Althepus cheni Li & Li

Li, Fengyuan, Liu, Chang & Li, Shuqiang, 2018, Ten new species of the spider genus Althepus Thorell, 1898 from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae), ZooKeys 776, pp. 27-60 : 30-32

Althepus cheni Li & Li sp. n. Figs 3, 4, 20, 21

Types.

Holotype: ♂, Myanmar, Kadan Island, 12°29.113'N, 98°27.786'E, 3 m a.s.l., 27.X.2017, Z. Chen. Paratypes: 1♂3♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Zhigang Chen who collected the types; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

Althepus cheni Li & Li, sp. n. can be distinguished from all other known species of the genus by the large, curved, spine with tip directed distally of the palpal tarsus (Figure 3A) and by the needle-like projection on the distal end of the conductor in males (Figure 3A, B); females can be distinguished by a large membranous sac extending posteriorly and by two types of spermathecae: six short, curved spermathecae, and one globose spermatheca on a long stalk on each side (Figure 4A).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 4.50; carapace 1.36 length, 1.52 width; abdomen 2.75 length, 1.40 width. Carapace round, light yellow, with brown margins and a narrow, brown median line behind ocular area (Figure 4C). Cheliceral promargin with two teeth, followed by a lamina, retromargin with two small teeth (Figure 20B), posterior surface of fang with 25 small denticles. Labium brown. Sternum yellow with a V-shaped pattern in the middle. Abdomen elongate, with complex patterns dorsally and ventrally (Figure 4C). Legs brown, femur and tibia with white annulations. Leg measurements: I 46.53 (11.22, 0.63, 11.54, 19.49, 3.65), II 29.18 (7.76, 0.63, 7.37, 11.54, 1.88), III 18.59 (5.13, 0.60, 4.87, 6.41, 1.58), IV 25.91 (7.63, 0.63, 7.18, 8.72, 1.75). Male palp (Figure 3 A–D): tarsus with three slightly curved, serrated bristles at the top of the cymbial protrusion (one of them was missing, Figure 3A) and one large, curved spine with tip directed distally; lateral protrusion small (Figure 3D); bulb yellow, ovate; embolus arising retrolatero-proximally from bulb, slightly sigmoid; conductor arising distally from bulb, slightly sigmoid, with a needle-like projection distally; embolus and conductor widely separated (distance less than diameter of bulb).

Female (one of the paratypes). Total length 4.35; carapace 1.25 length, 1.32 width; abdomen 2.50 length, 1.25 width. Similar to male in colour and general features (Figure 4 D–E), but smaller. Internal genitalia with six short spermathecae, one globose spermatheca on a long stalk on each side, and a posterior sac (Figure 4A). Leg measurements: I 30.91 (7.37, 0.53, 7.82, 12.63, 2.56), II 19.88 (5.13, 0.52, 5.00, 7.31, 1.92), III 13.15 (3.60, 0.50, 3.25, 4.55, 1.25), IV 18.98 (5.51, 0.52, 5.13, 6.28, 1.54).

Variation.

Males: carapace 1.36-1.45 length, 1.50-1.52 width; femur I 11.22 (the number of specimens = 2; leg I lost in one specimen). Females: carapace 1.17-1.25 length, 1.26-1.38 width; femur I 7.37 (the number of specimens = 3).

Distribution.

Myanmar. Known only from the type locality (Figure 21).

Natural history.

Collected in a lowland evergreen broad-leaved forest at an altitude of 3 m.