Althepus phousalao Li & Li

Li, Fengyuan, Liu, Chang & Li, Shuqiang, 2018, Ten new species of the spider genus Althepus Thorell, 1898 from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae), ZooKeys 776, pp. 27-60 : 35

Althepus phousalao Li & Li sp. n. Figs 9, 10, 20, 21

Types.

Holotype: ♂, Laos, Champasak Province, Pakse City, Phou Salao, 15°05.284'N, 105°48.671'E, 242 m a.s.l., 15.XI.2012, Z. Yao. Paratype: 1♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality Phou Salao, Laos.

Diagnosis.

Althepus phousalao Li & Li, sp. n. resembles A. leucosternum Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995, in having a triangular distal end of the conductor and one retrolateral spine of cymbium in males, and one spermatheca on each side in females. Males can be distinguished by the longer conductor (versus shorter in A. leucosternum ) (Figure 9B). Females can be distinguished by one thicker, longer spermatheca on each side (versus shorter in A. leucosternum ) (Figure 10A), can be distinguished from all the other known species of the genus by the thick spermathecae (Figure 10A).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length -; carapace 1.09 length, 1.17 width; abdomen missing. Carapace round, yellow, with brown lateral margins and one wide, brown median band, the middle one wider than others (Figure 10C). Cheliceral promargin with two teeth, retromargin with two small teeth (Figure 20E), posterior surface of fang with 14 small denticles. Labium light brown. Sternum yellow, with some irregular brown spots. Legs brown, femur and tibia with white annulations. Leg measurements: I missing, II 19.31 (5.45, 0.44, 5.13, 6.79, 1.50), III 13.01 (3.75, 0.44, 3.40, 4.30, 1.12), IV missing. Male palp (Figure 9 A–D): tarsus with three slightly curved, serrated bristles at the top of cymbial protrusion (two of them were missing, Figure 9D), one hooked spine with tip directed distally and one long spine retrolaterally (Figure 9A); bulb light yellow, ovate; embolus arising retrolatero-proximally from bulb, slender, slightly curved; conductor arising distally from bulb, observably sigmoid; embolus and conductor widely separated (distance less than diameter of bulb).

Female (paratype). Total length 3.20; carapace 0.94 length, 1.13 width; abdomen 1.72 length, 1.00 width. Similar to male in colour and general features of carapace (Figure 10D, E) but smaller. Abdomen elongate, with complex patterns dorsally and ventrally. Internal genitalia with one curved, elongate spermatheca on each side (Figure 10A). Leg measurements: I 26.18 (6.54, 0.48, 7.05, 10.51, 1.60), II missing, III 11.06 (3.25, 0.45, 2.75, 3.55, 1.06), IV 15.84 (4.55, 0.47, 4.36, 5.13, 1.33).

Distribution.

Laos. Known only from the type locality (Figure 21).

Natural history.

Collected in a pit of Phou Salao at an altitude of 242 m.

Remark.

Althepus phousalao Li & Li, sp. n., was labelled as "sp. 23" in Li and Li (2018).