Savarna satun Yao & Li, 2020

Lan, Tianqi, Yao, Zhiyuan, Zheng, Guo, Wongprom, Prasit & Li, Shuqiang, 2020, Five new species of the spider genus Savarna Huber, 2005 (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Thailand, Zootaxa 4778 (2), pp. 311-328 : 321-324

Savarna satun Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 7–8

Type material. Holotype: ♂ (IZCAS-Ar39739), Urai Thong Cave (6°56’13.6’’N, 99°45’52.8’’E, elevation 23 m), La Ngu District, Satun, Thailand, 16 October 2015, P. Wongprom leg. Paratypes: 1♂ (IZCAS-Ar39740), 2♀♀ (IZCAS-Ar39741–Ar39742), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality.

Diagnosis. The species resembles S. miser ( Bristowe, 1952) (see Huber 2005: 78, figs 127–128, 135–137; Huber et al. 2015b: 18, figs 34–35, 38–39, 74–85) with similar male chelicerae ( Fig. 8D ) but can be distinguished by presence of large sclerite on ventral ‘knee’ of procursus (arrow in Fig. 7B ), dorsal apophysis of procursus strongly protruding subdistally (arrow in Fig. 7C ), large distal apophysis on embolus (arrow 1 in Fig. 8C ), discontiguous pore plates on vulva ( Fig. 8B ), and by absence of semicircular posterior extensions on epigynum ( Fig. 8A ).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS-Ar39739): Total length 2.34 (2.48 with clypeus), prosoma 0.80 long, 0.98 wide, opisthosoma 1.54 long, 1.04 wide. Leg I: 24.14 (6.02 + 0.45 + 5.73 + 9.31 + 2.63), leg II: 15.93 (4.49 + 0.40 + 3.91 + 5.57 + 1.56), leg III: 10.95 (3.12 + 0.35 + 2.68 + 3.74 + 1.06), leg IV: 14.28 (4.21 + 0.36 + 3.52 + 5.13 + 1.06); tibia I L/d: 52; leg formula: I-II-IV-III. Distance PME-PME 0.14, diameter PME 0.11, distance PME-ALE 0.03, AME absent. Sternum wider than long (0.68/0.46). Habitus as in Figs 8 E–F. Dorsal shield of prosoma yellowish, with black margins and narrow, black median line behind ocular area; ocular area and clypeus dark brown; sternum black. Legs brownish, but slightly whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish, with black subcuticular spots lying above deeper white spots dorsally and laterally and distinct ventral pattern consisting of three interconnected black marks. Ocular area elevated, each eye triad on top of short, laterally directed hump. Thoracic furrow deep. Clypeus with pair of slightly pointed processes at rim furnished with strong and long hairs. Chelicerae as in Fig. 8D , with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses. Palps as in Figs 7 A–B, trochanter with small dorsal apophysis (arrow in Fig. 7A ) and long ventral apophysis proximally attached to femur; procursus ( Figs 7 C–D) simple proximally but complex distally, with distinctive membranous and sclerotized elements; bulb ( Fig. 8C ) with proximal sclerite and sclerotized embolus (provided with large distal apophysis, arrow 1 in Fig. 8C ) apparently containing sperm duct (sperm duct opening visible, arrow 2 in Fig. 8C ). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 5% proximally; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia I, present on other tibiae; legs with short spines in single ventral row on femur I, with vertical hairs in higher than usual density on all tibiae, without curved hairs; tarsus I with 10 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype, IZCAS-Ar39741): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 8 G–H. Total length 2.94 (3.10 with clypeus), prosoma 0.90 long, 0.96 wide, opisthosoma 2.04 long, 1.36 wide. Leg I: 26.54 (6.74 + 0.51 + 6.28 + 10.13 + 2.88), leg II: 16.46 (4.64 + 0.38 + 3.92 + 5.83+ 1.69), leg III: 11.49 (3.43 + 0.37 + 2.67 + 3.96 + 1.06), leg IV: 15.70 (4.61 + 0.38 + 3.62 + 6.03 + 1.06); tibia I L/d: 45; leg formula: I-II-IV-III. Distance PME-PME 0.16, diameter PME 0.13, distance PME-ALE 0.03, AME absent. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.74/0.62). Clypeus unmodified. Epigynum ( Fig. 8A ) slightly protruding. Vulva ( Fig. 8B ) with curved anterior arch and pair of medially constrictive, long pore plates.

Variation: Tibia I in male paratypes (IZCAS-Ar39740): 4.95. Tibia I in another female paratypes (IZCAS- Ar39742): 6.10.

Natural history. The species was found in the twilight zone of the Urai Thong Cave (karst area). Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Savarna satun sp. nov., holotype male. A–B. Palp (A. Prolateral view, arrow points at dorsal apophysis; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at large ventral sclerite); C–D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow points at strongly protruding dorsal apophysis; D. Retrolateral view). b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, tr = trochanter. Scale bars: 0.10 (A–B), 0.05 (C–D).

FIGURE 8. Savarna satun sp. nov., holotype male (C–F) and paratype female (A–B, G–H). A. Epigynum, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulbal process, prolateral view, arrow 1 points at large distal apophysis, arrow 2 points at sperm duct opening; D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E–H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; H. Ventral view). b = bulb, e = embolus, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.10 (A–D), 0.50 (E–H).

FIGURE 11. Known distribution records of new Savarna species from Thailand. 1. Savarna bannang sp. nov.; 2. S. chiangmai sp. nov.; 3. S. huahin sp. nov.; 4. S. satun sp. nov.; 5. S. thungsong sp. nov.