Systaria longinqua, Jäger, 2018

Jäger, Peter, 2018, On the genus Systaria (Araneae: Clubionidae) in Southeast Asia: new species from caves and forests, Zootaxa 4504 (4), pp. 524-544 : 527-529

Systaria longinqua spec. nov.

Figs 6–15 , 18 , 45–46

Type material: LAOS: Luang Prabang Province: Holotype: female, Nong Khiao, Tham Pathok , 20°33.082'N, 102°37.925'E, 373 m elevation, in cave, P. Jäger & J. Altmann leg. by hand, 10.3.2006 ( SMF).

Additional material examined. 1 male, with same data as for holotype except for: P. Jäger & F. Steinmetz leg. 18.3.2007 as subadult, adult 20.10.2007 ( SMF; lost) .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin adjective “longinquus”, meaning among others “distant, far away” and referring to the unusually wide distance between the bursae in the female internal duct system; adjective.

Diagnosis. Small spiders with body length of females: 9.9. Males of the new species are similar to those of S. lanna Dankittipakul & Singtripop 2011 in having a similar palpal conformation especially a similarly shaped RTA, tegulum and embolus ( Figs 6–8 ), but can be distinguished by disto-ventral process of RTA short and straight in retrolateral view (longer and distinctly hooked in S. lanna ). Females are similar to those of S. lanna and S. mengla (Song & Zhu 1994) in having a similar conformation of the epigyne including course of atrial rims and position of copulatory openings ( Figs 11–12 ), but may be distinguished by the bursae being distinctly shorter and more widely separated from each other over their entire length (almost touching each other anteriorly in S. lanna and S. mengla ).

Description. Female (holotype): prosoma length 4.8, prosoma width 3.4, anterior width of prosoma 2.2, opisthosoma length 5.1, opisthosoma width 3.0. Eyes ( Fig. 14 ): AME 0.24, ALE 0.20, PME 0.15, PLE 0.21, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.34, PME–PLE 0.26, AME–PME 0.22, ALE–PLE 0.05. Cheliceral furrow with 5(4) promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth ( Fig. 13 ). Spination: Palp: femur d012, patella p1, tibia p21, d11, metatarsus p21, d10, r10, v022; legs: femur I p011, d111, r110, II p011, d111, r111, III p1111, d111, r1111, IV p111, d111, r001; patella I–IV 000; tibia I v200, II v100, III p11, d10, r11, v212, IV p11, d10, r11, v222; metatarsus I–II v200, III p112, r112, v222, IV p122, r122, v222. Leg formula: 4123. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 5.2 (1.8, 0.8, 1.1, -, 1.5), I 13.9 (4.0, 1.9, 3.6, 2.9, 1.5), II 12.8 (3.6, 1.7, 3.4, 2.7, 1.4), III 12.4 (3.5, 1.5, 2.9, 3.0, 1.5), IV 16.9 (4.5, 1.9, 4.2, 4.5, 1.8). Copulatory organ as in diagnosis ( Figs 11–12 ). Epigynal field slightly wider than long, with 1 pair of slit sensilla, without anterior bands. Sclerotised spheres (~75) tiny, visible through cuticle in ventral view. Anterior margin of atrium arched, indistinct, atrial rims forming two U-shaped structures leading to blind-ending pockets. Copulatory openings located laterally posterior to atrial rims. Internal duct system with moderately large stout oval bursae. Connecting duct narrow, spermathecae separated by more than one of their diameter, fertilisation ducts antero-laterad. Colouration. Yellowish-brown without pattern. Fovea, eye region, chelicerae, labium gnathocoxae and sternum darker. Live specimens with shiny appearance ( Fig. 18 ).

Male (SMF; lost after drawing): cheliceral furrow with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth ( Fig. 9 ). AME largest, anterior eyes closer to each other than those of posterior row ( Fig. 10 ). Palp as in diagnosis ( Figs 6–8 ). Cymbium two times longer than tibia. RTA arising distally from tibia with 4 apices in retrolateral view and 2 apices in dorsal view; two apices long, retrolatero-proximad in ventral view, the other two short, retrolatero-distad. Embolus arising in 7- to 8-o’clock-position from tegulum, almost straight, narrowing suddenly from broad base to long narrow apical part. Tip situated close to membranous conductor in 12-o’clock-position. Moderately broad part of spermophor visible in retrolateral and proximal part of tegulum. Colouration. As in female.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Figs 45–46 ).

Natural history. These spiders have been recorded from the dark parts of this relatively small cave. The following organisms have been also found: Heteropoda simplex Jäger & Ono 2000 , Pholcus erawan Huber 2011 , Pholcus namou Huber 2011 , Pholcus sp. cf. namkhan Huber 2011, Telemidae, Opiliones (Laniatores), Ensifera (Rhaphidophoridae), Diplopoda div., Thereuopoda longicornis (Scutigeromorpha) and Isopoda.

Figures

FIGURE 45. Records of Systaria spp. in SE Asia described in this paper. Triangles—species recorded from caves, circlesspecies recorded from forest.

FIGURE 46. All known records of the genus Systaria (World Spider Catalog 2018) including undescribed species mentioned in Deeleman-Reinhold (2001) according to habitats. Triangles—species recorded from caves, circles—species recorded from forest. See discussion.

FIGURES 6–10. Systaria longinqua spec. nov., male from N Laos, Tham Pathok. 6–8 Left palp (6 ventral, 7 retrolateral, 8 dorsal). 9 Right chelicera, ventral. 10 Eye arrangement, dorsal. Abbreviations: C—Conductor, CT—Cymbial tubercle, E— Embolus, RTA—Retrolateral tibial apophysis, Sp—Spermophor [9–10 not to scale].

FIGURES 11–15. Systaria longinqua spec. nov., holotype female from N Laos, Tham Pathok. 11 Epigyne, ventral. 12 Vulva, dorsal. 13 Left chelicera, ventral. 14 Prosoma, dorsal. 15 Spinnerets, ventral (not all setae drawn). Abbreviation: COcopulatory opening.

FIGURES 18–19. Systaria spp., live habitus. 18 Systaria longinqua spec. nov., holotype female from N Laos, Tham Pathok. 19 Systaria procera spec. nov., female paratype from NW Cambodia, La Ang Pracheu (19 photo courtesy of H. Steiner).