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
Ctenus martensi
spec. nov.
Figs 39–46
Type material.
Holotype
male
(
SMF
),
Nepal
,
Parbat district
,
between Chitre and Chandrung, Chitre
side of the pass,
Tsuga-Rhododendron
,
2880–2900 m
altitude,
Martens
&
Ausobsky
leg. 4./
7.V.1980
.
Paratype
.
1 male
(
SMF
), with same data as for holotype
.
Etymology.
The specific epithet honours Jochen Martens, my former PhD supervisor, who not only collected the
type
material of this species from
Nepal
, but also collected a wealth of material from many arthropod groups; noun (name) in genitive case.
Diagnosis.
Small
Ctenidae
(total length male 9.5–9.9). Distinguished from other
Ctenus
spp.
by cymbial tooth on retromargin, the uniquely U-shaped RTA and its proximal arising point as well as the tegular apophysis distinctly concave prolaterally (
Figs 40–42
).
Description.
Male
(
holotype
). PL 5.1, PW 3.8, AW 2.0, OL 4.4, OW 2.5. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.22, ALE 0.21, PME 0.28, PLE 0.28, AME–AME 0.12, AME–ALE 0.21, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.31, AME–PME 0.13, ALE–PLE 0.09, clypeus AME 0.10, clypeus ALE 0.31. Palp and leg measurements: palp 6.4 (2.3, 0.9, 1.2, -, 2.0), I 15.1 (4.0, 1.9, 3.8, 3.6, 1.8), II 14.0 (3.8, 1.9, 3.4, 3.3, 1.6), III 12.9 (3.4, 1.8, 3.0, 3.3, 1.4), IV 16.6 (4.2, 1.8, 3.9, 4.9, 1.8). Leg formula 4123. Spination of palp and legs: palp 141, 100, 1001; femora I p01(0)2, d111, r111, II p112, d111, r 111, III p112, d111, r012, IV p112, d111, r002; patellae I 1(0)01, II–IV 101; tibiae I p010, d001, r110, v22222, II p110, d001, r110, v22222, III–IV p11, d011, r11, v222; metatarsi I–II p111, r111, v222, III p112, d010, r112, v222, IV p112, d010, r112,
v2122
. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal, 3 retromarginal teeth, and without denticles. Retromargin of chelicerae close to fang base with 1 bristle. Ventral tarsi and metatarsi I–II with sparse scopula. Leg claws I with 7, leg claw IV with 9 secondary teeth. Tarsal organs: I 0.80, II 0.79, III 0.70, IV 0.70.
Palp as in diagnosis (
Figs 40–42
). Cymbium tip slightly conical, cymbial retromargin with slight ventral spermophor dorsally, subdistally with tiny slit at proximal side. Embolus base with indistinct membranous seam. Tegular apophysis elongated, about twice as long as wide, distinctly excavated prolaterally.
Colour (
Figs 43–46
). Yellowish- to reddish-brown. Dorsal prosoma with faint radial markings, distinctly marked fovea and black circles around eyes. Sternum, ventral coxae, labium and gnathocoxae yellowish-brown without pattern. Chelicerae yellowish-brown without distinct pattern. Legs yellowish-brown with distal segments darker, partly with indistinct diffused black colour. Dorsal opisthosoma with light heart region. Lateral opisthosoma with spots and striae. Ventral opisthosoma light with dark median field and light patches within. Spinnerets and anal tubercle light.
Female.
Unknown.
Variation.
Paratype
male: PL 5.4, OL 4.6, with ventral opisthosoma lighter.
Distribution.
Known only from the
type
locality (
Fig. 39
: 1).
The following two species exhibit a unique RTA tip modification: the more or less complex tip (“apical spur” sensu F.O.
Pickard-Cambridge 1902
; “thin and transparent chitinous appendage” sensu
Gravely 1931
) is fixed on a predetermined breaking point; this feature is also known for emboli in other spiders, e.g. in
Argiope
Audouin 1826 (
Jäger 2012
)
. When one of these structures was touched in the preserved
holotype
of
C. cladarus
spec. nov.
, it broke promptly. In the right palp of the
holotype
of
C. ramosus
it was already broken. Based on the illustrations by
Tikader and Malhotra (1981)
the following species could also possess such a breakable RTA tip:
C. ceylonensis
F.O.
Pickard-Cambridge 1897
,
C. bomdilaensis
Tikader & Malhotra 1981
,
C. himalayensis
Gravely 1931
and
C. sikkimensis
Gravely 1931
.
Silva-Dávila (2003)
considered this character in her cladistic analysis as matrix character #13.