Karschia (Karschia) tibetana Hirst, 1907

Figs 1, 3 A – D, 6 A, B, 8 A – D, 11 A, 12 A, 13 A – D, 16 A, B, 17 A, 18 A, 19 A, C, Tables 1, 2

Karschia tibetana: Hirst, 1907 a: 322–324, figs 1, 2; Hirst, 1912: 233–234; Birula, 1922: 197; Roewer, 1932: n / a, figs 110 c, 143 a, 143 a; Roewer, 1933: 298, figs 221 a, 222 a, 223 o; Zilch, 1946: 123.

Karschia (Karschia) tibetana Hirst: Harvey, 2003: 286.

Type material.

Holotype ♂, China: Xizang, Shigatse Prefecture, Gyangze County, stored at NHMUK (of Natural History Museum, United Kingdom), not examined . Paratypes: 6 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, China: Xizang, Gyangze, Kamba-Dzong, Tinki, Shekar, Kyishong, stored at SMF (Naturmuseum und Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt am Main), not examined .

Materials examined.

4 ♂♂ (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2014080601 –04), 3 ♀♀ (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2014080605 –08), China: Xizang, Shigatse Prefecture, Gyangze County, Enzha Village, 6. VIII. 2014, leg. Chao Zhang ; 1 ♂ (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2018070901), China: Xizang, Shigatse Prefecture, Gyangze County, Ralung Town, 28.8176 ° N, 90.0369 ° E, 4451 m elev., 9. VII. 2018, leg. Yannan Mu .

Diagnosis.

K. tibetana differs from all Karschia species except K. nubigena, K. dingye sp. nov., K. lhasa sp. nov., K. zhui sp. nov., K. shigatse sp. nov. and K. namling sp. nov. by male cheliceral movable finger with MSM teeth. K. tibetana differs from K. nubigena by having fringed flagellum (Fig. 11 A) and male ctenidia in sternite IV cylindrical and not wide at bottom (Fig. 19 C), from K. dingye sp. nov., K. lhasa sp. nov. and K. zhui sp. nov. by pedipalpal metatarsus without or with only a few papillae (Fig. 16 B), and from K. shigatse sp. nov. and K. namling sp. nov. by flagellum without lateral apophysis and long fcp (Fig. 11 A). The female genital operculum is easily recognizable in all known species; it is long, subtriangular, and with no clear demarcation between the plates, with the rear edge being lightly chitinized (Fig. 17 A).

Redescription.

Male (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2014080601).

Measurements. Total body length 17.86, CL 4.61, CH 1.64, PL 2.14, PW 2.72, A / CP 8.28, CL / CH 2.81. Pedipalp 18.77 (5.34, 6.13, 3.81, 0.96), Leg I 14.70 (3.33, 3.68, 2.70, 1.30, 0.09), Leg II 11.49 (2.12, 2.81, 2.00, 0.85, 0.93), Leg III 15.07 (3.51, 3.91, 2.18, 0.55, 0.88), Leg IV 22.366 (5.07, 5.76, 3.60, 1.30, 1.28).

Coloration. In 75 % ethanol-preserved specimens (Fig. 3 A, B). The general background deep yellow. Opisthosoma gray-yellow, with black tergites and pale black sternites. Propeltidium tinged pale brown. Ocular tubercle black. Mesopeltidium and metapeltidium with special black stripes. Chelicerae with manus predominantly yellowish with some black areas, and a retrolateral view of chelicerae with three black longitudinal stripes. Pedipalps and legs yellow, legs III and legs IV tinged with pale brown on distal regions of femora and proximal parts of tibiae. Proximal regions of the pedipalpal femur, tibia, metatarsus, and tarsus tinged with brown. Malleoli yellow.

Propeltidium. Wider than long, with dense pubescence of thin, short, anteriorly directed setae. Anterior, posterior, and lateral edges with several long, curved spiniform setae perpendicular to the surface of the propeltidium. Ocular tubercle with two short and two long middle distal spiniform setae, one long middle spiniform setae, two short spiniform setae, and numerous shorter, thinner, proximal setae (Fig. 6 A).

Chelicerae. Fixed finger primary teeth graded as FP ≈ FD <FM. Profondal teeth series with three tiny teeth; retrofondal teeth series with seven teeth. Dental formulation of fixed finger: FD - (2) - FM - (2) - FP - (7 RF) (3 PF). Movable finger MP tooth about the same size as MM. Movable finger dental formula: MM - (2) - MP, with two MSM teeth and two MSP (Figs 8 A, 13 A). Flagellum coiled, fringed and sessile, without lateral apophysis. The flagellar complex includes two long fcp and two short, thick fcs (Figs 8 B, 11 A, 13 B). Retrolateral and dorsal surfaces of the manus with large, bifurcated tip setae and short simple tip bristle-like setae; retrolateral and dorsal surfaces of the fixed finger with simple tip setae of different sizes. Retrolateral setose area reaching the FSM teeth; prolateral surface with an array of setal types (Figs 8 A, B, 13 A, B).

