Liphistius hpruso Aung, Xu, Lwin, Sang, Yu, Liu, Liu & Li, 2019

Schwendinger, Peter J., Huber, Siegfried, Lehmann-Graber, Christina, Ono, Hirotsugu, Aung, Mu Mu & Hongpadharakiree, Komsan, 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Liphistius birmanicus-group (Araneae: Liphistiidae) with the description of five new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 129 (2), pp. 375-424 : 402

Liphistius hpruso Aung, Xu, Lwin, Sang, Yu, Liu, Liu & Li, 2019

Fig. 1

Liphistius hpruso Aung et al., 2019: 32-34 , fig. 3A-E (description of females).

Types: CBEE; female holotype (XUX-2018-151) and 1 female paratype (XUX-2018-152); Myanmar, Kayah State, Loikaw District, Hpruso, Dokhule, 19.41°N, 97.10°E, 1157 m; 17.VII.2018; D. Li, F.X. Liu, X. Xu & L. Yu. Types not examined; no new material available.

Taxonomic remarks: Judging from illustrations in the original description, this species appears to be closely related to L. birmanicus and L. pinlaung from which it can be distinguished by a distinctly longer and narrower posterior stalk of the vulval plate ( Aung et al., 2019: fig. 3B-E cf. Figs 14 , 16 ). The body colouration of the female holotype ( Aung et al., 2019: fig. 3A; however, carapace colouration given as “light brown” and leg colouration as “brown”, see p. 33 in same paper) is similar to that of young (not fully grown) females of L. birmanicus ( Fig. 3G ). In addition to close geographical proximity, this indicates a very close phylogenetic relationship between L. hpruso and L. birmanicus . We thus assume that the not yet known male of L. hpruso also possesses a distad-directed proventral contrategular process.

Distribution: This species is only known from its type locality ( Fig. 1 ), about 30 km to the east of the known localities of L. birmanicus and roughly at the same altitude.

Figures

Fig. 1. Localities of species in the Liphistius birmanicus-group in northern Thailand, eastern Myanmar and southern China. Blue lines indicate major rivers, black lines national borders, grey lines major roads.

Fig. 14. Liphistius birmanicus, vulval plates (all taken from exuviae) of ten females from the type locality (A-M) and of one female from the Shan State (N-O); dorsal view [A, D (with uterus externus attached), G, J, N], ventral view (B-C, E-F, H-I, K-M, O). (A-B) Moult of 6.II.2021. (C) Moult of 27.XII.2020. (D) Moult of 20.XI.2021. (E) Moult of 19.II.2021 (same specimen as D). (F) Moult of 21.II.2021. (G-H) Moult of 25.XII.2020. (I) Moult of 14.V.2021. (J-K) Moult of 20.III.2021. (L) Moult of 26.X.2017. (M) Moult of 24.VIII.2017. (N-O) Moult of 2.IV.2018. Arrows indicating paired lateral pockets of membranous uterus externus. Scale lines 1.0 mm.

Fig. 16. Liphistius pinlaung (A-J) and Liphistius sp. (specimen from Kalaw; K-L), vulval plates of seven females (all taken from exuviae), dorsal view (A, D, G, I, K) and ventral view (B-C, E-F, H, J, L). (A-B) Moult of 10.II.2019. (C) Moult of 7.XII.2018. (D-E) Moult of 10.IV.2021. (F) Moult of 21.X.2018. (G-H) Moult of 16.V.2020. (I-J) Moult of 8.III.2020. (K-L) Moult of 15.VIII.2017. Scale lines 1.0 mm.

Fig. 3. Habitus of some species of the Liphistius birmanicus-group. (A) Liphistius ferox sp. nov., male paratype (matured 1.IX.2014) from Pathi Village. (B) Same species, female paratype from Thandaung Gyi. (C) Liphistius pinlaung, female from near Tong Htiwaw Temple. (D) Liphistius birmanicus from Yado, male (matured 20.IX.2017). (E) Same species, large female n°1. (F, H) Same species, large female n°2. (G) Same species, small female. (I) Same species, large female n°3. Not to scale.