Coremiocnemis gnathospina, West & Nunn, 2010

West, Rick C. & Nunn, Steven C., 2010, 2443, Zootaxa 2443, pp. 1-64 : 24-28

Coremiocnemis gnathospina sp nov.

( Figs 59–77, 217)

Types: female holotype, ZRC ARA.745, Fraser’s Hill (3° 43' N, 101° 45' E), Selangor, West Malaysia, col. H. C. Abraham, 4 Feb. 1930, RMBR –images (D. Court, pers. comm.)–examined .

Etymology: A compound noun whose first element is the Greek noun gnatho meaning ‘jaw’ and the second element is the feminine Latin noun spina meaning ‘thorn’ or ‘spine’ that refers to the distinctive large field of stout thorny spines on the intercheliceral face that is diagnostic to this species.

Diagnosis: Differs from all other Coremiocnemis species in the wide field, sub-diamond in shape, of at least 90 strong intercheliceral pegs/thorns.

Description: Female holotype ( Fig. 59) with body length: 54.84 (including chelicerae), 45.56 (excluding chelicerae).

Color: Medium brown in alcohol.

Carapace ( Fig. 60): length 24.13, width 19.22 (width across anterior edge 11.19). Fovea 4.42 wide, procurved, deep, wider than OT (3.56).

Eyes ( Fig. 61): ocular tubercle; length 1.67, width 3.60. Anterior row transverse. Posterior row slightly recurved. Eyes: AME, ALE, PLE, PME.

Chelicerae (left): length 13.38, width at base of each lobe 5.51. Ectal lyrate region a series of strikers (>80) in>8 horizontal rows ( Fig. 68). Strongest, longest strikers on lowest rows. Each striker needleform with some filiform ends. Teeth, 13 (plus group of 4 smaller teeth),>130 basomesal teeth. On basodorsal surface, wide field, sub-diamond shape, of>90 strong intercheliceral setae, with longest in uppermost 1/3 of field, the very shortest in lower–most 1/3 ( Fig. 71). Upper setae needleform, those below progressively more peg-like. Retrolateral face basomedially, small cluster of short strong spines (>3), point distad ( Fig. 69).

Maxillae: prolaterally plano-convex, anterior lobe well pronounced, many cuspules (> 300) on inner basoventral surface. Lyra ( Figs 65, 66): many bacilliform rods (>160) in dense, ovoid patch on prolateral maxillary surface, lowest row with>13 bacillae, longest rods medially in lowest row. Rods mostly paddle-shaped with medium to very long shafts, largest seem more club-like than paddle-like. At widest point, lyrate patch>10 rows deep, smallest rods dorsally. Posterior end of patch truncate, anterior end slightly pointed distad/ rounded. Dorsal to suture,>60 small spines on anterior margin of maxillae, unorganised rows. Labium ( Fig. 63): length 3.50, width 4.51. Many small cuspules (>700) along anterior 1/3 surface.

Sternum ( Fig. 62): length 10.35, width 8.40. About as wide posteriorly as anteriorly, with thin even cover of short setae, interspersed with longer darker setae, up to 3.0 long. No short stout thorns along sternal border but some strong spiniform setae on lateral sternal margins. Between left and right cox. IV, sternal border slightly acuminate, lateral sternal points also slightly acuminate. Sternal sigilla: 3 pairs (not including labiosternal sigilla), posterior medium size; right 1.61 long, 0.55 wide, 1.68 long, 0.65 wide. Ovoid morphology, 1.4 lengths apart, 1.0 of their length from margin. Median pair 1/2 size of posterior, tear-drop shaped, with ‘tail’ point to sternal margin. Separated from margin by 1.0 of their width. Anterior pair 1/3 size of posterior, somewhat obscured, border sternal margin. Labio-sternal sigilla large, as large as PSS.

