Castoponera christae Yamasaki

Yamasaki, Takeshi, Hashimoto, Yoshiaki, Endo, Tomoji, Hyodo, Fujio & Itioka, Takao, 2016, A new species of the genus Castoponera (Araneae, Corinnidae) from Sarawak, Borneo, with comparison to a related species, ZooKeys 596, pp. 13-25 : 14-17

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Corinnidae

Castoponera christae Yamasaki sp. n. Figs 2-8, 9-14, 15-18

Type material.

Holotype male (FRCS; LCo20090226 Itioka), Sungai Liku (Liku River), 4°14'N, 114°03'E, Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Borneo, 29-II-2009, T. Itioka leg. Paratypes: 1 female (FRCS; LCo20070822-AMS2), same locality as the holotype, 22-VIII-2007, Y. Hashimoto & T. Endo leg.; 1 male (MNHAH; LCo20140331-HYO1), same locality as the holotype, 31-III-2014, F. Hyodo leg.

Diagnosis.

In males, Castoponera christae sp. n. is distinguishable from Castoponera ciliata (Deeleman-Reinhold, 1993) and Castoponera scotopoda by the long embolus (Figs 6, 15, cf. figs 445, 449 in Deeleman-Reinhold 2001), and from Castoponera lecythus by the tapering distal region of the bulb: lateral margins are more or less parallel in Castoponera lecythus (Figs 6, 15 vs. Figs 23, 32). In females, Castoponera christae sp. n. is distinguishable from Castoponera ciliata and Castoponera scotopoda by the long and curved insemination ducts (Figs 14, 18, cf. figs 448, 451 in Deeleman-Reinhold 2001), and from Castoponera lecythus by the position of the copulatory opening on the copulatory atrium, the position of insemination duct where it joins the bursa, and the rounded shape of the bursa (Figs 13-14, 17-18 vs. Figs 30-31, 34-35).

Measurements

(holotype male/paratype female). Total length 7.4/8.5. Carapace length 3.07/4.20; width 1.87/2.43; height 0.97/1.20. Clypeus height 0.28/0.37. Eye size: AME 0.18/0.21; ALE 0.12/0.15; PME 0.14/0.18; PLE 0.14/0.18. Width of eye region 0.68/0.98. Distance between PMEs 0.13/0.15. Abdomen length 4.70/8.80; width 1.67/2.33.

Male

(Figs 2-5). Carapace oval, with granulated surface (Fig. 2). Chelicera with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth on fang furrow (Fig. 5). Retrocoxal hymen obviously smaller than ALE, approximately 0.06 mm in diameter. Pedicel wrapped in tube-like sclerite extending from abdomen (Figs 3-4). Abdomen slender pear-shaped, constricted at middle part; entire surface strongly sclerotized (Fig. 2).

Male palp (Figs 6-8, 15-16). Cymbium slender (Fig. 8). Bulb slender teardrop-shaped, including tapering anterior part and globular posterior part (Figs 6, 15); distal part curved toward retrolateral side (Figs 6, 15). Sperm duct beginning at retrolateral surface of bulb, strongly curving once at retrolateral and twice at ventral surfaces (Figs 6-7, 15-16), then extending to embolus (Figs 6, 15). Embolus very slender, strongly curved on horizontal plan against longitudinal axis (Figs 6, 15).

Leg spination. Femur I 1-1-1d, 1pl; tibia I 2-2-2v; metatarsus I 2-2v; femur II 1-1-1d, 1pl; tibia II 2-2-2v; metatarsus II 2-2v; femur III 1-1-1d, 1-1pl, 1-1rl; tibia III 1d, 1-2v, 1-1pl, 1-1rl; metatarsus III 2-2v, 1-1pl, 1-1rl with 5 distal spines; femur IV 1-1-1d, 1-1pl, 1-1rl; tibia IV 1d, 1-2-2v, 1-1pl, 1-1rl; metatarsus IV 2-2v, 1-1pl, 1-1rl with 5 distal spines.

Coloration and setation (Figs 2-4). Carapace dark brown, covered with short fine setae; anterior surface near eye region covered with white plumose setae. Chelicera brown; anterior surface sparsely covered with long gray setae and short transparent setae; promargin of fang furrow densely fringed with long thick setae whose surfaces are rough (Fig. 5). Labium, maxilla, sternum brown. Legs covered with black setae, black plumose setae and transparent plumose setae; plumose setae sparse in tarsi; coxae I, II and III brownish cream; coxa III more darker than I and II; coxa IV brown; trochanters almost same coloration as in coxae; femora light brown, tinged with black in femora I, II and III; patellae yellowish cream to brownish cream; tibiae I and II grayish yellow, III and IV light brown; metatarsi almost same coloration as in tibiae; tarsus I cream, tarsi II and III brownish cream, tarsus IV light brown. Pedicel dark brown. Abdomen blackish brown; entire surface covered with white fine plumose setae, posterior surface additionally covered with long setae; thick white plumose setae forming following markings: a pair of patches and transverse band on anterior dorsum, transverse band encircling abdominal constriction, two or three patches and transverse band on posterior dorsum; posterior end bearing tuft of white long plumose setae.

Female

(Figs 9-12). Almost same as in male, except for abdomen. Abdomen without distinct constriction; anterior half covered with strongly sclerotized surface (Figs 10-11).

Female genitalia (Figs 13-14, 17-18). Copulatory atrium round; copulatory opening located at outer margin of atrium (Figs 13, 17). Insemination duct curving, connecting to outer margin of bursa (Figs 14, 18). Bursa round, accompanying slender spermatheca on posterior margin (Figs 14, 18).

Leg spination. Femur I 1-1-1d, 1pl; tibia I 2-2-2v; metatarsus I 2-2v; femur II 1-1-1d, 1pl; tibia II 2-2-2v; metatarsus II 2-2v; femur III 1-1-1d, 1-1pl, 1-1rl; tibia III 1d, 1-2v, 1-1pl, 1-1rl; metatarsus III 2-2v, 1-1pl, 1-1rl with 5 distal spines; femur IV 1 -1-1d, 1-1pl, 1-1rl; tibia IV 1d, 1-1-2v, 1-1pl, 1-1rl; metatarsus IV 2-2v, 1-1pl, 1-1rl with 5 distal spines.

Coloration and setation. Almost same as in male.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Dr. Christa L. Deeleman-Reinhold, who has made great contributions in studies of corinnid spiders from Southeast Asia.

Distribution.

Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak.

Remarks.

For the female paratype, some morphological characters of the abdomen were not observed because the specimen had once been dried and the soft part of the abdomen was shrunken. However, the sclerotized parts of the abdomen and the genitalia have been well preserved and the identification is possible on the basis of these characters.

Castoponera christae sp. n. is closely related to Castoponera lecythus . The male of Castoponera christae sp. n. can be distinguished from the male of Castoponera lecythus by the medially constricted abdomen (Figs 2-4 vs. Figs 19-21), shape of apical part of the bulb and route of the sperm duct running on the surface of the bulb (Figs 6-7, 15-16 vs. Figs 23-24, 32-33). Additionally, among our specimens of each species, the posterior bulb of Castoponera christae sp. n. is more swollen than that of Castoponera lecythus . In the females it is relatively difficult to distinguish the species using superficial characters. However, the internal genitalic structures are clearly distinct (Figs 14, 18 vs. Figs 31, 35).