Trilacuna kropfi Eichenberger

Eichenberger, Beata & Kranz-Baltensperger, Yvonne, 2011, New Trilacuna species from Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra (Araneae, Oonopidae), Zootaxa 2823, pp. 1-31 : 21-26

Trilacuna kropfi Eichenberger n. sp.

( Figs. 15–18 )

Type material: Holotype male ( PBI_OON 00012018 ): Thailand: Mae Hong Son Province: Tham Lod , 8 km N of Mae Lang, 700 m, 11/13 November 1985, leg. D. Burckhardt & I. Löbl, deposited in MHNG. Female paratype ( PBI_OON 00032078 ), collected with holotype, deposited in MHNG. 1 male paratype ( PBI_OON 00032075 ), collected with holotype, deposited in NMBE. 1 male paratype ( PBI_OON 00032076 ), collected with holotype, deposited in MHNG. 1 male paratype ( PBI_OON 00032077 ), collected with holotype, deposited in MHNG.

Etymology: The species is dedicated to the Austrian arachnologist Christian Kropf, who is the head of the Invertebrate Department at the Natural History Museum Bern, Switzerland.

Diagnosis: Males can be distinguished from all other Trilacuna species by: two small hair tufts (ht) with dark, thickened setae with even hair shaft and densely feathered hair tip on sternum (figs. 15. D, F, I); distally widened, not branched endites with two long hairs with blade-like tips (lkh), adjacent to about 4 shorter, thickened, needlelike hairs (sth) (figs. 16. E–G); and the palpal conductor with about 7 to 9 strongly sclerotized, dark brown prolateral-ventral bristles (tbr) (figs. 17. C–E). Females can be characterized by their genitalia: ventral view: with semicircular plate (sp) with genital opening (go) and globular appendix (gap); anteriorly framed by dark brown lamella (la); surface around epigastric area rough (figs. 18. A–B); dorsal view: with a globular appendix (gap) (figs. 18. C– D).

Description: Description based on 35 males and 34 females (plus 2 males and 1 female for SEM).

MALE: Body length 1.6 mm, proportion carapace length:abdominal length 1:1. Uniformly orange-brown species (figs. 15. A–C).

Carapace broadly oval, strongly elevated in lateral view, surface smooth, posterolateral edges with a few granulation, posterior-dorsal with two tiny, elevated hair bases, lateral margin with tiny blunt denticles, with second, rebordered, undulated margin below (figs. 15. E, G–H). Clypeus with triangular, median protection indicated (figs. 16. B–C). Eyes posterior row straight from above, procurved from front. Sternum (figs. 15. D, F) with radial furrows of small pits between coxae, surface smooth, covered with small round pits distributed everywhere but middle, anterior margin with transverse groove. Mouthparts: Chelicerae promargin with row of flattened setae (fsh) in combination with feather-like setae (flh), (see fig. 2. E); labium short, triangular, not fused to sternum, anterior margin deeply incised (ldi), (figs. 16. B, D); distal-inner margin with patch of fork-like serrated setae (coh), (see fig. 8. E).

Abdomen: Ovoid, dorsal scutum not fused to epigastric scutum, postepigastric scutum almost semicircular, with short, posteriorly directed lateral apodemes originating from small, dark brown dots, posterior spiracles not connected by groove or dark belt (fig. 16. I).

Legs: Ventral apex of tibiae III and IV with some specialized hairs with fine, plumose, curved hair tip (sh), (fig. 16. H); metatarsi III, IV and tarsus IV with harpoon-like hairs (see fig. 2. G). Trichobothrium base of tibiae longitudinally narrowed, hood covered by closely spaced ridges. Femora without spines.

Male genitalia: Epigastric region (fig. 16. I) with scattered, plumose setae around sperm pore. Male palp (figs. 17. A–I) embolus (emb) light, short and straight, prolaterally framed by thin, long hairs (tlh) (figs. 16. D–I); with a broadish appendage framed by lateral, thick setae (ba); prolateral-distal part of bulbus with one curved, thick, bristle-like outgrowth (bog) (figs. 16. D–H). Bulbus about twice as long as cymbium, stout, ovoid to pear-shaped, distal end ovoid with gill-like surface (figs. 16. A–C, F). Femur elongated, with slight ventral swelling (figs. 16. A– B).

FEMALE: Body length 1.7 mm, proportion carapace length:abdominal length 1:1.25. Pars cephalica slightly elevated in lateral view; sternum microsculpture covering entire surface, with sparse, evenly scattered, needle-like setae, hair tufts absent; endites slender, without special hairs; postepigastric scutum without apodemes.

Female genitalia: Dorsal view (figs. 18. C–D): with narrow, transversally elongated lamella (la); with anterior paddle-like sclerite (psc) and lateral sclerites functioning as muscle attachments (A1).

