Talaus beccarii, Benjamin, 2020

Benjamin, Suresh P., 2020, Distributional and taxonomic notes on the crab spider genus Talaus Simon, 1886 with description of a new species (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 4858 (3), pp. 405-416 : 406

Talaus beccarii sp. nov.

( Figs 1 A–F)

Type material. Holotype: male, MALAYSIA: Sabah: North Borneo, Kinabalu National Park, Poring hot springs, 6º2’N 116º50’E, 500-700 m, primary forest, canopy fogging Aglaia sp. ( Meliaceae ), 27 March 1998, leg. A. Floren ( RMNH.ARA.17837).

Other material examined. MALAYSIA: Sabah: 1♀, Kinabalu National Park , park headquarters, 6º04’N 116º33’E, 1550 m, primary rainforest, general hand collecting, 29 June 1979, leg. P. R. and C. L. Deeleman ( RMNH. ARA.17836) .

Diagnosis. Easily distinguishable from congeners by the curved embolus (winding 0.25 times around tegulum) and shape of RTA and VTA (short, stout, truncate). Females can be distinguished by the comparatively small epigynal hood, and irregularly shaped CD and S ( Figs 1D, E ).

Etymology. Named for Odoardo Beccari (16 November 1843 – 25 October 1920), an Italian naturalist and collector of many spiders from South East Asia described by Teodor Thorell (3 May 1830 – 22 December 1901).

Description. Male: Total length: 8.2; prosoma length: 2.4, width: 2.4. Leg I: femur 3.0, patella 1.0, tibia 2.4, metatarsus 1.8, tarsus 1.4. Prosoma rectangular. Prosoma, chelicera, endites, labium, sternum reddish brown. ALE, PLE on tubercles, not connected to each other. ALE>PLE>AME>PME, MOA wider than long. Palp as in Figs 1 A–B.

Female: Total length: 9.2; prosoma length: 4.4, width: 4.0. Leg I: femur 3.0, patella 1.0, tibia 2.2, metatarsus 2.0, tarsus 1.4. In general similar to male except for slightly larger size and lighter colour. Epigynum and vulva as in Figs 1 D–E.

Distribution. Known only from Kinabalu National Park ( Malaysia, Borneo).

Figures

FIGURE 1 A–F. Talaus beccarii sp. nov. A–C male (RMNH.ARA.17837); D–F female (RMNH.ARA.17836) from Malaysia, Borneo, Kinabalu NP.A palp, ventral; B same, retrolateral; C holotype, habitus dorsal; D epigynum, ventral; E vulva, ventral; F female, habitus dorsal. Scale lines = 0.1 mm (C, E), 0.2 mm (A, B), 1.0 mm (C, F).