Ctenus monaghani, Jäger, Peter, 2013

Jäger, Peter, 2013, Ctenus monaghani spec. nov., a nocturnal hunter from the forest floor in Laos (Araneae: Ctenidae), Zootaxa 3670 (1), pp. 91-93 : 91-93

Ctenus monaghani spec. nov.

Figs 1 –9

Type material. Holotype male (SMF), Laos, Khammouan Province, E Thakek, Ban Kouanphavang, N 17°27.150', E 104°56.321', 180 m altitude, secondary forest close to limestone cliff, leaf litter, by hand, at night, P. Jäger leg. 29.IV.2012.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of the British actor Dominic Monaghan who filmed together with the author in Laos for the documentary show “Wild Things”; Dom’s enthusiasm for nature in general, and spiders and other little respected animals in particular, was the driving force behind the production of this documentary; name in genitive.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized Ctenidae (total length male 10.0). Similar to C. pulchriventris (Simon, 1897) from Central to South Africa (Benoit 1979) and C. elgonensis Benoit, 1978 from Kenya in lacking a retroproximal cymbial extension and in having the distal margin of RTA transversal to the length axis of the tibia, but clearly distinguished by the oval tegular apophysis from these species. Distinguished from the Asian species C. yaeyamensis Yoshida, 1998 ( Japan, Taiwan), C. robustus Thorell, 1897 ( Burma, Laos), C. theodorianum Jäger, 2012 ( Laos) , C. holthoffi Jäger, 2012 ( Laos) , C. bayeri Jäger, 2012 ( Laos) and C. saci Ono, 2010 ( Vietnam) by the lack of a retroproximal cymbial extension, and from C. martensi Jäger, 2012 ( Nepal) , C. ramosus Thorell, 1887 ( Burma) , C. cladarus Jäger, 2012 ( Burma) and C. simplex Thorell, 1897 ( Burma, Laos) by the different shape of the RTA. Legs lacking any modifications known from e.g. C. theodorianum (humps on femur, tibia and metatarsus III) or C. simplex (humps on coxae IV), but ventral coxae exhibiting short stout spines ( Figs 8–9 ) similar as in C. holthoffi or C. palembangensis Strand, 1906 .

Description. Male (holotype). Prosoma length 5.2, prosoma width 3.9, anterior width of prosoma 2.0, opisthosoma length 4.8, opisthosoma width 2.5. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.28, ALE 0.24, PME 0.36, PLE 0.33, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.26, PME–PME 0.11, PME–PLE 0.25, AME–PME 0.05, ALE–PLE 0.09, clypeus AME 0.11, clypeus ALE 0.43. Palp and leg measurements: palp 6.2 (2.4, 1.0, 1.2, -, 1.6), I 15.6 (4.1, 2.0, 4.3, 3.8, 1.4), II 12.8 (3.7, 1.9, 3.5, 3.4, 1.3), III 12.2 (3.3, 1.5, 2.8, 3.4, 1.2), IV 17.4 (4.5, 1.8, 4.3, 5.2, 1.6). Leg formula IV-I-II-III. Spination of palp and legs: palp 141, 100, 1010; femora I p003, d111, r112, II p112, d111, r 112, III p112, d111, r112, IV p112, d111, r002; patellae I 100, II–IV 101; tibiae I p010, d100, r110, v22222, II p010, d111, r110, v22222, III–IV p11, d111, r11, v222; metatarsi I–II p111, r111, v222, III p112, r112, v222, IV p112, d010, r112, v21112. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal, 4/5 retromarginal teeth, and with elongated patch of several tiny denticles along entire cheliceral furrow. Retromargin of chelicerae close to fang base with 6 bristles (1 distinctly stronger). Position of tarsal organ: I 0.85, II 0.84, III 0.79, IV 0.71.

Palp as in diagnosis ( Figs 1–4 ). RTA arising distally in a right angle from tibia, conical, tip with well defined ridge. Cymbium tip short, slightly conical, retroproximally widened and with small pocket. Embolus arising at 7.30 o’clockposition from tegulum, semicircular in ventral view, short with broad base, conical distally with blunt tip, membranous extension covering proximal half of embolus; circular opening of spermophore situated dorsally. Conductor arising at 12 o’clock-position subdistally. Tegular apophysis arising at 6 o’clock-position from tegulum subcentrally, distinctly excavated on dorsal side. Spermophore visible in retrolateral half, running submarginally along tegular margin.

Colour ( Figs 5–9 ). Brown to olive with indistinct pattern. Dorsal prosoma with light median band consisting of white dense hairs, laterally with radial marble-like pattern. Sternum and ventral coxae yellowish-brown without pattern; labium and gnathocoxae darker. Chelicerae as dorsal prosoma with three light stripes in proximal half and with dark distal half. Legs and palp without pattern with hind legs darker. Dorsal opisthosoma with light median band and pairs of dark spots in posterior half. Ventral opisthosoma dark with four posteriorly converging rows of white patches consisting of white hairs. Anterior lateral spinnerets dark, posterior lateral and median spinnerets and anal tubercle light.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

References

Benoit, P.L.G. (1979) Etudes sur les Ctenidae africains (Araneae) VIII. Gen. Ctenus Walck.-groupe abditus. Revue Zoologique africaine, 93, 425 –444.

Davies, V.T. (1994) The huntsman spiders Heteropoda Latreille and Yiinthi gen. nov. (Araneae: Heteropodidae) in Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 35, 75–122.

Jäger, P. (2001) Diversität der Riesenkrabbenspinnen im Himalaya. Über eine Radiation zweier Gattungen in den Schneetropen (Araneae: Sparassidae: Heteropodinae). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 232, 1–136.

Jäger, P. (2012) Asian species of the genera Anahita Karsch 1879, Ctenus Walckenaer 1805 and Amauropelma Raven, Stumkat & Gray 2001 (Arachnida: Araneae: Ctenidae). Zootaxa, 3429, 1–63.

Petrunkevitch, A. (1925) Arachnida from Panama. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 27, 51–248.

Steyn, T.L., Van der Donckt, J.-F. & Jocqué, R. (2003) The Ctenidae (Araneae) of the rainforests in eastern Côte d'Ivoire. Annals de Musée Royal de Afrique central (Zoologie), 290, 129 –166.

Thorell, T. (1887) Viaggio di L. Fea in Birmania e regioni vicine. II. Primo saggio sui ragni birmani. Annali des Museo civico di storia naturale Genova, 25, 5–417.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Ctenus monaghani spec. nov., holotype male from Laos, left male palp (1 prolateral, 2 ventral, 3 retrolateral, 4 embolus tip, ventral). C—conductor, E—embolus, ME—membranous extension of embolus, TA—tegular apophysis.

FIGURES 5 – 9. Ctenus monaghani spec. nov., holotype male from Laos, habitus (5 dorsal; 6 ventral; 7 lateral; 8 prosoma, ventral; 9 coxae III and IV, ventral, showing fields of stout spines).