Liphistius lahu Schwendinger, 1998

Schwendinger, Peter J., Huber, Siegfried, Lehmann-Graber, Christina, Ono, Hirotsugu, Aung, Mu Mu & Hongpadharakiree, Komsan, 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Liphistius birmanicus-group (Araneae: Liphistiidae) with the description of five new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 129 (2), pp. 375-424 : 380-382

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.35929/RSZ.0083
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7761499
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E18D71-7240-0361-B2C7-FC505119FEC9
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Liphistius lahu Schwendinger, 1998
status

Treatment

Liphistius lahu Schwendinger, 1998 View in CoL

Figs 1 View Fig , 4-5 View Fig View Fig

Liphistius lahu Schwendinger, 1998: 17-19 View in CoL , fig. 1A-H (description of males and females). – Schwendinger, 1999: fig. 1A-H (reprint of illustrations in Schwendinger, 1998).

Holotype: MHNG-ARTO-0024737; male; Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, Fang District, Doi Angkhang, 1540 m, 19°55’10”N, 99°02’55”E; 27.VIII.1990; leg. P.J. Schwendinger.

Paratypes: MHNG-ARTO-0024739; 1 male; collected together with the holotype. – MHNG-ARTO-0024740 to 24745; 6 female paratypes; collected at the type locality; 27.VIII.1990 and 25.IX.1986; leg. P.J. Schwendinger .

Other material: MHNG; 1 female; Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, Fang District, Doi Pha Luang, 1600 m, 20°02’37”N, 99°06’14”E; 3.XI.1990; leg. P.J. Schwendinger. No new material available.

Diagnosis: Males distinguished by a moderately deep tibial apophysis (depth/length ratio ~ 1.4, Fig. 4F View Fig ), by a widely rounded retrolateral-proximal heel on paracymbium ( Fig. 4 View Fig H-J), by an indistinctly elevated prolateral part of the distal contrategular edge ( Fig. 4E, G View Fig ), and by short para-embolic plate not separated by an invagination from retroventral edge of embolus complex ( Fig. 4 View Fig C-E). Females distinguished by ventral side of poreplate without anterolateral processes and by an indistinct step between anterior lobes and lateral poreplate margins; posterior stalk axe-blade-shaped, about half as long as poreplate ( Fig. 5 View Fig ).

Additions to description: Medium-sized spiders with brown colouration in both sexes and annulated legs

and palps in females and juveniles (in large spiders less distinct than in small ones, annulations thus fading as females become older and larger). Males with scopula weak on tarsi I-II, slightly denser on tarsi III-IV, covering distal 4/5 of tarsus I and distal 5/6 of tarsi II-IV. Male palps with moderately deep tibial apophysis (depth/length ratio ~ 1.4), not set back from distal margin of tibia, carrying four long, pointed apical megaspines ( Fig. 4F View Fig ; Schwendinger, 1998: fig. 1A-C; Schwendinger, 1999: fig. 1A-C); paracymbium short, with an almost flat distal surface and with a widely arched retrolateral-proximal heel ( Fig. 4 View Fig H-J); cumulus indistinct, carrying a group of 5-6 long, strong bristles ( Fig. 4 View Fig H-J; Schwendinger, 1998: fig. 1B-C; Schwendinger, 1999: fig. 1B-C); subtegulum without apophysis ( Fig. 4E View Fig ); proventral process of contrategulum conical, with narrowly rounded apex in dorsal view ( Fig. 4 View Fig A-C); prolateral part of distal edge of contrategulum developed as a low (not elevated as in L. metopiae sp. nov.) keel ( Fig. 4E, G View Fig ); no wrinkles on dorsal side of contrategulum, a pronounced proximal ledge on its retrodorsal side ( Fig. 4 View Fig A-C); distal edge of contrategulum very wide, with narrowly rounded dorsal apex ( Fig. 4 View Fig A-C; Schwendinger, 1998: fig. 1D-E; Schwendinger, 1999: fig. 1D-E); tegulum large, its distal margin not elevated, its proximal edge widely arched, coarsely serrate, bent and distinctly overhanging membranous area of contrategulum below it ( Fig. 4 View Fig C-D; Schwendinger, 1998: fig. 1A-B; Schwendinger, 1999: fig. 1A-B); para-embolic plate very short, not separated from retroventral edge of embolus complex by an invagination ( Fig. 4 View Fig C-E); sclerotised part of embolus proper strengthened by 3-4 distally dentate longitudinal ribs reaching apex, narrowly divided from distinctly shorter membranous embolus part; at base of membranous embolus part a weakly pigmented area with only 3-4 longitudinal wrinkles and with a wide and asymmetrical distal margin ( Fig. 4 View Fig C-D, G). Females with more or less distinctly annulated legs and palps; uterus externus with a small pair of lateral pockets (as illustrated for L. ferox sp. nov., Fig. 11 View Fig I-J, N, P and Fig 12D, F View Fig ); vulval plate with several hairs on lateral folds; poreplate wider than long, with a pair of pronounced, rounded lobes on anterior margin, without anterolateral processes; an indistinct step between anterior lobes and lateral poreplate margins ( Fig. 5 View Fig E-F, H); receptacular cluster racemose, quite long, almost reaching or slightly surpassing anterior margin of poreplate ( Fig. 5 View Fig ; Schwendinger, 1998: fig. 1F-H; Schwendinger, 1999: fig. 1F-H); posterior stalk axe-blade-shaped, its anterior portion narrow, its posterior margin wide and arched, narrower than poreplate.

Variation: For carapace measurements and prefoveal

setae counts see Table 1 View Table 1 . All specimens examined have well-developed AME. Variation in the shape of the paracymbium and of the distal edge plus the proventral process of the contrategulum of males is shown in Fig. 4 View Fig H-J and Fig. 4 View Fig A-C, respectively. Variation in the shape of the vulval plates of five females is shown in Fig. 5 View Fig .

Relationships: Palp morphology of males is very similar in L. lahu and L. metopiae sp. nov., indicating that these two species are not only geographically but also phylogenetically close to each other.

Distribution: Liphistius lahu is known from two localities in the mountains of the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai, at and close to the border with the Shan State of Myanmar ( Fig. 1 View Fig ). This species can probably be found on both sides of that border.

Biology: Information is given in the original description ( Schwendinger, 1998: 19). No new specimens or new biological information are available.