Fecenia macilenta (Simon, 1885)

Bayer, Steffen, 2011, Revision of the pseudo-orbweavers of the genus Fecenia Simon, 1887 (Araneae, Psechridae), with emphasis on their pre-epigyne, ZooKeys 153, pp. 1-56 : 15-16

Fecenia macilenta (Simon, 1885) Figs 48-5495, 101114-115

Mezentia macilenta Simon, 1885: 451, pl. 10, fig. 17 (Description and illustration of ♂), [Holotype ♂ (SB 395) from MALAYSIA: Perak Prov. (Malacca): Region of Ipoh, Kinta river valley; M.J. de Morgan leg. 1884; MNHN AR5164, examined].

Fecenia macilenta - Simon 1887: 194 (Formal transfer from Mezentia , preoccupied by Stål, 1878 in Orthoptera , replacement name Fecenia ); Simon 1892: 223, figs 171-172 (Illustration of ♂); Kulczyński 1908: 570; Reimoser 1936: 406; Lehtinen 1967: 234; Levi 1982: 136, figs 83-87, ad part, figs 84-85 (Illustration of ♂), figs 83, 86-87 misidentified; Murphy 1986: 65, figs 1-2 (Description and illustration of ♀); Coddington 1990: 10, fig. 18 (Illustration of ♂); Murphy and Murphy 2000: plate 21, fig. 6 (photo of ♀).

Additional material examined.

(1 ♂, 2 ♀♀). MALAYSIA:Selangor Prov.: Banting; W. Corley leg. VIII. 1981; 1 ♂ (SB389), 1 ♀ (SB 390), NHM. INDONESIA:Sumatra: Sumatera Barat Prov.: Panti (Road to Lubuk Sikaping & Bukittinggi), Rimba Panti Nature Reserve, primary rainforest; C. Deeleman leg.; 1 ♀ (SB 124), Deeleman Coll. in RMNH.

Diagnosis.

Males differ from other species by prominent dorso-retrolateral tibial apophysis (DRTA) (Figs 53-54, 95, 101) and slender and rather inconspicuous median apophysis (MA) (Fig. 53). Furthermore, ventral patellar apophysis (VPA) larger and retrolateral patellar apophysis (RPA) extending more clearly than in all other Fecenia species (Fig. 53-54, 95). Females distinguished from other species by epigyne with anterior margins of lateral lobes (AML) hardly visible and by posterior half of anterior part of median septum (AS) being distinctly darker than surrounding parts of epigyne (Fig. 114). Moreover, AS with permanent semicircular posterior half (Figs 48, 114).

Description.

MALE(Holotype (SB 395) is the largest of the males examined; consequently its measurements appear as maximum in each range. Eye measurements differ only insignificantly, so only those of the Holotype are listed): Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 5.4-5.8, carapace width 3.5-4.1, anterior width of carapace 2.3-2.7, opisthosoma length 5.4-7.4, opisthosoma width 2.8-3.2. Eyes: AME 0.47, ALE 0.34, PME 0.31, PLE 0.29, AME–AME 0.27, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.35, PME–PLE 0.40, AME–PME 0.15, ALE–PLE 0.19, clypeus height at AME 0.67, at ALE 0.54. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 7.3-8.5 [2.8-3.3, 1.2-1.4, 1.1-1.3, 2.2-2.5], I 53.5-67.4 [14.7-18.8, 2.3, 15.3-19.2, 16.7-19.9, 4.5-7.2], II 27.9-35.0 [7.5-9.4, 1.9-2.2, 7.7-9.7, 7.7-9.9, 3.1-3.8], III 15.9-19.4 [4.6-5.6, 1.5-1.7, 3.8-4.8, 4.1-4.9, 1.9-2.4], IV 25.1-30.9 [6.8-8.3, 1.7-2.0, 6.4-8.2, 7.4-8.9, 2.8-3.5]. Leg formula: 1243. Male chelicerae differing from general appearance of Fecenia : Basal limb ca. 4 times longer than broad. Spination (holotype from Kinta river, Malaysia). Palp: without any spines; legs: femur I 410(300), II 100, III 010, IV 001; patella I–IV 000; tibia I–II 2004, III 0000(0001), IV 001 3; metatarsus I 3014(1014), II 1015, III 1015(1014), IV 1015. Copulatory organ: Ventral patellar apophysis (VPA) arising centrally on palpal patella (Figs 52, 54), RTA small, less than 1/3 of the length of the massive DRTA. Median apophysis (MA) distally slightly bent. General direction of MA is 12:30 or 1:00-o'clock. Embolus (E) arising in ca. 6:30-o'clock-position on tegulum (T), broader than in all other Fecenia species and almost twice as long as width of T. The latter slightly longer than broad. Membranous process (MP) of tegulum directed proximally (Figs 53, 95). Conductor (C) longer than MA, arising centrally in upper third of T.

FEMALE (The two females examined differ not or only marginally in almost all measurements, so only those of SB 390 are listed, except for opisthosoma measurements [ranges, SB 390 from Banting, Malaysia first]): Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 5.3, carapace width 3.7, anterior width of carapace 3.0, opisthosoma length 7.6-8.3, opisthosoma width 4.5-4.9. Eyes: AME 0.34, ALE 0.27, PME 0.27, PLE 0.22, AME–AME 0.26, AME–ALE 0.12, PME–PME 0.34, PME–PLE 0.46, AME–PME 0.22, ALE–PLE 0.24, clypeus height at AME 0.44, at ALE 0.41. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 5.9 [2.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.9], I 30.2 [8.1, 2.3, 8.5, 7.9, 3.4], II 19.7 [5.4, 1.9, 5.3, 4.7, 2.4], III 12.4 [3.6, 1.5, 2.9, 2.8, 1.6], IV 17.7 [4.9, 1.7, 4.6, 4.4, 2.1]. Leg formula: 1243. Palpal claw with 12 teeth (Fig. 51). Copulatory organ: Anterior part of median septum (AS) of epigyne “nose-like”, broader than posterior part (PS) (Fig. 48). Lateral lobes voluminous (Figs 48, 114). Epigynal muscle sigilla (EM) integrated in epigynal field. Slit sense organs (SO) outside epigynal field. Vulva with voluminous sclerotised section of internal duct system (SSI) (Fig. 49) and short and narrow transparent section (TSI), which is in dorsal view partly covered by SSI. The latter almost in contact with each other. Duct of SSI with three curves (Fig. 50). Fertilisation duct (FD) narrow. Colouration: Male and female: As described for Fecenia in general, but white to beige patch in front of spinnerets in one female rather unclear and smaller. Variation of copulatory organs: Males varying only insignificantly. Females: In female from Banting, Malaysia (SB 390) dark section of AS reaching further anteriorly (dotted line within AS in Fig. 48) than in SB 124 (Fig. 114). Number of SO among specimens varies from two to four. Distance between SSI slightly longer in SB 124 (Fig. 115).

Disribution.

Malaysia, Indonesia [Sumatra].