Althepus hongguangi Li & Li

Li, Fengyuan, Liu, Chang & Li, Shuqiang, 2018, Ten new species of the spider genus Althepus Thorell, 1898 from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae), ZooKeys 776, pp. 27-60 : 33-34

Althepus hongguangi Li & Li sp. n. Figs 7, 8, 20, 22

Types.

Holotype: ♂, Indonesia, Sulawesi, Mountains in Palopo, 02°59.921'S, 120°08.565'E, 465 m a.s.l., 02.IX.2017, H. Liu and Z. Chen. Paratypes: 1♂2♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Hongguang Liu who collected the types; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

Althepus hongguangi Li & Li, sp. n. can be distinguished from all other known species of the genus by the wider basal area of the embolus in males (Figure 7B); and by three oblique, elongate spermathecae on each side in females (Figure 8A).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 4.20; carapace 1.27 length, 1.27 width; abdomen 2.38 length, 1.15 width. Carapace round, yellow, with narrow, brown lateral margins and one wide, brown median band, the middle one wider than the others (Figure 8C). Anterior margin of cephalic region distinctly elevated. Clypeus brown. Cheliceral promargin with two teeth, followed by a lamina, retromargin with two small teeth, posterior surface of fang with 24 small denticles (Figure 20D). Labium brown. Sternum brown, with a longitudinal yellow band in the middle. Abdomen elongate, with complex patterns dorsally and ventrally (Figure 8C). Legs brown, femur and tibia with white annulations. Leg measurements: I - (11.47, -, -, -, -), II 29.26 (8.00 0.50 7.05, 11.60, 2.11), III missing, IV 24.94 (7.31, 0.51, 6.79, 8.65, 1.68). Male palp (Figure 7 A–D): tarsus with three slightly curved, serrated bristles at the top of cymbial protrusion (Figure 7A), one hooked spine with tip directed proximally (Figure 7A); bulb yellow, ovate; embolus arising proximally from bulb, observably sigmoid, distad; conductor arising distally from bulb, oblique, distad; embolus and conductor widely separated (distance almost equal to half diameter of bulb).

Female (one of the paratypes). Total length 3.90; carapace 1.16 length, 1.20 width; abdomen 2.25 length, 1.17 width. Similar to male in colour and general features (Figure 8 D–E), but smaller. Internal genitalia with three oblique, elongate spermathecae on each side, each side with a pore-plate at its base (Figure 8A). Leg measurements: I 39.41 (9.36, 0.50, 9.10, 16.92, 3.53), II 22.50 (5.77, 0.50, 5.71, 8.72, 1.80), III missing, IV 21.00 (6.02, 0.50, 5.78, 7.05, 1.65).

Variation.

Males: carapace 1.25-1.27 length, 1.27-1.30 width, femur I 11.47-12.18 (the number of specimens = 2). Females: carapace 1.16-1.25 length, 1.20-1.41 width, femur I 9.36 (the number of specimens = 2; leg I lost in the other specimen).

Distribution.

Indonesia. Known only from the type locality (Figure 22).

Natural history.

Collected among tree buttresses at an altitude of 465 m.