Epidius floreni, Benjamin, 2017

Benjamin, Suresh P., 2017, Distributional and taxonomic notes on the crab spider genus Epidius with descriptions of five new species (Araneae: Thomisidae), Journal of Natural History 51 (9 - 10), pp. 469-485 : 477-478

Epidius floreni sp. nov.

( Figures 2 (a, b, d) and 4(a, c, d))

Type material

Holotype, male, (RMNH.ARA.15913), Malaysia, Borneo, west Sabah, Mt. Kinabalu National Park ; 6.15°N, 116.50°E; 5 year old secondary forest, 500–700 m, fogging canopy tree 1 Melochia umbellata , 16 February 1997, leg. A. Floren, loc 19.

Etymology

This species is named after the collector Andreas Floren.

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by the distinctive E (broad base, tapering towards tip, bifurcate tip; Figure 4 (a)), C (prolateral margin grooved to accommodate E, enlarged tip; Figure 4 (a)) and RTA (tapered, fine tip; Figure 4 (a)). Females are distinguished by the globular S, relatively longer CD and except for E. longimanus by the deeply indented anterior margins of the epigynum ( Figure 4 (c, d)).

Description

Male. Total length: 3.7; prosoma length: 1.8, width: 1.5. Leg I: femur 3.0, patella 0.6, tibia 3.6, metatarsus 3.0, tarsus 1.4. Prosoma light brown/yellow, eye regions darker, without prominent markings or conspicuous setae. Opisthosoma with white spots, dorsally with a dark brown folium and spots. ALE = PLE> PME> AME. AER, PER recurved, eyes on brown-coloured mounds, but not touching. Chelicerae with 3 and 2 teeth on pro- and retromargin of fang furrow, respectively. Leg formula 1243. Palps as in Figure 4 (a), femur and tibia characteristically elongated, femur as long as tibia, furnished with around 6 thick long spines and MTr. RTA present, tapered, fine tip. Bulbus ovoid, conductor prolateral margin grooved to accommodate E. E stout tip, not serrated. MA absent. Embolus stout, enlarged, bifurcate tip ( Figure 4 (a)).

Female. Total length: 5.4; prosoma length: 2.2, width: 1.9. Leg I: femur 3.0, patella 0.9, tibia 3.1, metatarsus 2.1. tarsus 1.2. In general similar to male ( Figure 2 (b)). Epigynum

without hood, anterior margin deeply indented, dual-chambered S connected by a C-shaped, thick-walled CD ( Figure 4 (c, d)).

Distribution

Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia.

Other material examined

3 males, 5 females, 7 juveniles, same data as the holotype, RMNH .ARA.15913. 1 female, Malaysia, Borneo , west Sabah, Mt . Kinabalu National Park ; 6.15°N, 116.50°E; 40 year old secondary forest, 500–700 m, fogging canopy tree 6 Vinex pinnata, 16 March 1997, leg . A . Floren , loc 57, RMNH .ARA.15916. 2 males, 1 female, same locality, 5 year old secondary forest, 500–700 m, fogging canopy tree 5, Melochia umbellata , refog after 17 days, 10 March 1997, leg . A . Floren , loc 29, RMNH .ARA.15919. 3 males, 1 juvenile, same data as above, RMNH . ARA.17160. 1 male, 1 female, 1 juvenile, same data as above, 16 March 1997, loc 24, RMNH . ARA.17161. 1 female, 2 juveniles, same data as above, fogging canopy tree 1, Melochia umbellata , 18 February 1997, refog 1 after 2 days, loc 20, RMNH .ARA. 17,162. 2 males, same locality and data as above, fogging canopy tree 5, Melochia umbellata , 22 February 1997, refog 1 after 1 day, loc 26, RMNH .ARA. 17,163. 1 female, same data as above, fogging canopy tree 10, Melochia umbellata , refog after 1 day, 10 March 1997, loc 34, RMNH .ARA. 17,164.

Figures

Figure 2. Epidius floreni sp. nov. RMNH 15,913 (a, b, d), Epidius elongatus sp. nov. RMNH 15,906 (c), Epidius coloratus sp. nov. RMNH 15,921 (e, f), and Epidius longimanus sp. nov. MNHN 9783 (g). (a, e) Male prosoma, dorsal view. (b) Female habitus, dorsal view. (d, g) Epigynum, ventral view. (f) Palp, prolateral view. Scale bars: d, g = 0.2 mm; a, c, e, f = 1.0 mm; b = 2.0 mm.

Figure 4. Epidius floreni sp. nov. RMNH 15,913 (a), same RMNH 15,916 (c, d) and Epidius elongatus sp. nov. RMNH 15,906 (b). (a, b) Male palp, ventral view. (c) Epigynum, ventral view. (d) Vulva, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.