Coremiocnemis obscura, West & Nunn, 2010

West, Rick C. & Nunn, Steven C., 2010, 2443, Zootaxa 2443, pp. 1-64 : 51-55

Coremiocnemis obscura sp. nov.

( Figs 173–191, 217)

Types: female holotype, 4 female paratypes. S83745 , S83747 , S83748 , S83749 , S83750 , respectively, Mile 19 road marker (4° 20' N, 101° 20' E), Perak, Cameron Highlands, West Malaysia, col. D. Goh, 31 July 1989, QM –examined ; 2 female paratypes, S83743 , S83751 , Taiping (4° 51' N, 100° 48' E), Perak, West Malaysia, col. K. C. Liew, 6 Nov. 1986, QM –examined ; 1 female paratype and 1 juvenile, ZRC ARA.742, Renglet Camp (= Ringlet , 4° 26’ N, 101° 23' E), Cameron Highlands, Pahang, West Malaysia, col. H. C. Abraham, 4 April 1929, RMBR –images (D. Court, pers. comm.)–examined .

Etymology: The feminine Latin adjective obscura meaning 'dark' that refers to the dark coloration of this species.

Diagnosis: Differs from C. cunicularia and C. hoggi in lacking retrolateral medial setal brushes on coxae IV. Differs from C. jeremyhuffi and C. brachyramosa in the dense setal brush, not villous, along metatarsi IV. Differs from C. gnathospina in the low number of large intercheliceral pegs (under>45). Differs from C. valida in lacking sclerotized dark studs proximally on coxae III and IV ventrally (on endocuticle). Differs from C. kotacana in the leg spine morphology, the presence of transversely cracked and bent tarsi IV, and the shorter morphology of the cheliceral pegs/thorns.

Description: Female holotype QM S83745 ( Fig. 173) with body length: 46.61.

Color (in life, Fig. 173): 2 color forms known, paler form from Taiping and darker form found between Mile 19 and Tanah Rata in Cameron Highlands. Paler form shows coloration similar to C. hoggi sp. nov., but has jet black femora, no blue or violet hues in natural light and generally with darker legs.

Carapace ( Fig. 175): length 19.29, width 14.82 (width across anterior edge 9.29). Fovea 2.29, procurved, deep, not as wide as OT ( Fig. 176).

Eyes ( Fig. 176): ocular tubercle; length 2.26, width 3.16. Anterior row transverse. Posterior row slightly recurved. Eyes: AME=ALE, PLE, PME.

Chelicerae ( Figs 187–191): length 10.94, width at base of each lobe 4.25. Ectal lyrate region a series of strikers (>80) in>8 horizontal rows ( Fig. 188). Longest strikers on lowest rows. Each striker needleform, with some filiform ends. Teeth, 14,>70 basomesals. Intercheliceral pegs (>8 larger,>20 smaller) in tight cluster on basodorsal surface ( Fig. 191). Retrolateral face basomedially, with small cluster of short strong spines (>7), point distad ( Fig. 189).

Maxillae ( Figs 177, 185): prolaterally plano-convex, anterior lobe well pronounced, many cuspules (> 200) on inner basoventral surface. Maxillary lyra ( Fig. 186): large number of bacilliform rods (>180) in dense, ovoid patch on prolateral maxillary surface, lowest row with>22 bacillae, longest rods medially in lowest rows. Rods paddle-shaped with medium to long shafts, largest with distal blades. At widest point, lyrate patch>10 rows deep, smallest rods dorsally. Posterior end of patch truncate, anterior end slightly pointed distad/rounded. Dorsal to maxillary suture>60 small spines on anterior margin of maxillae, rows unordered.

Labium ( Fig. 178): length 2.26, width 2.99. Many small cuspules (>600) along anterior 1/3 surface.

Sternum ( Figs 177, 179): length 8.33, width 8.12. Slightly wider posteriorly than anteriorly, with thin even cover of short setae, interspersed with longer darker setae. Spines lacking along sternal border, however some strong spiniform setae on lateral sternal margins. Posteriorly between left–right cox. IV, sternal border slightly acuminate, lateral sternal points also slightly acuminate. Sigilla ( Fig. 179): 3 pairs (not including labio-sternal sigilla), posterior medium, ovoid, 2.5 lengths apart, 1.7–1.9 of their length from sternal margin. Median pair 2/ 3 size of posterior, similar form, borders sternal margin. Anterior pair somewhat obscured, border sternal margin. Labio-sternal sigilla small, thin, wide.

