Heteropoda schwendingeri Jäger 2005

Eusemann, Pascal & Jäger, Peter, 2006, Heteropoda schwendingeri Jäger 2005 (Araneae: Sparassidae) — first description of female with notes on intraspecific variation and evidences supporting species status, Zootaxa 1325, pp. 327-334 : 328-332

Heteropoda schwendingeri Jäger 2005

Figs 1–11

H. schwendingeri Jäger 2005: 99 , figs 50–58 (description of ♂; ♂ holotype in MHNG, examined)

Material examined: 2 ♂♂ ( PJ 2437–2438), 3 ΨΨ ( PJ 2436, 2439–2440), Thailand: Chumphon Prov., Than Lod Yai Cave, 10°12'58.1'' N, 98°56'21.1'' E, 100m altitude, inside limestone cave, aphotic zone, P. Schwendinger leg. ( PJ 2436–2437 are deposited in the Research Institute Senckenberg, Frankfurt, SMF, PJ 2438–2440 in Muséum d'histoire naturelle, Genève, MHNG).

Material examined for comparison: Some 90 specimens of Heteropoda tetrica Thorell 1897 and related species (Eusemann, unpubl.) from Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Extended diagnosis: Large spider with legspan of up to 230 mm in males and 170 mm in females. Males are very similar to those of Heteropoda tetrica notably in the palpal morphology. A trait additional to those listed in Jäger (2005) for distinguishing H. schwendingeri from H. tetrica is the relatively smaller dorsal RTA when compared to the pronounced ventral RTA ( Fig. 9 ). Females can be distinguished from those of H. tetrica by shape and structure of epigyne and course of internal duct system ( Figs 1, 3 , 5 ): anterior part of the median septum exhibits a distinct longitudinal keel extending anteriorly (such a keel is absent in H. tetrica ); the anterior margins of the lateral lobes run distinctly laterad (running anteriorad in H. tetrica ); the anterior bands of the epigynal field are longer and more slender (shorter and stouter in H. tetrica ); and the slit sense organs are relatively more distinctly separated from epigynal field, i.e., 3–8 times its length (0–4 times in H. tetrica , but most are 0–2 times or with slit sense organs inside the field).

Extended description and variation of males (for original description see Jäger 2005). PL 11.3, PW 9.7–10.3, PH 2.9–3.0, OL 8.1–10.7, OW 4.8–6.3. Eye diametres: AME 0.49–0.51, ALE 0.82–0.85, PME 0.67–0.68, PLE 0.75–0.86; eye interdistances: AME –AME 0.21, AME–ALE 0.04–0.06, PME–PME 0.34–0.35, PME–PLE 0.58–0.60, AME –PME 0.30–0.41, ALE–PLE 0.41–0.51, CH AME 1.23–1.27, CH ALE 0.93–0.95.

Leg formula: 2143. Spination: PP 131, 101, 212(0)1, FE I–III 323, IV 331, PA I–IV 101, TI I–II 2226, III 2226, IV 22(1)26, MT I–II 1014, III 2014, IV 3036. Total length of palps and legs: PP 19.7–20.0, I 79.3–85.9, II 88.1–93.0, III 64.7–71.5, IV 75.6–79.1. Large teeth of prolateral tarsal claw of leg II (in prolateral view): 3–5. Cheliceral furrow with 3 anterior and 4 posterior teeth.

Only small variation in palp: retrolateral margin of conductor slightly more concave than in holotype and its tip thinner and more pointed.

Colour: As in holotype (see Jäger 2005).

Female. PL 12.9–13.4, PW 10.8–11.7, PH 2.5–3.5, OL 11.2–17.2, OW 6.7–12.3. Eye diametres: AME 0.55–0.57, ALE 0.85–0.94, PME 0.73–0.76, PLE 0.94–0.97; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.26–0.30, AME–ALE 0.06–0.12, PME–PME 0.32–0.42, PME–PLE 0.70–0.79, AME–PME 0.50–0.57, ALE–PLE 0.54–0.77, CH AME 1.36–1.57, CH ALE 1.06–1.22.

Leg formula: 2143. Spination: PP 131, 101, 2121, 1014, FE I–III 323, IV 331, PA I 1 (0)01, II–IV 101, TI I–II 2226, III 21(0)26, IV 2126, MT I–II 1014, III 2014, IV 3036.

Measurements of palps and legs: PP 20.4–22.2 (6.3–6.6, 3.1–3.2, 4.2–4.8, 6.7–7.6), I 66.6–71.5 (18.1–19.3, 6.8–7.6, 19.2–20.2, 18.6–20.3, 3.9–4.3), II 71.2–78.8 (19.6–21.6, 7.1–7.6, 21.1–24.7, 19.3–21.6, 4.1–4.5), III 58.8–63.6 (17.5–18.7, 5.8–6.5, 17.2–18.1, 14.8–16.7, 3.5–3.7), IV 65.7–69.6 (18.3–19.8, 5.6–6.2, 18.5–19.7, 19.2–20.7, 4.1–4.2). Large teeth of prolateral tarsal claw of leg II (in prolateral view): 3–4. Cheliceral furrow with 3 anterior and 4 posterior teeth. Palpal claw with 7–8 teeth.

Epigyne: lateral lobes and median keel are strongly pronounced bulges, regions close to copulatory openings strongly depressed. Epigynal field roughly quadrangular, but with rounded anterior edges. Anterior bands always distinct. Lateral lobes cover median septum. Septal pocket 2.1–2.6 times longer than wide, in two cases reaching region of turning point of internal duct system. Course of internal duct system as shown in Figures 2–4 , 6–8 . Posterior part of internal duct system extending laterally beyond anterior part.

Variation in the epigyne restricted to length of anterior bands and shape of epigyneal field. Keel between copulatory openings differently pronounced resulting in different profile shapes (rounded or sharp ridge). Vulva varying in size and shape of posterior part of duct system and size of septal pocket.

Colour: Reddish brown with darker markings. Chelicerae uniformly dark brown, almost black. Colour of ventral side and patterns of dorsal shield of prosoma and opisthosoma and legs as in male. No distinct colour dimorphism between sexes (cf. H. tetrica with males having strongly contrasted patterns on the dorsal shield of prosoma, whereas H. tetrica females exhibit a more uniform dark brown dorsal shield; Eusemann, unpubl.).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Heteropoda schwendingeri Jäger 2005, females from Than Lod Yai cave, type locality. 1, 3 Epigyne, ventral view; 2, 4 Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bar 1 mm. Abbreviations: AB — anterior bands of epigynal field, AM — anterior margins of lateral lobes, MK — median keel of anterior median septum.

FIGURES 5 – 9. Heteropoda schwendingeri Jäger 2005, females (5 – 8) and male (9) from Than Lod Yai cave, type locality. 5 Epigyne, ventral view; 6 Vulva, dorsal view; 7 Vulva, anterior view; 8 schematic course of internal duct system; 9 RTA, orthogonal view. Scale bars: 5 – 8, 9: 1 mm. Abbreviations: dRTA — dorsal part of RTA, vRTA — ventral part of RTA.

FIGURES 10 – 11. Heteropoda schwendingeri Jäger 2005, male (10) and female (11) from Than Lod Yai cave, type locality, habitus.