Malayathele ulu Schwendinger, 2020

Schwendinger, Peter J., Lehmann-Graber, Christina, Hongpadharakiree, Komson & Syuhadah, Nurul, 2020, New euagrid spider species from Thailand and Malaysia, and new localities of Leptothele bencha (Arachnida: Araneae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 127 (2), pp. 423-453 : 437-441

Malayathele ulu Schwendinger , sp. nov.

Figs 1 I-J, 8-9

Holotype: MHNG (sample SIM-01/14); male; MALAYSIA, Perak, E of Gopeng, Ulu Groh (= Geroh ), 4°26’50’’N, 101°16’07’’E, rain forest, 500 m; 21.I.1994; leg. P.J. Schwendinger.

Paratypes: MHNG; 5 females; same collecting data as for holotype. – MHNG; 1 male, 3 females; MALAYSIA, Pahang, Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata , 4°28.4-28.7’N, 101°21.6-22.1’E, 1470-1550 m; 25.IV.- 15.V.2009; leg. P. Banar. – MHNG (sample WM93- 15); 1 female; Pahang, Cameron Highlands , trails 4 and 13; 23.III.1993; leg. I. Löbl & F. Calame. – MHNG; 7 females; Pahang, Cameron Highlands, Orang Asli village near Gunung Perdah , 4°29.2’N, 101°22.1’E, 1575 m; 2.-14.V.2009; leg. P. Banar. – MHNG; 4 females, 5 juveniles; Pahang, Cameron Highlands, near Tanah Rata , Parit Falls , 4°28.5’N, 101°23’E, about 1500 m; 26.IV.2009; leg. P. Banar. – MHNG; 1 female; Pahang, Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata , 4300 feet; 7.VIII.1972; leg. T. Jaccoud. – MHNG (sample I 82); 1 female; Pahang, Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata ; 24.III.1977; leg. T. Jaccoud & P. Marcuard.

Other material: MHNG; 3 juveniles; MALAYSIA, Perak, Gopeng , Ulu Groh , 4°26’50”N, 101°16’07”E, 500 m; 21.I.1994; leg. P.J. Schwendinger. – MHNG; 3 juveniles; Pahang, Cameron Highlands , Tanah Rata , 4°28.4-28.7’N, 101°21.6-22.1’E, 1470-1550 m; 25.IV.- 15.V.2009; leg. P. Banar.

Etymology: The species epithet (derived from “hulu”) is a Malay noun that means “upriver” and usually refers to a remote, undeveloped area. It is a reference to the type locality.

Diagnosis: Males distinguished from those of the other three congeneric species by the absence of a proventral process on metatarsus II ( Fig. 8 H-K), from that of M. cameronensis sp. nov. (which occurs in the same area) additionally by numerous (6-7 instead of only two) ventral spines on tibia I ( Fig. 8 F-G cf. Fig. 11 E- F) and by a small conical retroventral process (instead of a keel-shaped one) on metatarsus II ( Fig. 8 H-K); additionally distinguished from males of M. kanching sp. nov. by a series of bristles (instead of a single spine) retroventrally-distally on patella I ( Fig. 8F cf. Fig. 15E ). Females distinguished from those of all other congeners by possessing median receptacles with long stalks (distinctly longer than corresponding heads; Fig. 9 ).

Description: MALE (holotype). Colour in alcohol (slightly darker in life) mostly very light brown; palpal organ and cheliceral claws darker; eye mound black; no dark pattern on opisthosoma.

Body 3.06 long. Carapace 1.29 long, 1.03 wide, oval, thoracic part slightly higher than cephalic part, sparsely covered with fine wavy hairs, a few stronger ones in front of eye mound and between eye mound and fovea; two long bristles in front of pitlike fovea. Eyes on low mound; eye group 0.13 long, anterior eye row slightly procurved, 0.21 wide, posterior eye row moderately recurved, 0.22 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.04, ALE 0.07, PME 0.06, PLE 0.07; AME-AME 0.02, PME- PME 0.02. MOQ 0.11 long, 0.07 wide anteriorly, 0.13 posteriorly.

