Asian species of the genera Anahita Karsch 1879, Ctenus Walckenaer 1805 and Amauropelma Raven, Stumkat & Gray 2001 (Arachnida: Araneae: Ctenidae)
Author
Jäger, Peter
text
Zootaxa
2012
2012-08-20
3429
1
1
63
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3429.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3429.1.1
11755334
10096509
Amauropelma staschi
spec. nov.
Figs 179
,
187–192
Type material.
Holotype
male
(
SMF
),
India
,
Uttarakhand
,
Dhanolti village
,
N 30°25.5'
,
E 78°14.9'
,
2200 m
altitude,
Y.M. Marusik
leg.
11.–12.V.1999
.
Etymology.
This species is named in honour of my secondary school Latin and ancient Greek teacher, Gottfried Stasch (Paderborn,
Germany
), for his patient teaching, an effort which is often only recognised by students as valuable many years after their school time; name in genitive case.
Diagnosis.
Small
Ctenidae
(total length male 7.9). Similar to
A. beyersdorfi
spec. nov.
in having the RTA sticking out at an almost right angle from the tibia, and to all other Asian congeners in having the tegular apophysis arising centrally from tegulum (
Fig. 191
). Distinguished from all known
Amauropelma
spp.
by the special shape of the tegular apophysis, i.e. the strongly concave prolateral side, and the two sclerotised subdistal embolic apophyses (
Fig. 191
).
FIGURES 180–183.
Amauropelma beyersdorfi
spec. nov.
, holotype male from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India, left male palp (180 prolateral; 181 ventral; 182 retrolateral; 183 tegular apophysis, distal). C—conductor, E—embolus, PCB—prolateral cymbial bulge, RCB—retrolateral cymbial bulge, RPA—retrolateral patellar apophysis, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis,
FIGURES 184–189.
Amauropelma
spp.
, habitus.
184–186
Amauropelma beyersdorfi
spec. nov.
, holotype male from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India (184 dorsal; 185 ventral; 186 frontal).
187–189
Amauropelma staschi
spec. nov.
, holotype male from Dhanolti, Uttar Pradesh, India (187 dorsal; 188 ventral; 189 frontal).
Description.
Male
(
holotype
). PL 4.1, PW 3.3, AW 1.5, OL 3.5, OW 2.1. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.15, PME 0.16, PLE 0.16, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.16, PME–PME 0.09, PME–PLE 0.27, AME–PME 0.09, ALE–PLE 0.11, clypeus AME 0.10, clypeus ALE 0.22. Palp and leg measurements: palp
III p012, d111, r012, IV p012, d111, r002; patellae I–II 000, III–IV 001; tibiae I–II p010, v22222, III p11, d111, r11, v222, IV p11, d111, r11, v222; metatarsi I–II p110, r 110, v222, III p112, d010, r112, v222, IV p112, d010, r112, v322. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal, 4 retromarginal teeth, without denticles. Retromargin of chelicerae close to fang base with 1 bristle. Tarsi and metatarsi without scopula. Claw tufts arising separately, but intermingle distally. Leg claws I–II with 4, III with 3, and IV with 4 secondary teeth. Position of tarsal organ: I 0.78, II 0.77, III 0.70, IV 0.75.
Palp as in diagnosis (
Figs 190–192
). Embolus arising in a 9-o’clock-position from tegulum, with distal groove and large membranous areas in its proximal half. Conductor arising in a 1- to 1.30-o’clock position from tegulum. Tegular apophysis arising centrally, moderately excavated at its dorsal side. RTA with broad base and convex distal margin, distal apex dorso-distad. Patella without distinct apophysis, retrolateral side slightly swollen.
Colour (
Figs 187–189
). Deep yellowish-brown. Dorsal prosoma with eyes marked with black rings, faint radial markings, narrow dark margin indistinct; fovea distinct, reddish-brown. Chelicerae same colour as dorsal prosoma. Sternum, labium, gnathocoxae, ventral coxae yellowish-brown without pattern. Legs strong yellowish brown, metatarsus III–IV distinctly darker (reddish-brown). Dorsal opisthosoma with strong and distinct pattern consisting of partly fused leopard-like patches. Lateral opisthosoma with patches especially in posterior two thirds. Ventral opisthosoma with less and separated patches.
Female.
Unknown.
Distribution.
Known only from the
type
locality (
Fig. 179
: 2).