Telema cucphongensis, Lin & Pham & Li, 2009

Lin, Yucheng, Pham, Dinh-Sac & Li, Shuqiang, 2009, Six New Spiders From Caves Of Northern Vietnam (Araneae: Tetrablemmidae: Ochyroceratidae: Telemidae: Symphytognathidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 57 (2), pp. 323-342 : 327-332

Telema cucphongensis new species

( Figs. 5 A−E, 6A−I)

Material examined. – Holotype - Male ( IZCAS), Prehistoric Man Cave (20°18'N, 105°40'E; Alt: 256 m), Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam, coll. S. Li, 19 July 2008.

Paratypes – 19 males and 28 females ( IZCAS), same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. – The new species is similar to T. oculata (Tong & Li, 2008) , but can be distinguished by the large and elliptical palpal bulb (male unknown in T. oculata ), the presence of four plumose setae at distal palpal tarsus, the annular and sclerotized pedicel in male, the short, distally swollen spermatheca in female. Both sexes of this new species have the modified pattern on carapace and purpleblue abdomen.

Etymology. – The specific epithet derives from the name of the type locality.

Description. – Holotype male. Total length 1.32. Carapace 0.50 long, 0.48 wide; clypeus 0.14 high; sternum 0.30 long,

0.30 wide; abdomen 0.82 long, 0.68 wide. Carapace, legs, labium, endites and chelicerae brown-yellow. Sternum dark. Carapace pear-shaped, with a pair of setae on clypeus behind eyes, with a large dark spot at middle thoracic area, margin dark and middle light brown, with distinctly radial stripes. Ocular area dark. Six eyes with black rings, anterior eye row nearly straight, separated from each by about ½ of AME diameter, lateral eyes contiguous. Chelicerae with a pigmental strip in the frontal midline area. Promargin of fang furrow with two large teeth, three small granular teeth and eleven plumose hairs, retromargin with four barely visible denticles. Legs with a dorsal spine at the distal patella and middle tibia. Leg measurements: I 3.14 (0.94, 0.18, 0.92, 0.60, 0.50); II 2.60 (0.82, 0.16, 0.74, 0.50, 0.42); III 1.95 (0.60, 0.15, 0.52, 0.36, 0.32); IV 2.58 (0.82, 0.16, 0.72, 0.50, 0.38). Leg formula: I-II-IV-III. Abdominal dorsum blue, venter darkish. Pedicel with a trianglular and a rhombic anterodorsal sclerotized plates. Colulus pentagonal and dark. Spinnerets pale.

Palp with a prolateral cymbial apophysis and a trichobothrium near distal 1 / 3 position of tibia. Femur, patella, tibia and tarsus modified by pigmental speckles. Distal tarsus with three prolateral plumose spines. Palpal bulb oval, apex with one broad embolus. The course of bulbous inner ejaculatory duct relatively complex ( Fig. 5 A-D).

Female. Total length 1.22. Carapace 0.52 long, 0.48 wide; clypeus 0.14 high; sternum 0.32 long, 0.30 wide; abdomen 0.78 long, 0.66 wide. Coloration and modified pattern of body and legs same as in male. Leg measurements: I 2.82 (0.86, 0.16, 0.82, 0.52, 0.46); II 2.51 (0.80, 0.15, 0.72, 0.48, 0.36); III 1.94 (0.58, 0.14, 0.58, 0.34, 0.30); IV.2.46 (0.76, 0.16, 0.68, 0.46, 0.40). Leg formula: I-II-IV-III.

Genital area with one row of hairs, postmargin recurved. Vulval structure simple, spermatheca basally narrowed and distally swollen ( Fig. 6 C-F).

Distribution. – Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 13 ).

Figures

Fig. 5. Telema cucphongensis new species: A. Male left palp, prolateral view; B. Ditto, retrolateral view; C. Ditto (treated in lactic acid), retrolateral view; D. Male palpal bulb, apical view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 6. Telema cucphongensis new species: A. Male chelicerae, frontal view; B. Female colulus and spinnerets, ventral view; C. Epiginal area, ventral view; D-F. Cleared spermatheca, anterior (D), posterior (E) and lateral view (F); G-I. Male abdominal pedicel, anterior (G), dorsal (H) and lateral view (I). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 13. Locality records of cave spiders in Vietnam.