Chelicerae weak, grooves with 13/14 teeth on promargin. Palpal coxae 0.33 long, 0.21 wide. Labium 0.13 long, 0.24 wide. Sternum 0.71 long, 0.65 wide.

Palps ( Fig. 8 C-E). Measurements: total length 1.81 (0.65 + 0.38 + 0.45 + 0.33). Spination: several long strong bristles dorsally and ventrally on all articles, especially on femur and tibia; tarsus with 2 dorsodistal spines, plus one short strong bristle prolaterally-distally and one retrolaterally-distally. Palpal organ with gently curved embolus tapering to a pointed apex.

Legs 3214. Leg I 3.42 long (0.98 + 0.60 + 0.70 + 0.63 + 0.51); leg II 3.18 long (0.93 + 0.55 + 0.61 + 0.58 + 0.51); leg III 3.13 long (0.83 + 0.48 + 0.58 + 0.70 + 0.54); leg IV 3.97 long (1.05 + 0.60 + 0.80 + 0.91 + 0.61). Tarsi not pseudosegmented and without spines; with a few scopuliform hairs in distal portion of anterior legs. Metatarsal preening combs on legs II-IV. Leg I: Tibia carrying 7 ventral spines plus 2 strong ventral bristles ( Fig. 8G ). Femur with quite wide band of hooked spinules retrodorsally. Leg II: Metatarsus with only a small conical retroventral process ( Fig. 8 H-I). Tibia with a low ventral spur carrying a single megaspine, plus a long strong ventral bristle more proximally; a series of fine transversal wrinkles subdistally on ventral side ( Fig. 8 H-I). Band of hooked spinules proventrally on femur II longer than corresponding band on femur I, the spinules more widely spaced.

Spines, trichobothria and claws of legs. All femora with numerous long strong bristles dorsally; I: tibia v7; metatarsus v2. II: tibia p2, v1 (megaspine); metatarsus v2. III: patella d1, r1; tibia d2, p2, r2, v5; metatarsus d4, p2, v3. IV: patella d1, r1; tibia d2, p2, r2, v5; metatarsus d5, p2, v4. Trichobothria not counted (difficult to see). Paired tarsal claws with 7-9 teeth on anterior legs, 5-7 on posterior legs; unpaired tarsal claws with 2-3 teeth.

Opisthosoma 1.36 long, 0.83 wide; densely covered with fine adpressed grey hairs interspersed with longer dark bristles (longest on anterior margin). PMS 0.23 long, 0.06 wide in the middle, separated from each other by 0.25. PLS 1.49 long (proximal article 0.49 long and 0.15 wide, median article 0.50 long and 0.13 wide, distal article 0.50 long and 0.10 wide in the middle), separated from each other by 0.45.

FEMALE (allotype). Colour in alcohol (slightly darker in life) as in male but slightly darker; no dark colour pattern on opisthosoma.

Body 4.43 long. Carapace 1.65 long, 1.29 wide. Eye group 0.16 long, anterior eye row slightly procurved, 0.20 wide, posterior eye row moderately recurved, 0.23 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.03, ALE 0.10, PME 0.08, PLE 0.12; AME-AME 0.02, PME-PME 0.04. MOQ 0.11 long, 0.10 wide anteriorly, 0.17 posteriorly.

Chelicerae stronger than in male, grooves with 14/15 teeth on promargin. Palpal coxae 0.44 long, 0.30 wide. Labium 0.11 long, 0.33 wide. Sternum 0.89 long, 0.81 wide.

Palps. Total length 2.36 (0.78 + 0.48 + 0.54 + 0.56). Several long strong bristles dorsally and ventrally on all articles, especially on femur and tibia; tarsus with five distinct ventral spines. Claws with 11 denticles.

