Araneae) From Taiwan, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 51 (1), pp. 25-33 : 30-32

Latouchia formosensis smithi , new subspecies

( Figs. 25-40 )

Material examined. – Holotype - male, Lugu Country, Nantou County, Taiwan, coll. Wen-Hao Chou, Feb.1997 (NMNS-THU- Ar-01-0006).

Paratypes – 2 males, Hui-Sun Experimental Forest Station , Nantou County, Taiwan, coll. Hai-Yin Wu, Apr.1998 (NMNS-THU-Ar- 00-0027 and 0028) ; 1 male, Hui-Sun Experimental Forest Station , Nantou County, Taiwan, coll. Sheng-Hai Wu, Nov.1998 (NMNS- THU-Ar-00-0025) ; 1 female, Lugu Country , Nantou County, Taiwan, coll. Wen-Hao Chou, 29 Jan.1996 (NMNS-THU-Ar-01- 0001) ; 1 female, Lugu Country , Nantou County, Taiwan, coll. Wen- Hao Chou, 27 Nov.1995 (NMNS-THU-Ar-01-0003) ; 1 female, the same data as in holotype (NMNS-THU-Ar-01-0004) .

Diagnosis. – The new subspecies resembles Latouchia formosensis formosensis Kayashima, 1943 , but differs from the latter in male palpal tibia without short and strong setae on retrolateral side, embolus with a small triangular apophysis in the middle and not bent at the tip ( Figs. 27- 30 ); terminal and tubular parts of spermatheca in a right angle in outer surface, base of tubular part thicker ( Fig. 40 ).

Etymology. – The specific name is a patronym in honor of Dr. A. Smith.

Description of male holotype. – Total length, including chelicerae, 20.43; prosoma 5.94 long, 5.85 wide; opisthosoma 6.48 long, 5.13 wide. Carapace yellow brown, glabrous, only with a few setae at the edge, on eye tubercle and on its back. Caput low. Eye tubercle black and raised. Fovea strongly procurved and “U”-shaped. Eight eyes in two rows, with the anterior eye row procurved and posterior row

recurved from above, the latter slightly wider than the former; eye group 0.63 long, 1.18 wide; ALE-AME 0.10, AME-AME 0.05, PLE-PME 0.03, PME-PME 0.40; MOA 0.50 long, front width 0.55, back width 0.75; ALE: AME: PLE: PME (0.35: 0.25: 0.28: 0.18). Clypeus width 0.18.

Chelicerae red brown; 7 teeth on inner margin, which the distal three teeth smallest, 4 teeth on outer margin, with a denticle between the third and fourth teeth ( Fig. 26 ); rastellum consists of seven coniform spines, of which four in the first row largest ( Fig. 25 ).Labium, coxae of palp (maxillae) and sternum yellow brown. Labium 0.70 long, 1.10 wide. Coxae of palp (maxillae) 2.07 long, 1.35 wide; with 12-17 cuspules on basal inner angle ventrally; serrula absent. Sternum 3.60 long, 3.24 wide, with a sigillum three branched at the center.

Legs red brown, longer than in female. Tarsal trichobothria similar to those of female. Tarsi I and II with relatively sparse scopulae. Leg I with strong spines on the end of prolateral femur, prolateral and ventral lateral patella and tibia; leg II with strong prolateral and ventral spines on patella, tibia ( Fig. 31 ) and metatarsus; leg III, IV with a few relatively slender and longer spines on tibia, metatarsus and tarsus; tibia IV with 3-4 prolateral spines. Claw tufts absent. Legs with three tarsal claws; paired claws with one row of 3-4 small teeth. Leg formula: 4123. Measurement of legs and palp:

I II III IV Palp Femur 6.39 5.94 4.59 6.39 3.87 Patella 2.88 2.79 2.61 2.88 1.98 Tibia 4.95 3.96 2.97 4.95 3.15 Metatarsus 4.41 4.05 4.95 6.30 — Tarsus 2.25 2.25 2.79 3.24 1.20 Total 20.88 18.99 17.91 23.76 10.20

PMS 0.54 long, PMS-PMS 0.17; PLS 1.29 long (basal 0.68, median 0.34, apical 0.27).

