Gamasomorpha asterobothros Eichenberger, 2012

Eichenberger, Beata, Kranz-Baltensperger, Yvonne, Ott, Ricardo, Graber, Werner, Nentwig, Wolfgang & Kropf, Christian, 2012, Morphology of new Indian / Indonesian Gamasomorpha and Xestaspis species (Araneae: Oonopidae) 3160, Zootaxa 3160 (1), pp. 1-68 : 4-8

Gamasomorpha asterobothros Eichenberger n. sp.

( Figs. 1–4 )

Type material: Holotype male ( PBI_OON 00031322 ): Indonesia: Sumatra: West Sumatra Province, old secondary forest above Taman Hutan Raya Bung Hatta, 0°56’45”S, 100°32’37”E, 1100 m, 29 – 30 May 2006, leg. P. Schwendinger ( MHNG). Female paratype ( PBI_OON 00012323 ): collected with male holotype ( MHNG). Male paratype ( PBI_OON 00031327 ) and female paratype ( PBI_OON 00031325 ): collected with male holotype ( MHNG).

Male paratype ( PBI_OON 00031326 ): Indonesia: Sumatra: West Sumatra Province: Mount Merapi , 15 km SE of Bukittinggi, 0°23’32”S, 100°26’54”E, 1650-1700 m, hill forest, 4 June 2006, leg. P. Schwendinger ( NMBE). Female paratype ( PBI_OON 00031324 ): collected with male holotype ( NMBE) .

Etymology: The species epithet is a noun in apposition composed of aster, the Greek noun for star and bothros, the Greek noun for depression. It refers to the shape of the characteristic rows of large, droplike pits between the coxae in this species group.

Diagnosis: Gamasomorpha asterobothros n. sp. can be distinguished from other species of Gamasomorpha by the combination of the following traits: Sternum with rows of large, droplike pits between coxae I-II, II-III and III-IV (figs. 1. D–E); male palp without a distinct transparent, denticulated seam on the mesal embolic accessory appendage (ma) (fig. 4. D), conductor (co) without distal excavation; female receptaculum (re) nearly circular with dorsal, stout globular appendix (gap), clearly shorter than receptaculum (figs. 4. F–G); abdominal scuto-pedicel region with paired curved scutal ridges (psr), (figs. 2. B–C); pedicel tube with small, dorsolateral, triangular extensions (pds), (fig. 2. B); carapace with three pairs of posterolateral spikes (cps), (figs. 1. C, F–G); carapace lateral margins smooth (fig. 1. F).

Description: Description based on 18 males and 15 females.

MALE: Body length 2.6 – 2.8 mm. Uniformly orange-brown or red-brown colored species, legs uniformly pale orange or orange-brown; prosoma, abdominal scuta and mouthparts equally strongly and completely sclerotized, no soft tissue visible in dorsal and ventral view (figs. 1. A–C).

CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace ovoid in dorsal view; pars cephalica slightly elevated in lateral view, anteriorly narrowed to less than 0.5 times its maximum width, surface smooth; pars thoracica with rounded posterolateral corners, with three pairs of posterolateral spikes (cps), (figs. 1. C, F–G), surface smooth, posterolateral edge with a pair of pits (cpp), (fig. 1. F), without other depressions or projections, carapace lateral margin straight from lateral view, slightly undulated from dorsal view, rebordered, without denticles; marginal and non-marginal pars thoracica and cephalica setae light, needle-like, originating from surface, cephalic setae single u-shaped distribution about as broad as eye group, with longitudinal middle-row. Clypeus margin slightly rebordered, submarginally unmodified, straight in frontal view, vertical in lateral view, ALE separated from edge of carapace by about their diameter, setae light, needle-like, chilum absent. Eyes six, well developed, eye group by anterior lateral eye radius to diameter narrower than clypeus; anterior lateral eyes separated from each other by their radius to their diameter; posterior median eyes almost touching and separated from posterior lateral eyes by less than posterior median eye radius. Anterior lateral and posterior median eyes oval, subequal, posterior lateral eyes roundish, slightly smaller than the other eyes. Posterior eye row recurved from above, procurved from front (fig. 2. A). Sternum longer than wide, fused to carapace, with radial furrows of large, roundish, droplike pits between coxae I-II, II-III, III-IV (figs. 1. D–E), surface smooth, anterior margin with interrupted transverse groove (itg), (figs. 1. D–E), distance between coxae approximately equal, lateral margins with indented extensions between coxae, with infra-coxal grooves and anterior and posterior openings, posterior margin extending beyond anterior edges of coxae IV; setae abundant, light, needle-like, evenly scattered, originating from surface. Mouthparts: Chelicerae slightly divergent, distal region abruptly narrowed (fig. 2. A), anterior and inner face unmodified, with light, needle-like, evenly scattered setae, with one feather-like seta nearly as long as fang, situated promarginally near fang base, without teeth on both promargin and retromargin, promargin with row of flattened setae (fsh) in combination with feather-like setae (ffh), (fig. 2. G), fang unmodified, directed medially; labium rectangular, fused to sternum, anterior margin indented at middle, with more than 6 setae on anterior margin, subdistal portion with 6 needle-like, long setae (fig. 2. F); endites without depressions or projections, serrula present in single row.