Legs: formula; length IV, I, II, III; width I, III, II, IV. Leg RF ~ 94.81. Leg lengths (fem., pat., tib., met., tar., total): palp: 12.90, 8.25, 9.89, 0.00, 7.88, 38.92. I: 17.08, 10.94, 14.29, 13.06, 7.39, 62.76. II: 15.69, 10.03, 11.26, 11.88, 6.21, 55.07. III: 14.11, 7.92, 9.03, 10.36, 7.10, 48.52. IV: 17.18, 9.67, 13.77, 16.73, 8.84, 66.19. Leg mid–widths (fem., pat., tib., met., tar., total.): palp: 2.90, 3.29, 2.85, 0.00, 3.22, 12.26. I: 3.32, 3.76, 3.1,0 3.71, 3.18 (right), 17.07. II: 3.56, 3.97, 2.98, 2.81, 2.81, 16.13. III: 3.93, 3.84, 3.32, 2.46, 2.67, 16.22. IV: 3.39, 3.73, 2.95, 1.95, 2.52, 14.54. Tar. IV transversely weakened, showing bend medially.

Scopula: Met. and tar. I–III undivided, met. and tar. IV divided ( Fig. 74). Met. I: entire, II: 9/10, III: 3/4, IV: 1/3.

Coxae: some small black thorns prolatero-dorsally, no thorns retrolaterally on I–IV. Coxae easily seen dorsally. I longest, about 1.2 times length of II. II slightly wider than IV, cox. IV almost as long as III, basally rectangular with rounded corners. Coxae with small ventral thorns prolaterally on I–IV. I–III ventrally with many long thick blunt setae proximally, pallid. Also with some shorter pallid setae. No short black setae. IV with mixture of long thick blunt setae entirely, pallid intermixed with shorter thin pallid setae. Ventral surface of coxae I–IV gently sloping anteriorly. Retrolateral setation: I–III with median narrow light brush, IV as in I– III, with median narrow brush. I–IV retrolaterally lack ventral ledge. Ventral measurements for coxae: palp– length 10.00, width 3.50; I–10.11, 4.91; II–8.12, 4.21; III–7.89, 4.39; IV–7.63, 4,50.

Trochantera: palp–length 4.52, width 3.50; I–4.30, 4.91; II–4.22, 4.21; III–3.97, 4.39; IV–3.67, 4.50.

Spines: met. I with 0 DV, met. II with 2 DV, met. III with 1 DV (others broken?), and met. IV with 2 DV, 1 DPV, 1 DRV (one now broken). No DL or DD spines seen.

Trichobothria: on all tarsi basal filiform field slightly wider than clavate field, merges evenly. On palp short filiform field extends further proximally than clavate field. Clavates on palp and leg I tarsi within epitrichobothrial field in distal 2/3, obvious but shorter than epitrichobothrial hairs, shorter and longer filiforms in basal 1/2, some longer filiforms in distal 1/2. Clavates on II–III occupy distal 1/2. Clavates on IV occupy distal 5/6. Clavates shorter or of similar length to surrounding epitrichobothrial field ( Fig. 76).

Tarsal organ ( Fig. 77): evident on leg I under stereoscope (up to 80X), organ low domed, wide.

Claws: paired claws on all legs and palpal claw unarmed. Stub-like reduced third claw on leg IV.

Abdomen: ovular, elongated, yellow brown color (in alcohol), covered with mat of very fine short dark setae with sparse cover of longer paler yellowish setae. Longer hairs more concentrated ventrally toward spinnerets, point distad. Areas anterior to booklung–epigynum areas of similar color to remaining abdomen.

Genitalia ( Fig. 64): epigastric fold 4.35 in width, upper roof of epigastric chamber extends inward 1.70. Spermathecae paired, not fused, bilobular basally (0.1 of lobe length) with each lobe with weak apical rounded appendages, heavily sclerotized compared to spermathecal shafts, however, “gradual” sclerotization reduction proximally clearly evident. Lobes slightly apically swollen with lateral lobes as long as medials. Epigastric fold extends for ca. 2/3 length of medial lobes.

Spinnerets: PMS: length 2.69, width (medially) 1.44. PLS: section lengths; basal 2.30, medial 3.10, apical 4.73. PLS section widths (medially); basal 2.06, medial 1.64, apical 1.24.

Distribution and natural history: Recorded only from Fraser’s Hill, Pahang, West Malaysia from an elevation of 1219 meters. Nothing else is known about the natural history of C. gnathospina . The male is unknown.

Remarks: C. gnathospina is only known from a single specimen.