Teutamus politus, Thorell, 1890

Deeleman-Reinhold, Christa, 2001, Forest Spiders of South East Asia With a revision of the sac and ground spiders (Araneae: Clubionidae, Corinnidae, Liocranidae, Gnaphosidae, Prodidomidae and Trochanteriidae)., Forest Spiders of South East Asia With a revision of the sac and ground spiders- Family Liocranidae, Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Leiden; Boston; Köln, pp. 400-505 : 474-477

Teutamus politus Thorell ( figs 796-801 , map 40 )

Teutamus politus Thorell, 1890: 281 , no figures, ♀, Malay Peninsula, Penang.

Type locality. — Malaysia, Penang Island.

Material studied. — Holotype ♀, Penang ( MCSNG) ; 4 ♂, 3 ♀, Penang Hill , 560-650 m, 10.1.1996, sifting leaf litter, P. Schwendinger ( MHNG); 2 ♂, 2 ♀. jvs, id., 650-760 m 19.1.1995 ( CD), all P.J. Schwendinger.

Other material.— S Thailand, Krabi, Khao Phanom Bencha National Park , 2 ♂,1 ♀, primary rainforest, xii.1990, C.L. Deeleman.

Diagnosis. — Distinct from most other species by the black and white pattern on the posterior half of the abdomen ( fig. 797 ). The male palp differs from all other species by the conical outline of the tegulum in lateral view. The epigyne is unique, as the single opening is through an assymmetrical valve; the bean-shaped spermathecae are moderately large and parallel.

Description. — MALE. Total length 4.25 mm, other males 3.60-4.60 mm. Carapace length 2.00 mm, width 1.25 mm, height 0.50 mm at the middle of the head, width head 0.75 mm, width eye group 0.60 mm; abdomen length 1.85 mm + collar 0.45 mm, width abdomen 1.10 mm. Leg length: leg I 8.40 mm (2.10-3.15-2.00-1.15); leg II 6.30 mm (1.60-2.25- 1.50-0.95); leg III 5.05 mm (1.35-1.55-1.35-0.80); leg IV 7.35 mm (1.90-2.25-2.00-1.20), palp 0.50-0.30- 0.30-0.60 mm. Colour of carapace, mouthparts and sternum bright rusty orange. Legs uniform orange. Abdomen: posterior half of dorsum almost black, with radiating stripes ( fig. 797 ) and a white pre-anal area, anterior half lighter, in some specimens with a pair of transverse light oval spots halfway, with a dark pit in the centre; flanks black, with a broad white diagonal band in front of the spinnerets, set off sharply against black in front and behind; venter white except for the black pre-anal area. Carapace smooth, shiny, with some shallow round pits; thoracic groove shallow, from there radiating furrows. Laterally, 4 pairs of lobes protrude from just above the margin. AME only slightly larger than other eyes, spaced by about 1/3 of an AME diameter, PE equal, spaced slightly more than their d. Spination: femur I 1-1 -1pl, tibia I 9 pair ventral spines, tibia II 8 pair, metatarsus I 5 pair, metatarsus II 5 pv, 4rv. Abdominal scutum covering 3/4 or more of abdomen, anteriorly produced into a collar with 7 transverse grooves, posteriorly excised diagonally leaving bare a large triangular area from the genital fold to spinnerets. Male palp figs 798-799 , distal tibial apophysis lacking, proximally a curved ridge similar to T. fertilis , conductor with wide base and blunt tip.

FEMALE. Length 6.00 mm, other females 5.75-6.90 mm. Carapace length 2.70 mm, width 1.65 mm, height 0.70 mm, head width 0.95 mm, width eye group 0.75 mm, abdomen length 2.60 mm, collar 0.50 mm, width abdomen 2.00 mm, epigyne 0.40 mm wide, 0.50 mm long. Leg lengths: leg I 11.15 mm (2.70-4.10-2.65-1.70), leg II 7.75 mm (1.95-2.85-1.85-1.10), leg III 7.00 mm (1.80-2.25-1.90-1.05), leg IV 9.80 mm (2.60-3.20- 2.50-1.50), palp 0.75-0.30-0.50- 0.75 mm. Colour pattern often diluted. Spine formula: femur I 1-1 -1pl, tibia I with 9-11 pairs, tibia II 8-10 pairs, metatarsus I with 6 pairs, metatarsus II with 5-6 pairs. Collar a little shorter than in male. Epigyne fig. 800 , vulva fig. 801 , ducts opening asymmetrically through a single arched sclerotised valve. In all 6 specimens examined the valve was sitting on the left side.

Distribution.— Penang Island, Malaysia and into southern Thailand, in the Khao Phanom Bencha national Park near Krabi. Krabi is 350 km from Penang in northern direction along the westcoast of the peninsula. This is the northernmost species known of the genus.

Figures

Map 40: ● Teutamus politus ■ T. fertilis ▲ T. jambiensis ▼ T. rhino ⁎ T. rothorum ★ T. andrewdavisi ◙ T. vittatus Ө Unidentified specimen 1 - 7.

Figs 796 - 801. Teutamus politus. 796. Male, habitus from ventral. 797. A bdom en, lateral. 798. Palp, ventral. 799. Retrolateral. 800. Epigyne. 801. Vulva, in clove oil, dorsal.