Dendrolycosa duckitti, Jäger, Peter, 2011

Jäger, Peter, 2011, Revision of the spider genera Nilus O. Pickard-Cambridge 1876, Sphedanus Thorell 1877 and Dendrolycosa Doleschall 1859 (Araneae: Pisauridae), Zootaxa 3046, pp. 1-38 : 21-24

Dendrolycosa duckitti spec. nov.

Figs 96–111 , 167 : 9, 14

Dendrolycosa fusca , — Blandin 1979: 365, fig. 36 (misidentification)

Type material. Male holotype ( SMF), L95, Laos, Champasak Province, Muang Bachieng, 38 street km E of Pakse, Ban Lak 38, That Fane, N 15°11´03.0´´, E 106°07´36.9´´, 952 m altitude, Bolaven plateau, coffee plantation, vegetation and leaf litter, at night, by hand, P. Jäger & J. Martens leg. 19.III.2010. 1 male paratype, 1 female paratype ( SMF), with same data as for holotype.

Additonal material examined. 1 female ( SMF), Laos, Oudomxai Province, Lipi provincial protected area, ca. 3 km S Oudomxai, N 20°39´09.7´´, E 102°0´10.59´´, 868 m altitude, vegetation, tree bark, at night, by hand, L. Nophaseud leg. 18.IV.2011. 3 males, 1 female ( MNHN), Java, o. m. Tengga M. [Tengah?], sub. Dendrolycosa fusca Dol., E.S. no. 3716.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Gerald Duckitt (Pakse, Laos) for running the organisation “Global Association for People and Environment” in Laos and for his efforts to support local tribes in Laos and increase their standard of living as well as for his kind help during my expeditions in Champasak Province; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis. Small to medium sized spiders with body length 8.7–12.2 mm with colour pattern B ( Figs 106– 111 ). Males and females of D. duckitti spec. nov. with similar colour pattern to D. yuka spec. nov. (see below) or as shown for D. putiana comb. nov. by Barrion & Litsinger (1995). Male copulatory organ distinguishable by following characters (Fis 96–99, 103): 1. Distal apophysis slightly bent, with distinct subdistal outgrowth (straight in D. putiana comb. nov.). 2. Conductor short, not extending distally beyond alveolus (long and extending into proximal half of cymbium tip in D. putiana comb. nov.). Female copulatory organ can be distinguished from D. bairdi spec. nov. and D. songi by having the carina interrupted by a deep anterior depression, which is also the case in D. robusta . From the latter species it can be distinguished by having the copulatory ducts broader and situated more medially. A unique character, in contrast to all other known females of the genus, is the prominent head of spermathecae with its distinctly vesicular surface as well as the large globular spermathecae ( Figs 100–102, 104–105 ).

Description. Male (holotype). PL 4.1, PW 3.4, AW 1.8, OL 6.1, OW 3.1. Eye diametres: AME 0.20, ALE 0.22, PME 0.22, PLE 0.23. Eye interdistances: AME–AME05, PME–PME 0.14, PME–PLE 0.27, AME–PME 0.18, ALE–PLE 0.39, clypeus AME 0.25, clypeus ALE 0.26. Leg and pedipalpus measurements: pedipalpus 5.3 (1.9, 0.7, 0.9, -, 1.8); leg I 17.5 (5.0, 1.8, 4.6, 4.2, 1.9); leg II 17.4 (4.9, 1.9, 4.5, 4.2, 1.9); leg III 14.6 (4.3, 1.6, 3.6, 3.6, 1.5); leg IV 17.9 (5.0, 1.7, 4.3, 5.0, 1.9); leg formula 4123. Spination: palp: femur 141, patella 120, tibia 1102; Femur I 435, II–III 535, IV 432; Patella I–IV 121, Tibia I–II 2228, III–IV 2226; Metatarsus I–II 2027, III–IV 3037 (metatarsi I–IV with distal median ventral spine). Chelicerae with 3 anterior (median largest) and 3 equally sized posterior teeth. Paired leg claws with c. 15 teeth. Metatarsus IV with slight distal bend. Copulatory organ as in diagnosis. RTA arising distally, with subdistal incision in ventral view; with wide base and straight distal margin in retrolateral view. Cymbium with distinct retrolateral and less distinct retrolateral bulge, with narrow tapering tip.