Legs 3=214. Leg I 3.73 long (1.11 + 0.67 + 0.76 + 0.66 + 0.53); leg II 3.41 long (1.00 + 0.59 + 0.65 + 0.63 + 0.54); leg III 3.41 long (0.96 + 0.55 + 0.61 + 0.73 + 0.56); leg IV 4.29 long (1.20 + 0.70 + 0.84 + 0.96 + 0.59). Tarsi not pseudosegmented and without spines; without scopuliform hairs. Metatarsal preening combs on legs II- IV.

Spines, trichobothria and claws of legs. All femora with numerous long strong bristles dorsally; I: patella p2 (strong bristles); tibia v4/5 (strong bristles); metatarsus v2 (plus v2 strong bristles). II: patella p2 (strong bristles); tibia p2, v5 (strong bristles); metatarsus p2 (strong bristles), v2 (plus v2 strong bristles). III: patella d1 r1; tibia d2, p2, r2, v4 (plus v1 strong bristle); metatarsus d4, 2p, v5. IV: patella d1 r1; tibia d1, p2, r2, v5 (plus v1 strong bristle); metatarsus d5, p2, v4. Trichobothria not counted (difficult to see). Paired tarsal claws with 10-12 teeth on anterior legs, 8-10 on posterior legs; unpaired tarsal claws with 2-3 teeth ( Fig. 1 I-J showing different female).

Opisthosoma 2.30 long, 1.60 wide. PMS 0.28 long, 0.07 wide in the middle, separated from each other by 0.45. PLS 1.44 long (proximal article 0.50 long and 0.19 wide, median article 0.44 long and 0.16 wide, distal article 0.50 long and 0.11 wide in the middle), separated from each other by 0.65.

Spermathecae quite narrow; all receptacles with distinct stalks and pyriform heads; median receptacles much longer than lateral ones, their stalks thin and slightly twisted, with sclerotized walls; lateral receptacles with voluminous heads and short stalks, their walls not sclerotised ( Fig. 9A ).

Variation: Carapace length in males (n = 2) range 1.29-1.39, carapace width 1.03-1.06. Both males have the left leg I missing and carry seven ventral spines on the right tibia I. The largest female (from the type locality) has a 1.75 long and 1.35 wide carapace. In the male holotype the thoracic region of the carapace is slightly higher than the cephalic region, whereas in the male paratype both regions are equally high. For a slight variation in the proportions of the palpal organs see Fig. 8 A-E. A stronger variation in the shape of the vulvae is shown in Fig. 9 . In females from the Cameron Highlands the median receptacular stalks appear to be mostly straight and the lateral receptacular heads quite narrow ( Fig. 9 D-G), whereas in females from the type locality the median receptacular stalks are more strongly bent and twisted and the lateral receptacular heads are wider ( Fig. 9 A-C). These different vulva types are here considered as expressions of a lowland and an upland form, not of different subspecies. No taxonomically relevant differences in the characters of males from both forms were found ( Fig. 8 ).

Distribution: This species occurs in the lowlands at the foot of the Cameron Highlands (Ulu Groh) and at altitudes of about 1500 m near Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands ( Fig. 2 , localities 12 and 14). It very likely also occurs at Chenderiang, a second lowland locality south of Ulu Groh ( Fig. 2 , locality 13). It would be interesting to investigate if and to what degree the lowland and upland populations are geographically and genetically separated from each other.

Biology: The spiders examined were collected by sieving ground litter in rain forests.

Figures

Fig. 1. Photos of unpaired leg claws, lateral view (A-J), and of serrula on palpal coxa, anteroventral view (K-L). (A) Masteria cf. cavicola (Simon, 1892), female (in MHNG; 13.IV.1977; leg. P. Strinati & V. Aellen) from a cave near Bagio, Luzon, the Phillipines, leg II. (B) Same, leg IV.(C) Phyxioschema huberi Schwendinger, 2009, exuvia of female paratype, leg I. (D) Same, leg IV. (E) Leptothele bencha, female from Ko Sirey, leg I. (F) Same, leg III. (G) Leptothele chang sp. nov., exuvia of female paratype, leg I. (H) Same, leg III. (I) Malayathele ulu sp. nov., exuvia of female paratype, leg I. (J) Same, leg IV. (K) Leptothele chang sp. nov., exuvia of female paratype. (L) Malayathele kanching sp. nov., exuvia of female paratype. Not to scale.

