Laoponia, Platnick & Jäger, 2008

Platnick, Norman I. & Jäger, Peter, 2008, On the First Asian Spiders of the Family Caponiidae (Araneae, Haplogynae), with Notes on the African Genus Diploglena, American Museum Novitates 2008 (3634), pp. 1-12 : 2-4

Laoponia , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Laoponia saetosa , new species .

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name is a contraction of ‘‘Laotian Caponia ’’, and is feminine in gender.

DIAGNOSIS: Members of the genus can be separated from the previously known caponiid genera as follows: from Caponia , Caponina Simon , and Notnops Platnick by the presence of only two eyes (although some specimens show irregular pale areas, within the oval ocular ring of black pigment, that may represent remnants of the other eyes, there are no cuticular traces of lenses in those areas; see fig. 12) and the much shorter male embolus, from Diploglena by the normal (rather than anteriorly expanded) endites and the absence of a tegular apophysis on the male palp, from Calponia by the presence of only two eyes and a row of elongated macrosetae on the anterior face of the cheliceral paturon, from Taintnops Platnick by the shorter male embolus, from Tisentnops Platnick by the normal size and position of the eyes, and from the nopine genera ( Nops MacLeay , Nopsides Chamberlin , Orthonops Chamberlin , Nyetnops Platnick and Lise , and Tarsonops Chamberlin ) by having entire, rather than subsegmented, tarsi.

DESCRIPTION: Moderate-sized caponiids with two eyes (fig. 1); females unknown. Carapace oval, pars cephalica flattened, gradually narrowed opposite palpal coxae, pars thoracica sloping; cuticle with raised sculpturing outlining tiny circular to hexagonal cells, strong bristle behind each eye and pair of dorsally directed strong bristles on clypeus; thoracic groove short, shallow. Eyes dark, separated by less than their diameter, set back from anterior margin of clypeus by about twice their diameter, surrounded by oval ring of black pigment interrupted at sides and along midline. Chelicerae paturon with row of four long, strong bristles along anteromedian face, bristles of each side overlapping distally; median lamina long, with heavily sclerotized anteromedian tip (fig. 6), about half of space between lamina and base of fang occupied by white membranous lobe; lateral surface with stridulatory ridges (fig. 7; pick at base of prolateral side of palpal femur, figs. 4, 9, 10). Endites convergent, acuminate, not truncated or expanded distally, anterior surface distally with strong serrula consisting of single tooth row (fig. 9), proximally with three strong setae originating from enlarged bases (figs. 9, 11). Labium triangular, fused to sternum; anterior surface of labrum bearing transverse rows of tiny teeth (fig. 8). Sternum oval, cuticle with raised sculpturing as on carapace; cephalothoracic membranes with weak epimeric sclerites dorsal of coxae I, II, and III plus IV; epimeric sclerites not fused with triangular sclerites extending from sternal margin to and between coxae. Leg formula 4123; legs without spines; metatarsi and tarsi entire, without subsegmentation or membranous processes; tarsi with three claws; paired claws with about 10 teeth, most distal of which are largest; unpaired claw long, without teeth, almost fused to protruding onychium (fig. 18). Tarsal organ exposed (fig. 19); trichobothria present on tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi, their bases with semicircular rim bearing only low ridges (fig. 17). Abdomen with two pairs of respiratory spiracles clustered around epigastric groove; anterior spiracles leading to several tracheoles; posterior spiracles of each side leading to three tracheal trunks (two large ones extending anteriorly into cephalothorax, one much narrower extending posteriorly for most of abdominal length, as in Forster and Platnick, 1985: fig. 889) (tracheae observed in juvenile digested with pancreatin, as per Álvarez-Padilla and Hormiga, 2008); posterior spiracles connected by transverse duct. Male spinnerets in typical caponiid arrangement (fig. 20); anterior laterals with single large major ampullate gland spigot, without piriform gland spigots (fig. 21); posterior medians with two or three aciniform gland spigots and single spigot with lower base presumed to serve minor ampullate gland (figs. 22, 23); posterior laterals with four aciniform gland spigots and two spigots with lower bases that may serve minor ampullate glands (figs. 24, 25). Male palpal patella and tibia short, unmodified; cymbium ovoid, without distinct dorsal pad of short setae but with thickened setae on promargin (fig. 13); ventral surface of bulb with small circular area clearly delimited from remainder of cuticle (figs. 14–16); embolus narrow, bent distally at about half its length (figs. 4, 5).

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from Luang Prabang Province, Laos.