Epidius elongatus, Benjamin, 2017

Benjamin, Suresh P., 2017, Distributional and taxonomic notes on the crab spider genus Epidius with descriptions of five new species (Araneae: Thomisidae), Journal of Natural History 51 (9 - 10), pp. 469-485 : 474-477

Epidius elongatus sp. nov.

( Figures 2 (c) and 4(b))

Type material

Holotype. Male from Thailand, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Khao Yai National Park [14° 26 ʹ 29N, 101°22 ʹ 11E], 800 m, 26 December 1988, leg. C. L. and P. R. Deeleman (RMNH. ARA.15906).

Etymology

Refers to the rather elongated body and legs of the holotype.

Diagnosis

Distinguished from other known congeners by distinctive shape of E (large, stout, hooklike, tapered fine tip; Figure 4 (b)), C (triangular, blunt tip; Figure 4 (b)), lack of a MA and the leaf-shaped RTA ( Figure 4 (b)).

Description

Male. Total length: 4.5; prosoma length: 2.1, width: 1.5. Leg I: femur 3.9, patella 0.9, tibia 3.9, metatarsus 2.8. tarsus 1.2, Prosoma light brown/yellow, eye regions darker, without prominent markings or conspicuous setae. Opisthosoma with white spots, dorsally with a dark brown folium and spots. ALE> PLE> PME> AME. AER, PER recurved, eyes on brown-coloured mounds, but not touching. Leg formula 1243. Palps as in Figure 4 (b), femur and tibia characteristically elongated, femur as long as tibia, furnished with 3 thick spines and MTr. RTA present, leaf-shaped. Bulbus ovoid. C triangular, stout tip without serration. MA absent. Embolus large, stout, C-shaped, tapered tip ( Figure 4 (b)). SDT with an inward turn just below the embolic base ( Figure 4 (b)).

Female. Unknown.

Natural History

Extracted from label: ‘in dead Pending leaf in dense extended cocoon’.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 2. Epidius floreni sp. nov. RMNH 15,913 (a, b, d), Epidius elongatus sp. nov. RMNH 15,906 (c), Epidius coloratus sp. nov. RMNH 15,921 (e, f), and Epidius longimanus sp. nov. MNHN 9783 (g). (a, e) Male prosoma, dorsal view. (b) Female habitus, dorsal view. (d, g) Epigynum, ventral view. (f) Palp, prolateral view. Scale bars: d, g = 0.2 mm; a, c, e, f = 1.0 mm; b = 2.0 mm.

Figure 4. Epidius floreni sp. nov. RMNH 15,913 (a), same RMNH 15,916 (c, d) and Epidius elongatus sp. nov. RMNH 15,906 (b). (a, b) Male palp, ventral view. (c) Epigynum, ventral view. (d) Vulva, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.