Speocera nuichua Li & Li, 2019

Tong, Yanfeng, Li, Fengyuan, Song, Yang, Chen, Haifeng & Li, Shuqiang, 2019, Thirty-two new species of the genus Speocera Berland, 1914 (Araneae: Ochyroceratidae) from China, Madagascar and Southeast Asia, Zoological Systematics 44 (1), pp. 1-75 : 44

Speocera nuichua Li & Li sp. nov. ( Figs 36–37 , 56H )

Material examined. Holotype ♂ ( IZCAS), Vietnam, Ninh Thuan Province, Nui Chua National Park (11º43.565′N, 109º11.135′E), elev. 70 m, 30.VIII.2015, Leg. Q. Zhao, Y. Li & Z. Chen. Paratypes 1♂ 3♀ ( IZCAS), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the type locality; noun.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to S. apo Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995 , but males can be distinguished by the palpal tibia which is shorter than the cymbium ( Figs 36A–B ) and the chelicerae which are laterally excavated, with several short, strong setae ( Fig. 56H ) and females by the very large, balloon-shaped spermathecae ( Fig. 37A ). S. apo males have the palpal tibia longer than the cymbium, the chelicerae laterally straight, without special setae, and the females have oval spermathecae (Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995: figs 220–224).

Description. Male. Total length 0.93; carapace length 0.47; carapace width 0.38; abdomen length 0.44; abdomen width 0.37. Prosoma: carapace pyriform, narrowing gradually anteriorly; light yellow, suffused with a purplish pattern ( Fig. 37C ); pars cephalica flat; fovea not visible. Sternum light yellow, suffused with purplish color, as long as wide. Endites light yellow, suffused with purplish tinge; with serrula; labium light yellow, suffused with purplish tinge. Clypeus nearly vertical; short. Chelicerae light yellow, laterally excavated, with several short, strong setae; promargin with a series of six teeth reaching the lamina; retromargin with two very small denticles ( Fig. 56H ). Eyes: six contiguous eyes surrounded by black pigmentation; PME and ALE subequal, PLE largest ( Fig. 37C ). Opisthosoma oval; purplish. Legs missing. Genitalia ( Fig. 36 ). Palpal femur long; palpal tibia about 0.7 times as long as cymbium ( Figs 36A–B ). Cymbium conical, without prolateral extensions. Bulb spherical. Embolus short, dark and basally without distinct associated sclerites; sperm duct very wide, narrowing distally ( Fig. 36D ).

Female. Total length 1.03; carapace length 0.46; carapace width 0.41; abdomen length 0.55; abdomen width 0.48. Similar to male in color and general features ( Figs 37D–E ) but larger. Chelicerae unmodified. Legs light yellow; leg formula 4123; leg lengths I 1.78 (0.48, 0.15, 0.53, 0.36, 0.26); II 1.58 (0.45, 0.14, 0.44, 0.32, 0.23); III 1.39 (0.38, 0.11, 0.36, 0.31, 0.23); IV 1.93 (0.54, 0.14, 0.56, 0.42, 0.28). Genitalia. Internal genitalia with afferent spermathecae very short, not extending past the sides of the abdomen ( Fig. 37B ); spermathecae very large, balloon shaped ( Fig. 37A ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 36. Speocera nuichua Li & Li sp. nov., holotype, male. A. Left palp, prolateral view. B. Left palp, retrolateral view. C. Left palp, dorsal view. D. Left palp, retrolateral view, cleared in lactic acid. Scale bars=0.05 mm.

Figure 37. Speocera nuichua Li & Li sp. nov. A, B, D, E. Paratype, female. C. Holotype, male.A. Genitalia, dorsal view. B. Genitalia, ventral view. C. Habitus, dorsal view. D. Habitus, dorsal view. E. Habitus, ventral view. Scale bars: A–B=0.05mm; C–E=0.30mm.

Figure 56. Male chelicerae of Speocera spp. A–E, G–I. Anterior view. F. Lateral view. A. S. cattien Li & Li sp. nov. B. S. gexuejuni Li & Li sp. nov. C. S. heilan Li & Li sp. nov. D. S. lahrak Li & Li sp. nov. E–F. S. manhao Li & Li sp. nov. (arrow shows the small apophysis) G. S. longyan Li & Li sp. nov. H. S. nuichua Li & Li sp. nov. I. S. trapezialis Li & Li sp. nov. Scale bars=0.1mm.