Nesticella phami, Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016

Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, A survey of the spider family Nesticidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Asia and Madagascar, with the description of forty-three new species, ZooKeys 627, pp. 1-168 : 53-54

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Nesticidae

Nesticella phami sp. n. Figs 65, 66, 83

Type material.

Holotype ♂ and paratypes 1♂3♀ (IZCAS), VIETNAM: Quang Ninh Province: Phong Nha Ke bang National Park, Sung Sot Cave (17.53932°N, 106.2549°E, 200 m), 5.VIII.2011, D.S. Pham leg.

Etymology.

The new species is named after Dr. Pham Dinh Sac, a pioneer spider researcher in Vietnam; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

Males of the new species can be distinguished from those of Nesticella sumatrana sp. n. (Fig. 67 A–G) by the strongly sclerotized terminal apophysis (Ta), the clearly serrated tegular apophysis (Tg) (Fig. 65A, C vs. Fig. 67A, C), the longer, and wider distal process of the paracymbium (Dp) (Fig. 65 A–B, D vs. Fig. 67 A–B, D) and the reduced ventral apophysis (Va) (Fig. 65A vs. Fig. 67A). Females can be easily separated from those of the other Nesticella species by the very short and wide scape (Sp), the short fertilization and copulatory ducts (Fd and Cd) and the wide, ovoid spermathecae (S).

Description.

Habitus as in Fig. 66 A–D. Carapace uniformly yellow and faintly pigmented at center and at margins. Cervical groove faint, fovea shallow. Mouthparts brown-yellowish. Sternum with sparse long setae and shorter setae along margins. Legs and female palps yellowish, distally brownish in metatarsi and tarsi. Opisthosoma pale in males, darker in females, with paired black marks on the dorsal part, partially fused each other in the posterior side.

Male palp (Fig. 65 A–D): paracymbium with a single, ventral apophysis strongly reduced, flat and short; distal process strongly sclerotized, elongate and flattened, with a blunt end (Fig. 65 A–B, D). Terminal apophysis long, pointed, wrinkled, and sclerotized (Fig. 65A, C). Tegular apophysis strongly sclerotized, with a serrated margin and a granulate base (Fig. 65A, 65 C–D). Conductor with a hook-like, sclerotized apical process (Fig. 65A, C–D).

Epigyne (Fig. 66 E–G): faintly dark (Fig. 66E). Scape very short and wide, laterally sclerotized (Fig. 66E). Copulatory openings tiny, located below the lateral corners of the scape (Fig. 66F). Spermathecae wide and ovoid (slightly wilted after being treated with lactic acid) (Fig. 66 E–G), separated by about 1 diameter. Fertilization ducts thin, coiling only once before reaching the spermathecae (Fig. 66G). Copulatory ducts thick, basally broad, and distally thinner, twisted in the middle (Fig. 66G).

Male (holotype). Total length 1.72. Carapace 1.00 long, 0.93 wide. Opisthosoma 0.83 long, 0.63 wide. Clypeus height 0.19. Sternum 0.60 long, 0.57 wide. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Female (one of the paratypes). Total length 2.28. Carapace 1.10 long, 0.98 wide. Opisthosoma 1.25 long, 0.96 wide. Clypeus height 0.20. Sternum 0.68 long, 0.67 wide. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Habitat.

Cave.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 83).