Embolus filiform, basal part not visible in retrolateral view, distal part situated in conductor; tip bent and slightly widened. Distal apophysis pointed, retrolaterad. Distal tegular projection bulgy, extending slightly beyond prolateral cymbial margin. Subtegulum well visible in proximal part of alveolus ( Figs 96–99, 103 ). Colour in ethanol (106–108): yellowish brown. Dorsal prosoma with thin median and two lateral lines, the latter slightly undulating. Sternum, labium, gnathocoxae and ventral coxae yellowish brown without pattern. Legs with dark ring patches on distal tibiae and metatarsi. Chelicerae without pattern, basal hump pale yellow. Dorsal opisthosoma with four thin white longitudinal lines, inner lines above heart, lateral ones with distinct median incision in posterior half. Region in front of spinnerets reddish brown. Ventral opisthosoma pale yellowish brown. Dorsal body and appendages with feathery and smooth setae, other parts exclusively with smooth setae. Colour of live specimens green to olive (Jäger, personal observation).

Female (paratype). PL 4.9, PW 3.9, AW 2.2, OL 6.2, OW 3.7. Eye diametres: AME 0.20, ALE 0.20, PME 0.23, PLE 0.21. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.11, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.16, PME–PLE 0.34, AME– PME 0.21, ALE–PLE 0.49, clypeus AME 0.36, clypeus ALE 0.35. Leg and pedipalpus measurements: pedipalpus 5.9 (2.0, 0.8, 1.2-, 1.9); leg I 18.2 (5.1, 2.2, 4.8, 4.4, 1.7); leg II 17.8 (5.1, 2.1, 4.6, 4.2, 1.8); leg III 15.1 (4.4, 1.8, 3.6, 3.7, 1.6); leg IV 18.7 (5.3, 1.9, 4.5, 5.1, 1.8); leg formula 4123. Spination: palp: femur 141, patella 120, tibia 1201, tarsus 1013; Femur I–III 535, IV 232; Patella I–IV 121, Tibia I 2228 (dorsal thin), II 2228 (7), III–IV 2226; Metatarsus I 2026, II 2027, III 2037, IV 3038 (all metatarsi with distal ventral median spine). Chelicerae as in male. Palpal claw with c. 11 teeth, paired leg claws with c. 18 teeth. Copulatory organ as in diagnosis. Epigynal field wider than long, with one pair of long slit sense organs antero-laterally. Central part of middle field with deep impression. Fine wrinkles in posterior margin of epigyne. Internal duct system with large copulatory ducts. Base of spermathecae round and not covered by copulatory ducts ( Figs 100–102, 104–105 ). Colour in ethanol ( Figs 109– 111 ): as in male, but generally darker, i.e. olive, and with longer and more hairs on body and legs.

Variation. The second male from Laos (paratype) is slightly smaller (PL 3.8, PW 3.0, AW 1.6, OL 4.9, OW 2.6) than the holotype. Measurements of the specimens from Java: males PL 4.0–4.1, OL 4.8–5.2; female PL 5.2, OL 7.0.

Natural history. Webs have been observed in small coffee plants (c. 1.50 m high) in a plantation close to natural forest habitats.

Distribution. Known from two provinces in Laos (Champasak and Oudomxai) and from Sumatra (167: 9, 14).

Figures

FIGURE 167. Records of Dendrolycosa spp. 1 Tanzania: Moshi. 2 – 5 India (2 N Gujarat; 3 Bangalore; 4 Bobbili; 5 Darjeeling). 6 Burma: Tharrawaddy, Kyeikpadem. 7 China: Yunnan: Menglun. 8 – 9 Laos (8 Vientiane; 9 Tad Fane). 10 South Vietnam. 11 – 12 Philippines (11 Luzon; 12 Mindanao). 13 – 16 Indonesia (13 Sumatra: Bukkittinggi, Acer Manjon; 14 Java: Tengah; 15 Ambon; 16 Maluku Islands). 17 New Guinea (no exact locality is known). 18 – 19 Australia: Queensland (18 Cape York; 19 Rockhampton). 20 New Caledonia: Loyalty Islands.

FIGURES 96 – 105. Dendrolycosa duckitti spec. nov., holotype, male (96 – 99), female paratype (100 – 102) from Laos, Champasak Province, and male (103) and female (104 – 105) from Indonesia, Java, copulatory organs (96 left male palp, ventral view, 97 dito, retrolateral view; 98 embolus tip, prolateral view; 99, 103 distal apophysis, oblique distal view; 100, 104 epigyne, ventral view; 101, 105 vulva, dorsal view; 102 schematic course of internal duct system).

FIGURES 106 – 111. Dendrolycosa duckitti spec. nov., holotype, male (106 – 108), female paratype (109 – 111) from Laos, Champasak Province, habitus (106, 109 dorsal view; 107, 110 ventral view; 108, 111 frontal view).