Leg setation: All segments distally with cream band of short blunt setae (not quite as obvious as in C. cunicularia ). Leg IV with distinctly longer setae on all segments, most noticeable on tib., met. IV (less so on tib. IV), giving “bottlebrush” appearance. Retrolaterally on met. IV, longer setae show distinct recurvature. Long recurved setae distinctly on tar. IV. Legs ( Figs 182–184): formula; length IV, I, II, III; width III, IV, I, II. Leg RF ~ 83.04. Leg lengths (fem., pat., tib., met., tar., total): holotype QM S83745 : palp: 10.03, 7.03, 6.94, 0.00, 5.92, 29.92. I: 15.43, 8.71, 11.43, 10.92, 6.53, 53.12. II: 12.98, 7.91, 9.41, 9.05, 6.21, 45.56. III: 11.43, 7.41, 7.29, 9.87, 6.55, 42.55. IV: 16.76, 9.81, 13.43, 17.52, 6.45, 63.97. Leg mid–widths (fem., pat., tib, met., tar., total.): palp: 3.46, 2.82, 2.59, 0.00, 2.43, 11.3. I: 3.15, 3.15, 3.02, 2.64, 2.47, 14.43. II: 2.85, 2.92, 2.50, 2.09, 2.05, 12.41. III: 3.62, 3.50, 3.04, 2.50, 2.55, 15.21. IV: 3.27, 3.19, 2.04, 3.75, 2.56, 14.81.

Scopula: met., tar. I–III undivided, met., tar. IV divided by several rows of strong setae. Met. I: 5/6, II: 4/ 5, III: 3/4, IV: 1/2 prolateral side of division, 4/5 retrolaterally ( Fig. 183).

Coxae: some small black thorns prolatero-dorsally, no thorns retrolaterally on I–IV. Coxae easily seen dorsally. I longest, about 1.3 times length of II. IV widest, as long as III, basally rectangular with rounded corners. With long ventral thorns prolaterally on I–IV. I–III ventrally with many long thick blunt setae entirely, pallid. No short black setae. IV with mixture of long thick blunt setae retrolaterally, pallid intermixed with shorter thin pallid setae. Ventral surface of cox. I–IV gently sloping anteriorly. Retrolateral setation: I–III with median narrow light brush, IV with reduced medial brush ( Fig. 180). I–IV retrolaterally with well defined ventral ledge. Ventral measurements for coxae (holotype only): palp – length 8.47, width 4.02; I–8.00, 4.02; II–6.67, 3.79; III–5.86, 3.82; IV–7.13, 4.35.

Trochantera: palp – length 2.69, width 2.94; I–3.85, 4.01; II–2.55, 3.13; III–2.86, 3.86; IV–3.80, 3.83.

Trichobothria: on all tarsi basal filiform field slightly wider than clavate field, merges evenly. Clavates on tar. I in distal 2/3, long filiforms only in basal 1/2, shorter filiforms intermixed with clavates distally. Clavate extent on II–IV cf. I, in distal 2/3. Shorter filiforms for length. Short epitrichobothrial field on I shorter than clavates, increasing in length proximally.

Tarsal organ not evident on legs I–IV.

Spines: met. I with 1 DV, met. II with 1 DV, 1 DPV, met. III with 1 DV, 1 DPV, 1 DRV, 1 DD and met. IV with 1 DV, 1 DPV, 1 DRV, 1 DD.

Claws: paired claws on all legs and palpal claw unarmed. Reduced third claw on leg IV.

Abdomen: ovular, elongated, covered with mat of very fine short dark setae with sparse cover of longer pale setae. Longer hairs more concentrated ventrally toward spinnerets, point distad. Slightly darker near booklungs.

Genitalia ( Fig. 181): epigastric fold 4.35. Spermathecae paired, not fused (separated by 0.9 basal lobe width apart), bilobular apically, each lobe dividing at 0.3 of total lobe length, with strong apical rounded appendages (apically swollen), heavily sclerotized compared to clear integral spermathecal shafts. Lateral lobes as long as medials. Epigastric fold extends ca. 2/3 length of medial spermathecal lobes.

Spinnerets: PMS: length 2.55, width (medially) 0.95. PLS: section lengths; basal 3.62, medial 2.18, apical 2.94. PLS section widths (medially); basal 1.98, medial 1.46, apical 0.95.

Distribution and natural history: Known only from the smaller western coastal mountain range near Taiping, Perak, and from the larger central Titiwangsa mountain range at Mile 19, Perak, and Ringlet, Pahang, in the Cameron Highlands, West Malaysia. The Orang Asli, a local indigenous people, sell live specimens to tourists along the roadside at Mile 19, Perak, in the Cameron Highlands (R. West, pers. obs.). Orang Asli collectors state this species is collected ‘in ground burrows in the surrounding montane tropical rainforest’ (R. West, pers. comm.) Nothing else is known about the natural history of C. obscura . The male is unknown.