Opisthosoma. The entire surface covered with almost adpressed setae, and numerous long, curved, bifurcate setae. Sternite III with two posterior paramedian groups of ctenidia, being gradually larger to posterior (Fig. 19 A); sternite IV with a row of 19 long and thin cylindrical ctenidia (Fig. 19 C).

Pedipalps. Entirely covered with short setae and long, thick setae. Tarsus with ten ventral spines; metatarsus with six ventral spines not arranged in pairs and without papillae (Figs 16 A, B).

Legs. Entirely covered with long, thick, setae and short setae. Leg I with no spines and two small claws. Tibiae II, III, and IV with a pair of distal spines ventrally, and tibiae II and III with a single dorsal spine. Metatarsus II and III with a series of three dorsal spines, a pair of distal spines ventrally, and some paired short, thick, spine-shaped bristles over their entire ventral surface; metatarsus IV also with these paired bristles over its entire ventral surface and two distal spines ventrally.

Female (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2014080605).

Measurements. Total body length 20.14, CL 7.35, CH 2.93, PL 4.15, PW 2.91, A / CP 4.66, CL / CH 2.50. Pedipalp 17.34 (3.82, 5.25, 4.04, 1.15), Leg I 14.62 (3.04, 4.00, 2.17, 1.22, 0.15), Leg II 11.93 (2.00, 2.70, 1.72, 0.84, 0.98), Leg III 14.97 (2.66, 3.36, 2.40, 0.75, 1.04), Leg IV 21.55 (4.16, 6.06, 3.44, 1.49, 1.10).

Coloration. In 75 % ethanol-preserved specimens (Fig. 3 C, D). Coloration as in the males.

Propeltidium. Much longer than wide with a dense pubescence of thinner, short, anteriorly directed setae. Anterior, posterior, and lateral edges with several long, curved spiniform setae that are perpendicular to the surface of the propeltidium. Ocular tubercle with some long setae and numerous shorter, thinner setae (Fig. 6 B).

Chelicerae. Dental formulation of fixed finger: FD - (2) - FM - (2) - FP - (7 RF) (5 PF). Dental formulation of movable finger: MM - (2) - MP, with four MST and four MSP. Fondal teeth graded as II, III, IV, I, tiny V, tiny VI, tiny VII retrolaterally; II, I, III, tiny IV, tiny V prolaterally (Figs 8 C, D, 12 A, 13 C, D).

Opisthosoma. The entire surface covered with almost adpressed setae and numerous long, curved, bifurcate setae. Genital operculum long subtriangular and bottom widened (with lightly chitinized folds) between and behind them (Fig. 17 A). Sternite IV with eight ctenidia on each side, for a total of 16 longer acicular ctenidia extending 1 / 2 length of the succeeding sternite (Fig. 18 A).

Pedipalps. Entirely covered with short setae and long, thick setae, without spines.

Legs. As in the males.

Variability.

Males. Total length 16.17–20.35. Body coloration pale yellow to tan. Chelicerae with manus yellowish to brown. Pedipalps without or with only a few papillae. The number of cheliceral fixed finger fondal teeth 9–11 (profondal teeth 3–4; retrofondal teeth 6–7). The number of ctenidia on sternite IV 18–20. Pedipalp tarsus with 9–11 spines, metatarsus with 5–7 spines. Females. Total length 19.53–22.36. Variability of body coloration as in males. The number of cheliceral fixed finger fondal teeth 10–13 (profondal teeth 4–5; retrofondal teeth 6–8). MST 3–4, MSP 4–5. The number of ctenidia on sternite IV 16–18.

Distribution and Habitat.

China (Xizang). Habitat: high altitude meadow and semi-desert meadow.

Remark.

In the original description, K. tibetana flagellum was described as smooth with small lateral apophysis (Hirst 1907). However, upon re-examination by Hirst (1912), it was found that the flagellum did not have a small lateral apophysis. Roewer (1933) reexamined the holotype and confirmed that the flagellum is fringed, not smooth. Based on my examination of specimens collected from the type locality, the flagellum of K. tibetana is fringed, and without small lateral apophysis. Based on the comparison of genetic distances, with a genetic distance of 0.88 % (Table 2) between male and female collected from same locations, we believe that they are same species.