Suffasia kanchenjunga, Ono, Hirotsugu, 2006

Ono, Hirotsugu, 2006, Two new species of spiders of the family Zodariidae (Araneae) from eastern Nepal, Zootaxa 1325, pp. 319-326 : 323-325

Suffasia kanchenjunga sp. nov.

Figs 11–24

Type material. Male holotype from Gitang Khola, 2550 m alt., Lithocarp., Ilam District, eastern Nepal, 28.–31. March 1980, J. Martens and A. Ausobsky leg. ( SMF); paratypes: 3 females, 3 males, same data as for the holotype (2 females, 2 males SMF; 1 female, 1 male NSMT­Ar 5904–5905).

Non type material (variant). 1 female, 1 male, same data as for above (NSMT­Ar 5906–5907).

Diagnosis. See diagnosis for the former new species.

Description (based on the male holotype and a female paratype). Measurement: Body length female 3.32 mm, male 2.80 mm; prosoma length female 1.60 mm, male 1.44 mm, width female 1.20 mm, male 1.12 mm; opisthosoma length female 1.72 mm, male 1.36 mm, width female 1.40 mm, male 1.08 mm; lengths of legs [total length (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus)]: female I 4.12 mm (1.12 + 0.36 + 1.00 + 1.08 + 0.56), II 3.72 mm (1.04 + 0.44 + 0.80 + 0.92 + 0.52), III 3.76 mm (1.00 + 0.44 + 0.80 + 1.04 + 0.48), IV 4.80 mm (1.24 + 0.44 + 1.12 + 1.40 + 0.60); male I 4.48 mm (1.20 + 0.40 + 1.12 + 1.16 + 0.60), II 3.92 mm (1.12 + 0.40 + 0.88 + 1.00 + 0.52), III 3.92 mm (1.08 + 0.40 + 0.80 + 1.12 + 0.52), IV 5.00 mm (1.32 + 0.40 + 1.12 + 1.56 + 0.60.

Prosoma. Carapace longer than wide (length/width female 1.33, male 1.29), with a distinct fovea. Eyes: the anterior eye row straight, the posterior one recurved in dorsal view, both eye rows procurved in frontal view. PME> PLE = ALE> AME (8:7:7: 5 in size) in female, PME = PLE = ALE> AME (6:6:6: 5 in size) in male, AME–AME =AME –ALE, PME–PME <PME–PLE (8: 9 in female, 6: 7 in male), clypeus much higher than the anterior width of median ocular area (20: 7 in female, 17: 6 in male), median ocular area longer than wide (length/ width 1.20 in female, 1.16 in male), wider behind than in front (anterior width/ posterior width 0.70 in female, 0.63 in male). Labium triangular, slightly wider than long (length/ width 0.88 in female, 0.86 in male), sternum slightly wider than long (length/ width 0.89 in female, 0.94 in male), its lateral margin with small, pointed extensions fitting in coxal concavities of legs. Chelicerae without teeth, fangs very short. Legs with 1­1 dorsal spines on femora I–IV; other segments of legs without distinct spines.

Male pedipalpus ( Figs 12–18 ): Tibia developed, very wide and flat, the ventrodistal margin strongly sclerotized forming long groove with strongly sclerotized margin ( Fig. 13 ). Cymbium with wide basolateral fold and proximal process overlapping dorsal margin of tibia ( Fig. 16 ). Embolus strongly filiform and not visible in ventral view, and without embolic apophysis; median apophysis membranous, with bifid top in apical view ( Fig. 14 ); distal tegular apophysis large, with spiniform process on top ( Fig. 12 ).

Opisthosoma oval, longer than wide (length/width female 1.23, male 1.26). Anterior spinnerets cylindrical, posterior spinnerets shorter than the anterior ones. Male opisthosoma with a weakly sclerotized, dorsal plate much longer than wide.

Female genitalia ( Figs 21–24 ): Epigynum longer than wide, copulatory opening situated in anterior part of epigynum; scape very long, narrower than that of former new species ( Fig. 21 ); intromittent orifices clearly separated; intromittent ducts tubular and short; spermathecae ovate, well­sclerotized ( Figs 23–24 ).

Coloration and markings ( Figs 11 , 19 ). Female and male: carapace yellowish brown, with central, brown cordate marking; chelicerae yellowish brown; gnathocoxaeae, labium and sternum light brown; pedipalpi and legs light yellowish brown; opisthosoma dorsally blackish brown with two pairs of white spots and two bars, ventrally light beige with an indistinct, central brown marking, spinnerets yellow.

Variation. Body length of females 2.92–3.28 mm, males 2.60–2.84 mm. One female shows different opisthosomal pattern ( Fig. 20 ). The scape of epigynum can be broken off as shown in another paratype ( Fig. 22 ). One male (non type) shows quite a different shape of its palpal organ, especially the wider tibia ( Fig. 17 ) and the different shape of dorsoproximal margin of cymbium ( Fig. 18 ). Although this individual was found at the same locality and was stored in the same tube as the type series, it could belong to another species closely related to the present new species.

Distribution. Eastern Nepal (at present known only from the type locality).

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the name of the mountain in the vicinity of the type locality, Mt Kanchenjunga , which soars over 8500 m into the air.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 18. Suffasia kanchenjunga sp. nov., male holotype (11 – 16) and a male variant (17 – 18). 11 Opisthosoma, dorsal view; 12 Left pedipalpus, ventral view; 13 Left pedipalpus, retrolateral view; 14 Tegular apophysis, apical view; 15, 17 Palpal tibia and the proximal part of tarsus, retrolatero­dorsal view; 16, 18 Dito, dorsal view. Scale bars: 11, 0.5 mm; 12 – 18, 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 19 – 24. Suffasia kanchenjunga sp. nov., female paratypes. 19 – 20 Opisthosoma, dorsal view; 21 – 22 Epigynum, ventral view, with and without scape; 23 Internal genitalia, ventral view; 24 Internal genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bars: 19 – 20, 0.5 mm; 21 – 24, 0.1 mm.