Xestaspis biflocci 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 : 56

Xestaspis biflocci Eichenberger n. sp.

( Figs. 43–47 )

Type material: Holotype male (PBI_ OON 00016038 ): Thailand: Phang Nga Province: Khao Lak National Park, Tone Chong Fa Fall, 8°40'N, 98°18'E, 100-300 m, 6-15 January 1998, leg. A. Schulz & K. Vock (Winkler-extraction in primary moist forest with secondary spots) ( MHNG). Female paratype ( PBI_OON 00016037 ): collected with male holotype ( MHNG). Male paratype ( PBI_OON 00016036 ): collected with male holotype ( MHNG). Female paratype ( PBI_OON 00012767 ): Thailand: Krabi Province and District: Khao Phanom Bencha National Park , 100-190 m, evergreen rain forest, 11 October 1999, leg. P. Schwendinger ( NMBE).

Etymology: The species epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the posterolateral hair tufts on the carapace and is composed of the Latin word bi and the English plural noun flocci.

Diagnosis: Can be distinguished from other species of Xestaspis by the combination of following traits: Rows of large, droplike or rather channel-like pits between the coxae I-II, II-III and possibly III-IV (figs. 43 D–H); carapace with posterolateral hair tufts with long, needle-like hairs, at least twice as long and thick as the marginal thoracic setae (pht), (figs. 44. C–D).

Description: Description based on 11 males and 12 females.

MALE: Body length 2.5 mm. Uniformly red-brown colored species, legs orange-brown (figs. 43 A–C). Carapace broadly oval in dorsal view; pars cephalica quite strongly elevated in lateral view (fig. 43. C), posterolateral spikes and pits absent (fig. 44. B), lateral margin straight from dorsal view, cephalic setae u-shaped in single to double row. Eye group by less than diameter of anterior lateral eyes narrower than clypeus, anterior lateral eyes oval, largest, posterior median eyes oval, about subequal as roundish posterior lateral eyes (fig. 44. A). Anterior margin of sternum with continuous transverse groove (figs. 43. E–F). Chelicerae paturon inner margin with pairs of enlarged setae giving it a mustache-like appearance from dorsal view (ceh), (fig. 44. B); labium barely indented at middle. Abdomen broadly ovoid, scuta surface finely punctate, with short, posteriorly directed lateral apodemes, colulus represented only by setae. Legs patella plus tibia shorter than carapace, ventral apex of tibiae III and IV with brush of specialized hairs (sh) with fine, plumose, curved hair tip (see fig. 13. C), ventral apex of tibiae I-IV with two thickened, long, needle-like setae. Male genitalia: Similar to X. kandy n. sp. with a long slender, lamellar embolus (em), adjacent to an embolic accessory appendage (ma) and a lamellar conductor (co) (figs. 46. A–H). Conical extension (ce) fairly pronounced (figs. 46. A–D). Cymbium extending just beyond distal tip of bulb.

FEMALE: Body length 2.8 mm. Chelicerae inner margin without pairs of elongated setae. Colulus very small. Female genitalia: Ventral view (fig. 44. H): Without external features. Dorsal view (figs. 47. A–C): receptaculum (re) ovoid, elongated, secretory sac (ssa) pear-shaped, globular appendix (gap) narrow, slightly shorter than 0.5 times the length of receptaculum, pore field of receptaculum (pof) distributed widely around globular appendix, with an anterior paddle-like sclerite (psc) and a nail-like process (na), with lateral sclerites functioning as muscle attachments (A1).

Intraspecific variation: 3 different morphs (a) - c) in figs. 43., 44., 46) with variation in: furrows on sternum with large round pits or channel-like pits (figs. 43. D–G), shape of pits may not be identical on the right and left side within a single individual (fig. 43. H); booklung covers dotlike and almost not visible or small, ovoid, elevated from surface (figs. 45. A–C) (similar to Xestaspis sp. , fig. 36. B), but anterolateral edge unmodified (figs. 45. A–D); pedicel tube with or without small, rounded dorsal extensions (figs. 44. E–F); scuto-pedicel region transition from paired to straight scutal ridge, without or with indicated more dorsal, semicircular, ridge (figs. 44. E–F); sternum posterior extension more or less laterally indented (figs. 43. D–F); conical extension of male palp pointed or rather rounded (figs. 46. B–D); male palp, mesal embolic accessory appendage, dorsal-apical with tiny denticles that may be absent, transitions also within individuals from same location.

There was found a cline from South to North in some characters. The size of the booklung covers and the width of the conical extension in the male palp increased towards north. In contrast, indications of a second, more dorsal scuto-pedicel ridge was found in individuals from the south and the north but not in between.

Distribution: Southern Thailand, mainly near waterfalls (fig. 50. B).

Figures

FIGURE 43: Xestaspis biflocci n. sp. Male: A. habitus dorsal view; B. habitus ventral view; C. habitus lateral view; D. sternum morph a), ventral view; E. sternum morph b), ventral view; F. sternum morph c), ventral view; G–H. sternum morph b), ventral view, SEM. Abbreviations: boc, booklung covers; ctg, continuous transverse groove. Scale bars: A–C 1 mm; D–G 0.5 mm; H 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 44: Xestaspis biflocci n. sp. Male: A. carapace anterior view; B. carapace dorsal view; C. carapace dorsal view, SEM; D. carapace posterior view; E. abdomen morph a), anterior view; F. abdomen morph b), anterior view; G. abdomen morph c), anterior view. Female: H. abdomen ventral view. Abbreviations: ceh, chelicerae enlarged setae; pht, posterior hair tuft; pds, pedicel tube dorsal spikes; sr, scutal ridge; usr, dorsal scutal ridge. Scale bars: A–G 0.5 mm; H 1 mm.

FIGURE 45: Xestaspis biflocci n. sp. Male: A. booklung covers, morph a), lateral view; B. booklung covers morph b), lateral view; C.booklung covers morph c), lateral view; D. booklung covers, morph b), lateral view, SEM; E. metatarsus II, lateral view SEM. Abbreviations: boc, booklung covers; da, dorsal appendage. Scale bars: A–E 100 µm.

FIGURE 46: Xestaspis biflocci n. sp. Male: A–B. right palp, morph a), prolateral view; C. right palp, morph b), prolateral view; D. right palp, morph c), prolateral view; E. right palp, morph b), dorsal view, SEM; F,H. right embolus, morph b), dorsal view, SEM; G. right embolus, morph a), ventral-prolateral view. Abbreviations: ce, conical extension; em, embolus; co, conductor; ma, mesal embolic accessory appendage; dd, dorsal denticles. Scale bars: A–D 300 µm; E 200 µm; F–G 100 µm; H 20 µm.

FIGURE 47: Xestaspis biflocci n. sp. Female: A–C. epigastric region, dorsal view. Abbreviations: 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–C 300 µm.