Thelcticopis lizae, Fomichev & Omelko, 2024

Fomichev, Alexander A. & Omelko, Mikhail M., 2024, A survey of the Sumatran Sparassidae (Araneae). 1. Two new Thelcticopis species, Zootaxa 5537 (3), pp. 348-356 : 349-352

Thelcticopis lizae sp. nov.

Figs 1–12 , 25–26

Type material. INDONESIA: Aceh Province (Sumatra): Holotype ♂, Kedah village , [03°59′N, 97°15′E], 1300– 1500 m, 1988 (precise date unknown), unknown collector ( ISEA, 001.9099).

Etymology. The specific name is a matronym in honor of the senior author’s wife, Elizaveta A. Nepaeva (Novoaltaysk, Russia); name in genitive case.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to Indian T. bicornuta Pocock, 1901 , Taiwanese T. dahanensis Zhu & Zhong, 2020 and T. severa (L. Koch, 1875) , which is widespread from Korea to Laos. The males of all four species have a simple whip-like embolus (E) in combination with a bunch of long parallel setae (Se) on the palpal tibia, which is twice as long as the retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA). The male of Thelcticopis lizae sp. nov. differs from those of T. bicornuta and T. severa by a distally positioned RTA which runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tibia [vs. medially or proximally located RTA with its basal part perpendicular to the tibia’s length axis; cf. Figs 7–9 and figs 5A–B in Sankaran et al. (2024) and figs 2B–D in Zhu et al. (2020)]. The male of the new species differs from that of T. dahanensis by the non-bifurcated RTA, relatively short E ending at 1-o’clock, and medially located conductor (C) [vs. bifurcated RTA, relatively long E ending at 3-o’clock and C located retrolaterally; cf. Figs 8, 11 and figs 1B, D in Zhu et al. (2020)].

Description. Male: Total length 13.0. Carapace: 5.8 long, 4.8 wide. Opisthosoma:6.1 long, 3.5 wide. Coloration: Carapace and chelicerae brown. Labium and endites dark brown. Sternum brown. Coxae yellow brown. Palps: Fe–Pa yellowish brown, Ti–Ta brown. Legs: Fe yellowish brown, Pa–Mt brown, Tr yellowish brown. Abdomen brown dorsally, gray ventrally. Spinnerets brown gray. Carapace, chelicerae, palps, legs and opisthosoma with light setae. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.41, ALE 0.26, PME 0.21, PLE 0.36, AME–AME 0.26, AME–ALE 0.24, PME–PME 0.57, PME–PLE 0.51, AME–PME 0.21, ALE–PLE 0.17. Clypeus height at AME 0.36. Clypeus height at ALE 0.14. Leg and palp measurements: Palp: 2.2, 1.1, 1.1, -, 2.4 (6.8). Leg I: 5.7, 2.8, 5.7, 4.7, 1.3 (20.2). Leg II: 5.8, 2.6, 5.2, 4.4, 1.2 (19.2). Leg III: 4.8, 2.2, 3.8, 3.4, 1.2 (15.4). Leg IV: 5.7, 2.1, 4.3, 5.3, 1.5 (18.9). Leg formula: 1243. Leg and palp spination: Palp: Fe d3 p1r1; Pa p1 r1; Ti p3. Leg I: Fe d2 p3 r3; Ti p2 r2 v2-2-2-2-2-2; Mt p2 r2 v2. Leg II: Fe d2 p3 r3; Ti p2 r2 v2-2-2-2-2-2; Mt p3 r3 v2. Leg III: Fe d2 p3 r2; Ti p2 r2 v2-2-2; Mt p3 r3 v2-1-1. Leg IV: Fe d2 p3 r1; Ti p2 r2 v2-2-2; Mt p3 r3 v2-2. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 5 retromarginal teeth.

Male palp as shown in Figs 3–12 . Tibia slightly longer than wide. Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) consisting of single prong, twice shorter than tibia. Ventro-distal lobe (VDL) short, triangular. Base of RTA with three stiff parallel fused setae forming a single bunch (Se). Cymbium 1.7 times longer than wide, with a pronounced retrolateral bulge (RB) and well developed cymbial scopula (CS) disto-dorsally. Bulb 1.4 times longer than wide. Tegulum (T) large and complex, with spermophor (Sp) forming S-shape in ventral view. Tegular apophysis (TA) arising from T at 3-o’clock position, with mediad apex. Conductor (C) arising medially, rectangular in ventral view, not covering the apex of embolus in ventral view. Basal process of conductor (bpC) almost triangular. Embolus (E) relatively short, originating prolaterally at 8-o’clock, with slightly widened tip, this latter resting into a recess on a prolateral side of C.

Female: unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality ( Figs 25–26 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Thelcticopis lizae sp. nov., male. 1–2 Habitus (1 dorsal, 2 ventral); 3–6 Palp (3 dorsal, 4 prolateral, 5 ventral, 6 retrolateral). Scale bars: 1–2=5 mm; 3–6=1 mm. Abbreviations: CS—cymbial scopula, RB—retrolateral bulge of cymbium.

FIGURES 7–12. Thelcticopis lizae sp. nov., male. 7–9 Palpal tibia (7 dorsal, 8 retrolateral, 9 ventral); 10–12 Bulb (10 prolateral, 11 ventral, 12 retrolateral). Scale bars: 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: bpC—basal process of conductor, C—conductor, E—embolus, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis, Se—bunch of setae, Sp—spermophor, T—tegulum, TA—tegular apophysis, VDL—ventrodistal lobe.

FIGURES 25–26. Distribution records of Thelcticopis spp. from Sumatra, Mentawai Islands and adjacent Malay Peninsula: T. karnyi (1), T. lizae sp. nov. (2), T. ketambe sp. nov. (3), T. klossi (4), T. orichalcea (5), T. modesta (6).