Additional material examined: 3 males, 5 females (PBI_OON 00015560), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Chiang Dao District: at the foot of Doi Chiang Dao , 450 m, 7 March 1987, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 3 males, 1 female (PBI_OON 00015559), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Chiang Dao District: Doi Chiang Dao , 510 m, pitfall traps 22 September – 25 October 1990, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 3 females (PBI_OON 00015222), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province and District: Doi Suthep , 1180 m, pitfall traps 30 March – 2 August 1987, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 2 males, 2 females (PBI_OON 00012836), Thailand: Mae Hong Son Province: Mae Aw (= Mae Or; N of Mae Hong Son), 1100 m, 21 October 2000, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 1 male (PBI_OON 00012768), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Chiang Dao District: Doi Chiang Dao , 510 m, pitfall traps 22 December 1990 – 15 January 1991, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 1 female (PBI_OON 00012725), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province and District: Doi Suthep , 1180 m, pitfall traps 28 June – 28. July 1986, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 1 female (PBI_OON 00012723), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province and District: Doi Suthep , 1180 m, pitfall traps 19 February – 18 March 1986, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 3 females (PBI_OON 00012677), Thailand: Mae Hong Son Province: Ban Maeo Microwave , about 30 km S of Mae Hong Son, 1250 m, 9 October 1990, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 3 males, 1 female (PBI_OON 00012655), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Chiang Dao District: Doi Chiang Dao , 510 m, pitfall traps 23 November – 22 December 1990, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 5 males (PBI_OON 00012634), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Pai District: Pang Mapha , 830 m, 13 October 1995, KM 133.2 on road Pai - Mae Hong Son, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 2 males, 1 female (PBI_OON 00012621), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province and District: Doi Suthep , 1180 m, pitfall traps 18 March – 22. April 1986, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 3 males (PBI_OON 00012609), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Chiang Dao District: Doi Chiang Dao , 510 m, pitfall traps 22 August – 22 September 1990, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 4 females (PBI_OON 00012606), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Pai District: Pang Mapha , 830 m, 13 October 1995, KM 133.2 on road Pai - Mae Hong Son, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 2 females (PBI_OON 00012573), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Doi Saket District: Doi Sanyao , at the border with Chiang Rai Province, 950 m, 20 October 1990, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 2 males (PBI_OON 00012534), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province and District: Doi Suthep , 1320 m, 27 December 1986, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 1 male (PBI_OON 00012503), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province and District: Doi Suthep , 1180 m, pitfall traps, 2 January – 1 March 1987, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 2 males, 3 females (PBI_OON 00012493), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Chiang Dao District: Doi Chiang Dao , 510 m, pitfall traps 25 October – 23 November 1990, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 3 females (PBI_OON 00012462), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province and District: Doi Suthep , 1090 m, 2 December 1985, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 2 males (PBI_OON 12159), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Doi Suthep ( Doi Suthep-Pui National Park ), evergreen hill forest (Chiang Mai District), 1180 m, 17 February 1995, leg. P. Schwendinger ; 1 female (PBI_OON 00012021), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: Doi Saket District: Mae Nang Kaeo, 900 m, 54 km NE Chiang Mai, 3 November 1985, D. Burckhardt & I. Löbl ; 1 male (PBI_OON 00012020), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province and District: Doi Suthep , 1050 m, 5 November 1985, D. Burckhardt & I. Löbl ; 1 female (PBI_OON 00012019), Thailand: Chiang Mai Province: road to Wab Pang An , 50 km NE Chiang Mai, 900 m, D. Burckhardt I. Löbl, 3 November 1985 ; 1 female (PBI_OON 00032079), Thailand: Mae Hong Son Province: Tham Lod , 8 km N Mae Lang 700 m, 11, 13 November 1985, D. Burckhardt & I. Löbl .

Distribution: Mae Hong Song Province and Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand.

Figures

FIGURE 15: Trilacuna kropfi n. sp. Male: A. habitus dorsal view; B. habitus ventral view; C. habitus lateral view; D. sternum ventral view; E. carapace dorsal view; F. sternum ventral view, SEM; G. carapace dorsal view, SEM; H. carapace lateral margin, dorsal view, SEM; I. sternum hair tuft setae, SEM. Abbreviations: boc, booklung covers; ht, hair tuft; eh, elevated hair base. Scale bars: A – C 1 mm; D – G 0.5 mm; H 100 Μm; I 20 Μm.

FIGURE 16: Trilacuna kropfi n. sp. Male: A. sternum ventral view, SEM; B. carapace anterior view; C. carapace anterior view, SEM; D – E. endites ventral view; F. endites ventral view, SEM; G. endites long hair with knife-like tip, SEM; H. tibia IV, ventral apex special hairs, SEM; I. gonopore ventral view. Abbreviations: sh, special hairs; ldi, labium deep incision; lkh, long hairs with blade-like tip; sth, shorter, thickened hairs. Scale bars: A, C – F, I 200 Μm; B 0.5 mm; G 10 Μm; H 20 Μm.

FIGURE 17: Trilacuna kropfi n. sp. Male: A – B. left palp, prolateral view; C. left palp, prolateral-ventral view, SEM; D – E. left embolus-conductor-complex, prolateral-anterior view; F. left embolus-conductor-complex, prolateral-ventral view, SEM; G. right embolus-conductor-complex, prolateral-dorsal view, SEM; H. right embolus-conductor-complex, dorsal view, SEM; I. left embolus, prolateral view, SEM. Abbreviations: emb, embolus; tbr, thick bristles; tlh, thin long hairs; ba, broadish appendage framed by lateral, thick setae; bog, bristle-like outgrowth. Scale bars: A – B 200 Μm, C 100 Μm; D – H 50 Μm; I 10 Μm.

FIGURE 18: Trilacuna kropfi n. sp. Female: A. epigynal area, ventral view; B. epigynal area, ventral view, SEM; C – D. epigynal area, dorsal view; E. epigastric opening, ventral view, SEM. Abbreviations: la, lamella; go, genital opening; sp, semicircular plate; gap, globular appendix; psc, paddle-like sclerite; A 1, sclerites functioning as muscle attachments. Scale bars: A – D 300 Μm; E 50 Μm.