ABDOMEN: Ovoid, scuta surface punctate, with abundant, evenly scattered, plumose, light setae (fig. 2. D). Dorsal scutum without projections, not fused to epigastric scutum, inter-scutal membrane white, unmodified, with scattered setae. Epigastric scutum ventrally slightly protruding, anteriorly not extending far dorsal of pedicel, surrounding pedicel, scuto-pedicel region with paired curved scutal ridges, pedicel tube medium, ventrally ribbed, with small, dorsolateral, triangular extensions (fig. 2. B), cuticular outgrowths near pedicel absent; booklung covers (boc) quite large, ovoid, without matted setae, anterolateral edge unmodified (figs. 2. C, E). Postepigastric scutum long, semicircular, fused to epigastric scutum, anterior margin unmodified, without posteriorly directed lateral apodemes, posterior spiracles connected by groove. Spinneret scutum incomplete ring, with fringe of long setae, supra-anal scutum absent, colulus present.

LEGS: Spines absent, patella plus tibia I nearly as long as carapace; ventral apex of tibiae III and IV with brush of specialized hairs (sh) with fine, plumose, curved hair tip (see fig. 13. C), other setae needle-like; dorsal apex of metatarsi I-IV with small appendage (da), (see figs. 25. A, 32. E); metatarsi I and II meso-apical comb absent; tarsi I to IV without inferior claw, with scopula between claws (sc), (fig. 2. H, see fig. 25. B, fig. 18. F), tarsal organ with 3 sensilla visible (see fig. 28. E); tibia I-IV with three, metatarsus I-IV with one trichobothrium each, base longitudinally narrowed, internal texture of aperture and hood smooth (see fig. 6. E).

MALE GENITALIA: Epigastric region unmodified, with sperm pore small, slit-like, rebordered, (see fig. 13. B), situated at level of anterior spiracles. Male palp (figs. 4. A–E) slightly sclerotized, pale-orange, not enlarged, right and left palps symmetrical. Embolus (em) dark, long, slender, lamellar, about as long as bulbus, half way to distal tip split into a second, slightly shorter, mesal embolic accessory appendage (ma), adjacent to a third, slightly shorter, lamellar conductor (co), (figs. 4. D–E), mesal embolic accessory appendage without distinct transparent, denticulate seam, embolus-conductor-complex mesially bent in dorsal view, fitting into the interrupted transverse groove at anterior margin of sternum. Bulbus stout, conical extension (ce) unincisive (figs. 4. A–B) to weakly pronounced (see figs. 7. A–B). Cymbium ovoid in dorsal view, not fused with bulb, extending beyond distal tip of bulb, setae thickened, distally densified, hair tips apparently linearly cut (figs. 4. A,C). Trochanter with ventral projection (vp), (e.g. see fig. 7. A), other proximal segments unmodified, setae needle-like, femur attached to patella basally, more than twice as long as trochanter, tibia with 3 trichobothria.

FEMALE: Body length 2.9 – 3.2 mm. As in male except as noted. Slightly larger than male. Opisthosoma more round. Postepigastric scutum not fused to epigastric scutum. Female palp spines absent, 3 trichobothria on tibia, distal apex of tarsus unmodified or with small pointed extension (see fig. 7. D).

FEMALE GENITALIA: Ventral view (figs. 3. A–B): Without external features. Dorsal view (figs. 4. F–H): receptaculum (re) almost circular, containing a roundish secretory sac (ssa), globular appendix (gap) stout, clearly shorter than 0.5 times the receptaculum, pore fiel of receptaculum (pof) concentrated at posterior end of globular appendix, with an anterior paddle-like sclerite (psc) and a nail-like process (na), with lateral sclerites functioning as muscle attachments (A1).

Distribution: Indonesia, Sumatra (fig. 49. B).

Intraspecific variation: Body size variable: male, 2.6 – 2.8 mm, female, 2.9 – 3.2 mm; prosoma and abdominal scuta orange-brown or dark red-brown, similar to G. keri n. sp.; posterolateral spikes on carapace may be small but always pointed.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Gamasomorpha asterobothros n. sp. Male: A. habitus dorsal view; B. habitus ventral view; C. habitus lateral view; D. sternum ventral view; E. sternum ventral view, SEM; F. carapace dorsal view; G. carapace posterior view; H.carapace posterior view, SEM. Abbreviations: cps, carapace posterolateral spikes; itg, interrupted transverse groove; cpp, carapace posterolateral pits. Scale bars: A–C 1 mm; D–H 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2: Gamasomorpha asterobothros n. sp. Male: A. carapace anterior view; B. abdomen anterior view; C. abdomen anterior view, SEM; D. dorsal scutum, setae, SEM; E. booklung covers lateral view; F. labium ventral view; G. chelicerae inner margin, SEM. Female: H. leg, tarsus, claw tuft, dorsal view, SEM. Abbreviations: psr, paired scutal ridges; pds, pedicel tube dorsolateral spikes; boc, booklung covers; fsh, flat smooth hairs; ffh; flat feather-like hairs. Scale bars: A–C 0.5 mm; D, G 100 µm; E–F 0.2 mm; H 10 µm.

FIGURE 3: Gamasomorpha asterobothros n. sp. Female: A. abdomen ventral view; B. epigastric region, ventral view, SEM. Scale bars: A–B 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 4: Gamasomorpha asterobothros n. sp. Male: A,B. right palp, prolateral view; C. left palp, anterior-retrolateral view, SEM; D. right embolus, ventral-prolateral view; E. left embolus, retrolateral-dorsal view, SEM. Female: F,G. epigastric region, dorsal view; H. epigastric region, posterior view. Abbreviations: ce, conical extension; em, embolus; co, conductor; ma, mesal embolic accessory appendage; psc, paddle-like sclerite; na, nail-like process; go, genital opening; gap, globular appendix; pof, pore field of receptaculum; re, receptaculum; ssa, secretory sac; A1, lateral sclerites functioning as muscle attachments. Scale bars: A–B, F–H 300 µm; C 200 µm; D–E 50 µm.