Althepus flabellaris, Li, FENGYUAN, LI, SHUQIANG & Jäger, Peter, 2014

Li, FENGYUAN, LI, SHUQIANG & Jäger, Peter, 2014, Six new species of the spider family Ochyroceratidae Fage 1912 (Arachnida: Araneae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 3768, pp. 119-138 : 120-125

Althepus flabellaris spec. nov.

Figs 7-17, 47

Type material. Holotype: Male, THAILAND: Trat Province, Gulf of Thailand, Ko Chang, Hat Sai Kao , 12°06 ’46.7’’ N, 102°16 ’15.2” E, 48 m altitude, Peter Jäger and Steffen Bayer leg. 31.X.2009, underpass, batter, forest with stream, at night, by hand ( SMF) . Paratypes: 1 male, 7 females, with same data as for holotype ( SMF) . 1 male, 1 female, with same data as for holotype ( IZCAS) .

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin “flabellaris” which means “flabellate”, referring to the fan-shaped distal part of the conductor of the male; adjective.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to Althepus stonei Deeleman-Reinhold 1995 in having similarly shaped conductor and embolus in males and wound copulatory ducts in females. Males of the new species can be distinguished by the fan-shaped large distal part of the conductor (Fig. 8) as well as by the small distal part distad (Figs 7-10, 15-16; large distal part roundish, small distal part proximad in A. stonei ) and the presence of only one pair of copulatory ducts and spermathecae (Figs 11, 17; two pairs in A. stonei ). Moreover, dorsal prosoma with broad longitudinal median band (Figs 12-14; without or with only very indistinct narrow band in A. stonei ).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 3.05; prosoma 1.47 long, 1.22 wide; opisthosoma 2.17 long, 1.07 wide (Fig. 12). Dorsal prosoma round, yellow, with narrow marginal bands and one broad median band (Fig. 12). Anterior margin of thoracic region distinctly elevated. Clypeus with a semi-circular brown band medially. Cheliceral lamina reduced, promargin with three teeth, retromargin with two small teeth, the posterior surface of fang with 26 small denticles. Labium brown with two light rounded areas basally. Sternum yellow, with two brown slender lines each side. Opisthosoma elongate, with complex patterns dorsally and ventrally (Fig. 12). Legs brown, femur and tibia annulated with white. Leg measurements: I- (8.84, 0.47, 9.12, 13.75, -), II 22.59 (6.24, 0.46, 6.14, 8.15, 1.60), III 15.84 (4.58, 0.44, 4.15, 5.45, 1.22), IV 21.46 (5.44, 0.44, 6.38, 7.96, 1.24); leg formula: 2 4 3; palp 1.53 (0.51, 0.23, 0.31, 0.48), bulb 0.26 long 0.29 wide. Male palp (Figs 7-10, 15-16): tarsus with three slightly curved, serrated bristles distally (in A. flabellaris the serrated bristles are much stouter than in A. erectus ) and one hooked spine with tip directed towards dorsally; bulb bright yellow, ovate; conductor (Fig. 8) arising distally from bulb, oblique, distad; embolus (Fig. 8) arising retrolatero-proximally from bulb, observably sigmoid, distad; embolus and conductor widely separated (the distance is almost equal to diameter of bulb).

Female (one of the paratypes). Similar to male in colouration and general features (Figs 13-14), but with larger body size. Measurements: total length 3.86; prosoma 1.32 long, 1.23 wide; opisthosoma 2.35 long, 1.27 wide. Leg measurements: I- (6.45, 0.45, 7.05, 10.45, -), II missing, III missing, IV 16.96 (4.74, 0.40, 4.75, 5.70, 1.37); palp 1.12 (0.40, 0.16, 0.22, 0.34). Internal genitalia with a pair of transparent copulatory ducts and spermathecae (Figs 11, 17).

Variation. Prosoma: males 1.25-1.74 long, 1.14-1.58 wide; tibia I: 9.10 (leg I lost in third male). Prosoma: females 1.55-1.88 long, 1.30-1.62 wide; tibia I: 4.25-7.05 (n=3; leg I lost in other specimens).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 47).