Male palpal organ with middle hematodocha, embolus extended triangularly in the middle, cymbium with more than 10 thick setae at the top, and 8 tadpole-shaped, 1 willowleaf-shaped and 3 normal trichobothria on the dorsal surface ( Figs. 27-30 ).

Description of female. – Total length, including chelicerae, 16.92; prosoma 7.83 long, 6.03 wide; opisthosoma 8.28 long, 5.85 wide. Carapace yellow brown, glabrous, only with sparse slender setae at the edge, and a few thick and slender setae on posterior eye tubercle ( Fig. 32 ). Caput low. Eye tubercle black, distinctly raised. Cervicle groove and radial furrows red brown. Fovea strongly procurved and “U”- shaped ( Fig. 32 ). Eight eyes in two rows ( Fig. 34 ), with the anterior row procurved and posterior row recurved from dorsal view, the latter slightly wider than the former; eye group 0.70 long, 1.45 wide; ALE-AME 0.10, AME-AME 0.08, PLE-PME 0.08, PME-PME 0.38; MOA 0.53 long, front width 0.63, back width 0.73; ALE: AME: PLE: PME (0.35: 0.25: 0.38: 0.20). Clypeus width 0.15. Chelicerae red brown; inner margin with 6 teeth, outer margin with 5 teeth and 3 denticles ( Fig. 36 ); rastellum conspicuous, consists of some coniform spines, of which four in the first row largest ( Fig. 35 ).

Labium red brown, 1.02 long, 1.36 wide, cuspules absent ( Fig. 37 ). Coxae of palp (maxillae) yellow brown, 2.61 long, 1.35 wide, with 18-19 cuspules on basal inner angle ventrally; serrula absent ( Fig. 37 ). Sternum yellowish brown, 3.78 long, 3.78 wide, with a large sigillum three branched at the center ( Fig. 37 ).

Palps and legs reddish brown. Leg III and IV distinctly thicker than leg I and II. All tarsi with tadpole-shaped and willow-leaf-shaped trichobothria besides the normal trichobothrial hair shafts. Tibia and tarsus of palp, distal three segments of leg I and II with bands of short thorn-like spines laterally; patella III with two rows of prolateral spines; tibia III with irregular prolateral spines; metatarsus III with a row of prolateral spines; tarsus III and distal three segments of leg IV with a few ventral spines. Scopulae and claw tufts absent. Palpal claw with a large basal tooth; tarsi with 3 claws, paired claws with four teeth in two rows, unpaired tarsal claw without teeth. Leg formula: 4132. Measurement of legs and palp:

I II III IV Palp Femur 4.32 3.60 3.60 4.68 3.87 Patella 2.88 2.61 2.79 2.97 2.43 Tibia 2.61 2.25 1.60 3.15 2.61 Metatarsus 1.98 2.07 2.34 3.42 — Tarsus 1.26 1.35 1.80 1.98 2.61 Total 13.05 11.88 12.13 16.20 11.52

Opisthosoma with numerous fine black hairs and a few thick setae, dorsum black brown, with 5 pairs of yellow-green spots at posterior part, and many transverse-lined yellow-green small spots in black brown areas; laterally with lots of longitudinal black stripes ( Fig. 32 ); ventrally yellow-green. Spinnerets yellowish brown; PMS one-segmented, 0.68 long, PMS-PMS 0.10; PLS three-segmented, 1.70 long (basal 0.68, median 0.61, apical 0.41), shorter and thicker. Genitalia with two boot-shaped spermathecae ( Fig. 40 ).

Distribution. – Taiwan (Nantou County).

Figures

Figs. 25-40. Latouchia formosensis smithi, new subspecies. 25-31, Male: 25. left chelicera, ventral view; 26. teeth of both cheliceral margins, ventral view; 27. left palp, ventral view; 28. left palp with embolus cap; 29. do., retrolateral view; 30. do., prolateral view; 31. left tibia II, prolateral view. 32-40, Female: 32. body, dorsal view; 33. carapace, lateral view; 34. eyes and clypeus; 35. left chelicera, ventral view; 36. teeth of both cheliceral margins, ventral view; 37. labium, coxa of left palp (maxilla) and sternum, ventral view; 38. distal end of tarsus I, prolateral view; 39. spinnerets, ventral view; 40. genitalia, dorsal view. (Scale bars: Figs. 32-33, 37 = 1mm; all the others = 0.5mm).