Speocera amber Li & Li, 2019

Tong, Yanfeng, Li, Fengyuan, Song, Yang, Chen, Haifeng & Li, Shuqiang, 2019, Thirty-two new species of the genus Speocera Berland, 1914 (Araneae: Ochyroceratidae) from China, Madagascar and Southeast Asia, Zoological Systematics 44 (1), pp. 1-75 : 2-3

Speocera amber Li & Li sp. nov. ( Figs 1–2 , 55A )

Material examined. Holotype ♂ ( IZCAS), Madagascar, Antsiranana Province, Antsiranana District, Amber Mountain (12º31.796′S, 49º10.460′E), elev. 1084 m, 14.XII.2016, leg. H. Zhao. Paratype 1♀ ( IZCAS), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the type locality; noun.

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by the very long, ribbon-like embolus of the males ( Figs 1A–B ) and the spiral spermathecae of the females ( Fig. 2A ).

Description. Male. Total length 0.95; carapace length 0.45; carapace width 0.43; abdomen length 0.47; abdomen width 0.34. Prosoma: carapace pyriform, narrowing gradually anteriorly; light yellow, suffused with purplish pattern ( Fig. 2C ); pars cephalica flat; fovea not visible. Sternum light yellow, suffused with purplish color, longer than wide. Endites light yellow, suffused with purplish tinge; with serrula; labium light yellow, suffused with purplish tinge. Clypeus nearly vertical; short. Chelicerae light yellow; anterolateral margin with a cluster of short setae; promargin with a series of six teeth reaching the lamina; retromargin with two small denticles ( Fig. 55A ). Eyes: six contiguous eyes surrounded by black pigmentation, PME smallest, PLE largest ( Fig. 2C ). Opisthosoma oval; purplish. Legs light yellow; leg lengths I 2.45 (1.06, 0.16, 0.58, 0.39, 0.27); II 1.67 (0.46, 0.11, 0.50, 0.34, 0.26); III 1.47 (0.41, 0.13, 0.38, 0.33, 0.23); IV missing. Genitalia ( Fig. 1 ). Palpal femur long; palpal tibia about 1.3 times as long as cymbium ( Figs 1A–B ). Cymbium conical, without prolateral extension ( Fig. 1A ). Bulb spherical. Embolus very long, ribbon-like, nearly transparent, associated sclerite absent; sperm duct initially medium size, gradually tapering distally ( Fig. 1D ).

Female. Total length 1.20; carapace length 0.51; carapace width 0.43; abdomen length 0.64; abdomen width 0.50. Similar to male in color and general features ( Figs 2D–E ) but larger. Chelicerae unmodified. Leg lengths I missing; II 1.92 (0.53, 0.15, 0.57, 0.39, 0.28); III 1.50 (0.41, 0.14, 0.38, 0.33, 0.25); IV 1.98 (0.55, 0.14, 0.56, 0.43, 0.30). Genitalia. Internal genitalia with afferent spermathecae short, straight, not extending past the sides of the abdomen ( Fig. 2B ); spermathecae spiral ( Fig. 2A ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 1. Speocera amber Li & Li sp. nov., holotype, male. A. Left palp, prolateral view. B. Left palp, retrolateral view. C. Left palp, dorsal view. D. Left palp, retrolateral view, cleared in lactic acid. Scale bars=0.05mm.

Figure 2. Speocera amber Li & Li sp. nov. A, B, D, E. Paratype, female. C. Holotype, male. A. Genitalia, dorsal view. B. Genitalia, ventral view. C. Habitus, dorsal view. D. Habitus, dorsal view. E. Habitus, ventral view. Scale bars: A–B=0.05mm; C–E=0.30mm.

Figure 55. Male chelicerae of Speocera spp.A–E, G–H.Anterior view. F, I. Lateral view. A. S. amber Li & Li sp. nov. B. S. ankalana Li & Li sp. nov. C. S. bachma Li & Li sp. nov. D. S. ballarini Li & Li sp. nov. E–F. S. bawangling Li & Li sp. nov. G. S. bukittinggi Li & Li sp. nov. H–I. S. cucphuong Li & Li sp. nov. Scale bars=0.1mm.