Fig. 8. Malayathele ulu sp. nov.; male paratype (A-B, J-K) and male holotype (C-I). (A, C) Distal part of left palp, prolateral view. (B, D) Same of right palp, prolateral view. (E) Distal part of left palp, ventral view. (F) Patella to metatarsus of right leg I, prolateral view. (G) Right tibia I, ventral view. (H) Patella to metatarsus of right leg II, prolateral view. (I) Same, retroventral view. (J) Patella to metatarsus of left leg II, ventral view. (K) Same, prolateral view. Scale line 0.5 mm.

Fig. 11. Malayathele cameronensis sp. nov., male holotype (A-J) and female allotype (K). (A) Distal part of left palp, prolateral view. (B) Same, ventral view. (C) Distal part of right palp, proventral and slightly distal view. (D) Same, prolateral view. (E) Patella to metatarsus of right leg I, prolateral view. (F) Patella to tibia of right leg I, ventral view. (G) Patella to metatarsus of right leg II, prolateral view. (H) Same of left leg II, prolateral view. (I) Patella to metatarsus of left leg II, ventral view. (J) Same of right leg II, ventral view. (K) Vulva, dorsal view. Arrows indicate keel-shaped retroventral process on metatarsus II. Scale lines 0.5 mm (A-J), 0.1 mm (K).

Fig. 15. Malayathele kanching sp. nov.; male holotype (A-B, D-G) and male paratype (C, H). (A) Distal part of right palp, ventral view. (B-C) Same of left palp, prolateral view. (D) Patella to metatarsus of left leg I, prolateral view. (E) Patella and tibia of left leg I, ventral view. (F) Patella to metatarsus of left leg II, ventral view. (G-H) Same, prolateral view. Arrow indicates single spine retroventrally-distally on patella I. Scale line 0.5 mm.

Fig. 9. Malayathele ulu sp. nov.; vulvae of seven females (all drawn from dissected specimens), dorsal view. (A) Allotype. (B-C) Paratypes from the type locality (Ulu Groh). (D-G) Paratypes from the Cameron Highlands: Parit Falls, 26.IV.2009 (D); Tanah Rata, 7.VIII.1972 (E); Gunung Perdah, 2.-14.V.2009 (F); trails 4 & 13, 23.III.1993, heads of median receptacles collapsed and right lateral receptacle torn off (G). Scale lines 0.1 mm.

Fig. 2. Localities of Leptothele spp. and Malayathele spp. on the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The coast of Sumatra is omitted. 1 - Ko Sirey (L. bencha); 2 - Ko Yao Noi (L. bencha); 3 - Khao Phanom Bencha (L. bencha, type locality); 4 - Thab Khaek - Hang Nak Hill and Khlong Jilat (L. bencha); 5 - Ban Chong Phlie (L. bencha); 6 - Ko Lanta (L. bencha); 7 - Ko Muk (L. bencha); 8 - Ko Libong (L. bencha); 9 - Ko Sukon (L. bencha); 10 - Ko Tarutao (L. bencha); 11 - Tham Khao Chang Hai (L. chang sp. nov., type locality); 12 - Ulu Groh (M. ulu sp. nov., type locality); 13 - Chenderiang (Malayathele sp.); 14 - Cameron Highlands (M. cameronensis sp. nov., type locality; M. ulu sp. nov.); 15 - Fraser’s Hill (M. maculosa sp. nov., type locality); 16 - Genting Highlands (M. maculosa sp. nov.); 17 - Templer Park (M. kanching sp. nov.; type locality); 18 - Ulu Gombak (M. kanching sp. nov.); 19 - Jeram Pasu Waterfall (Malayathele sp.); 20 - Singapore (Euagridae/Dipluridae gen. sp.).