Sinoalaria cavernicola (Lin, Li & Jaeger, 2014)

Figs 3, 4, 17

Alaria cavernicola Lin, Li & Jäger, 2014: 77, figs 1A-H, 2A-E, 3A-G, 4A, B (♂♀).

Sinoalaria cavernicola: Zhao and Li 2014: 41.

Material examined.

1♂ 10♀, Laos: Ban Kouanphavang Khammouane Province: 30.02 km northeast of Thakhek Town, Tham Kamouk Cave, 17°37.914'N, 104°07.458'E, 193 m, 24.XI.2012, Z. Yao and S. Li leg. ; 2♂ 5♀, Thailand: Satun Province: Thung wa District, Cave without name-cave A & B, 07°03.966'N, 99°50.478'E, 12 m, 1-3.XII.2013, F. Ballarin leg. ; 1♂ 8♀, Thung wa District, Cave without name, 07°06.276'N, 99°47.502'E, 25 m, 29.XI.2013, F. Ballarin leg.

Diagnosis.

Males of S. cavernicola and S. chi sp. nov. share the following features: the proximal process of median apophysis with a blunt and serrated tip, and the distal process of median apophysis with a slightly furcated apex (Figs 3A, 7A) (proximal process not serrated, distal process not furcated in all other Sinoalaria species, including S. chengguanensis and S. navicularis; Figs 5A, 9A), but can be differ from the latter by: (1) distal process of median apophysis long and narrow, slightly longer and distinctly narrower than base of median apophysis in S. cavernicola (short and wide, slightly shorter and narrower than base of median apophysis in S. chi sp. nov.) (cf. Fig. 3A and Fig. 7A); (2) both rami on distal process of median apophysis distinct, are of equal length, the lower one with a relatively blunt tip in S. cavernicola (the lower ramus tooth-shaped, apex sharp, distinctly longer than the indistinct upper ramus in S. chi sp. nov.) (cf. Fig. 3A and Fig. 7A); (3) embolic base relatively larger, wider than 2/3 of tegulum length in S. cavernicola (relatively smaller, its width ca 1/2 of tegulum length in S. chi sp. nov.) (cf. Fig. 3B and Fig. 7B); (4) embolus relatively shorter, terminating at ca 10 o’clock position both in retrolateral and ventral view in S. cavernicola (distinctly longer, terminating at ca 8 o’clock position in retrolateral view, terminating at ca 4 o’clock position in ventral view in S. chi sp. nov.) (cf. Fig. 3B, C and Fig. 7B, C). Females of S. cavernicola are also similar to those of S. chi sp. nov. by the epigynal plate with a long, completely membranous, rugose scape which distally with a pocket-like hood, and by the similar configurations of vulva (Figs 4E-G, 8E-G), but they can be differentiated by the shapes and the courses of copulatory ducts: the ventral and anterior folds represented by two nearly globular bursae, the dorsal and posterior folds running horizontally, forming only one loop in S. cavernicola (Fig. 4G); in contrast, the ventral and anterior folds represented by two oblong bursae, the dorsal and posterior folds represented by a longitudinal loop and a horizontal loop in S. chi sp. nov. (Fig. 8G).

Description.

See Lin et al. (2014). Male palp as in Fig. 3, epigyne as in Fig. 4E-G, and habitus as in Fig. 4A-D.

Distribution.

Laos and Thailand (Fig. 17).