Cyphonetria flagellata, Tanasevitch, 2021

Tanasevitch, A. V., 2021, New taxa and faunistic data on linyphiid spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from Southeast Asia, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 69, pp. 212-218 : 214-215

Cyphonetria flagellata , new species

( Figs. 1D–J , 3A–H )

Holotype. Male ( MHNG), THAILAND, Chiang Mai Province, Chomthong District, Doi Inthanon N.P. , 2,520 m a.s.l., lower mountain forest , coll. P. Schwendinger, 13 January 1993.

Paratypes. 1 female ( MHNG), collected together with the holotype; 2 females ( MHNG), same locality, 2,530 m a.s.l., coll. P. Schwendinger, 22 February 1992 .

Etymology. The species epithet is an adjective meaning a whip in Latin, referring to a very long and filiform embolus of the male palp.

Diagnosis. The male of the new species is characterised by a strongly modified carapace, a peculiar shape of the cymbium, a very complicated structure of the embolic division, and a very long, whip-shaped, filiform embolus. The female is diagnosed by a modified carapace (this being rather unusual in Linyphiidae ), the epigynal plate divided by a septum, as well as by thick, helical, copulatory ducts.

Description. Male holotype. Total length 2.68. Carapace modified, 1.20 long, 0.98 wide, pale brown, with black-brown, radial, pyramidal stripes not reaching its edge. Carapace behind ocular area with a pale, large, rounded, double-lobe elevation bearing sparse, strong, slightly curved setae, as shown in Fig. 1D, F, I . Eyes normal, not enlarged. Chelicerae unmodified, 0.63 long, a mastidion absent. Legs yellow to pale brown, without annulations. Leg I 5.71 long (1.55 + 0.35 + 1.48 + 1.38 + 0.95), IV 5.39 long (1.45 + 0.33 + 1.38 + 1.43 + 0.80). Chaetotaxy 2.2.1.1, spines on tibiae I & II very short (probably broken off), a spine on tibiae III and IV 1–1.5 times as long as diameter of corresponding leg segment. Metatarsi spineless. Tibia I and metatarsus I with a lateral row of long bristles on both sides. Each metatarsus with a trichobothrium. TmI 0.52. Palp ( Fig. 3A–E ): Palpal tibia unmodified, only with a small invagination apically. Cymbium with a low dorsal ridge bearing a row of curved spines. Retrolaterally, cymbium with a long, slightly bent outgrowth carrying a row of short and curved spines. Distal suprategular apophysis strong, bifurcated distally. Median membrane a narrow, long, semi-transparent stripe, its distal part rounded and broadened. Radix complicated, its proximal part (tailpiece) bent, distal part with several outgrowths, one of which is long, slender, and vermiform. Embolus very long, whip-shaped, twisted into a double ring distally. Abdomen 1.65 in length, 1.05 wide, dorsal pattern as shown in Fig. 1D .

Female paratype (collected together with the holotype). Total length 2.95. Carapace modified, 1.25 long, 1.00 wide, pale brown, with black-brown, radial, pyramidal stripes not reaching its edge. Carapace behind ocular area with a large, pale, rounded elevation, as shown in Fig. 1E, G . Eyes normal, not enlarged. Chelicerae unmodified, 0.60 long, a mastidion absent. Legs yellow to pale brown, without annulations. Leg I 5.46 long (1.50 + 0.38 + 1.40 + 1.30 + 0.88), IV 5.06 long (1.43 + 0.35 + 1.25 + 1.25 + 0.78). Chaetotaxy 2.2.1.1, spines 1.5–2 times as long as diameter of corresponding leg segment. No lateral row of long bristles on both sides of tibia I and metatarsus I. Each metatarsus with a trichobothrium. TmI 0.51. Abdomen 1.90 long, 1.15 wide, dorsal pattern as shown in Fig. 1E . Epigyne ( Figs. 1H, J , 3F–H ): Epigynal plate wider than long, divided by a median septum. Copulatory openings situated on both sides at base of septum. Copulatory ducts thick, long, helical.

Taxonomic remarks. As mentioned above, because the male of C. thaia is yet unknown, the placement of the new species described above in the genus Cyphonetria is only based on the similar habitus and the structure of the epigyne. The type localities of C. thaia and C. flagellata , new species, are situated very close to each other, but at different altitudes. However, this seems to matter little. The probability that the male of C. flagellata , new species, might represent a previously unknown male of C. thaia seems to be much lower than that both sexes of C. flagellata , new species, are conspecific. The male holotype and female paratypes of C. flagellata , new species, were collected together and, above all, both show the same chaetotaxy different from that of C. thaia . The females of both species are indeed similar to each other, but still clearly different. The carapace in the female of C. thaia is with an abrupt elevation located at a considerable distance from the ocular area, termed a “cephalic ridge” in Millidge (1995), versus a rounded elevation that starts immediately behind the posterior medial eyes in C. flagellata , new species. In addition, the copulatory openings in the new species begin at the base of the septum, and the helical-shaped copulatory ducts are much thicker than in C. thaia .

Distribution. Known only from Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, at 2,520 –2,530 m a.s.l.

Figures

Fig. 1. Photographs of Protopalpus kurku, new species, male holotype (A–C); Cyphonetria flagellata, new species, male holotype (D, F, I) and female paratype (E, G, H, J). B–E, H, body; C–E, dorsal view; B, lateral view; H, ventral view; A, F, I, prosoma; A, G, I, frontal view; F, posterolateral view; J, epigyne, ventral view. Scale = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 3. Details of male palp and epigyne structure of Cyphonetria flagellata, new species, male holotype (A–E) and female paratype (F–H). A, B, right palp, retrolateral and prolateral view, respectively; C, distal suprategular apophysis, lateral view; D, embolic division; E, palpal tibia and cymbium, dorsal view; F, G, epigyne, ventral and dorsal view, respectively; H, cleared epigyne, dorsal view. DSA = distal suprategular apophysis; Du = duct; Em = embolus; MM = median membrane; R = radix; RA = radical apophysis. Scale = 0.2 mm.