Chthonopes thakekensis, Lin, Yucheng, Li, Shuqiang & Jaeger, Peter, 2014

Lin, Yucheng, Li, Shuqiang & Jaeger, Peter, 2014, Four new spider species of the family Theridiosomatidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from caves in Laos, ZooKeys 391, pp. 75-102 : 86

Chthonopes thakekensis sp. n. Figs 17-19

Material examined.

Laos: Khammouan Province: Holotype: ♀ (SMF), Thakek area, Ban Phôungam-Mai, 17°32.954'N, 104°48.754'E, altitude 180 m, Tham Phayat, in limestone cave, leg. 25 November 2012.

Etymology.

This specific name is taken from type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to Chthonopes jaegeri Wunderlich, 2011 (see Wunderlich 2011: 443, figs 18 d–f) in the shape of epigyne and the configurations of vulva, but can be distinguished from it by the presence of translucent accessory spermathecae (Figs 17 D–E, 18C; absent in Chthonopes jaegeri ) and the large, semi-circular main spermathecae (Figs 17E, 18C; circular in Chthonopes jaegeri ).

Description.

Habitus see in Fig. 17A. DS yellow, pear-shaped, smooth; eyes small, with black base, AME contiguous, LE contiguous, anterior eye row recurved, posterior eye row procurved; sternum yellow, with sparse setae; legs yellow; opisthosoma spherical, covered with sparse long setae, setal base sclerotized.

Female copulatory organ (Figs 17C, 17E, 18C): epigyne large, with long setae in midline (Figs 17B, 18A); scape long, translucent, rugose, extending from posterior margin of epigynal plate, distal end weakly sclerotized (Fig. 17D); Spermathecae large, strongly sclerotized, separated by about 1.2 times their width (Fig. 17E); accessory spermathecae claviform, translucent (Fig. 17E); copulatory ducts wide, rugose, sclerotized, connected with posterior margin of main spermathecae (Figs 17E, 18C); fertilization ducts originating medio-posteriorly from main spermathecae, apical parts close to each other (Figs 17E, 18C).

Female: Total length 2.51, DS 0.89 long, 0.85 wide, clypeus 0.18, sternum 0.48 long, 0.49 wide, coxae IV separated by 0.97 time their width, opisthosoma 1.63 long, 1.60 wide. PME separated by about 1.5 times their diameter. Macrosetae: Leg I: patella d2, tibia d2, p2, r1, metatarsus d2, p5, r2, v2; leg II: patella d2, tibia d6, p3, r2, v3, metatarsus d2, p4, r2, v4; leg III: patella d2, tibia d2, p3, r3, v3, metatarsus d2, p6, r4, v6; leg IV: patella d2, tibia d3, p3, r4, metatarsus d3, p4, r3, v2. Metatarsal trichobothria: Tm I: 0.20; Tm II: 0.15; Tm III: 0.27. Leg measurements: I 3.83 (1.17, 0.49, 0.83, 0.79, 0.55); II 3.40 (1.03, 0.42, 0.74, 0.69, 0.52); III 2.56 (0.76, 0.34, 0.51, 0.54, 0.41); IV 3.03 (0.95, 0.36, 0.68, 0.62, 0.42).

Male unknown.

Distribution.

See in Fig. 19.