2443
Author
West, Rick C.
Author
Nunn, Steven C.
text
Zootaxa
2010
2010-05-03
2443
1
64
journal article
11755334
Coremiocnemis cunicularia
(Simon 1892)
(
Figs 1–30
,
217
)
Phlogius cunicularius
Simon, 1892a: 279
.
Coremiocnemis cunicularia
Simon, 1892b: 146
.
Coremiocnemis validus
Abraham, 1924: 1117
, pl. 6, figs 27–28;
C. v.
Smith, 1987a: 67
, f. 1–14;
C. v.
Smith, 1987b: 120
, pl. 3, fig. 17h.
Types:
Phlogius cunicularius
Simon 1892
mature female
lectotype
, AR4547,
Penang
Hill (= Bukit Bendera,
5°25' N
,
100°16' E
),
Penang
Island
,
Penang
,
West
Malaysia
, MNHN–images (
F. Vol
, pers. comm.)–examined; immature female
paralectotype
, AR4547,
Penang
Hill
,
Penang
Island
,
Penang
,
West
Malaysia
, MNHN– images (
F. Vol
, pers. comm.)–examined.
Other material:
Coremiocnemis cunicularia
(Simon 1892)
,
female, ZRC ARA.739, Penang Hill,
Penang Island
, Penang, West
Malaysia
, col.
D. Goh
,
20 Sept. 1989
,
RMBR
–images (
D. Court
, pers. comm.)–examined; female, S83742,
Penang
Hill
,
Penang
Island
,
Penang
,
West
Malaysia
, col.
D. Goh
,
11 Oct. 2000
,
QM
; female,
S83744
,
Penang
Hill
,
Penang
Island
,
Penang
,
West
Malaysia
, col.
M. Hart
,
3 Mar. 1999
,
QM
–examined; formerly identified as
C. validus
(Abraham 1924)
,
1 male
,
1 female
,
1924.II 27
:23,
1924.II 27
:24, respectively,
Penang
Hill
,
Penang
Island
,
Penang
,
West
Malaysia
, col.
H. N. Ridley
, no date,
NHM
–images (
R. Raven
, pers. comm.)–examined; formerly identified as
C. validus
(Abraham 1924)
,
2 female
,
3 egg
sacs with juveniles, ZRC ARA.740,
Penang
Hill
,
Penang
Island
,
Penang
,
West
Malaysia
, col.
H. N. Ridley
, no date,
RMBR
–images (
D. Court
, pers. comm.)–examined;
2 female
, ZRC ARA.68,
Penang
Hill
,
Penang
Island
,
Penang
,
West
Malaysia
, col.
H. N. Ridley
, no date,
RMBR
–images (
D. Court
, pers. comm.)–examined;
1 female
, ZRC ARA.335,
Penang
Hill,
Penang
Island,
Penang
, West
Malaysia
, col.
H. N. Ridley
, no date,
RMBR
–images (
D. Court
, pers. comm.)–examined
.
Note:
Despite multiple efforts to personally examine the type jar, including retrieval of information and assistance by
MNHN
curator Dr C. Rollard, the authors were unable to image the types for this revision, thus a nontype (
RMBR
ZRC ARA.739) is utilized herein. The
holotype
jar contains
two specimens
from
Penang
Island,
Penang
, West
Malaysia
and was deposited in the
MNHN
. In 1983, Raven had examined the type in Paris and at that time, only
one specimen
existed in the jar (
Raven 2005
). However, in late 2004, Striffler and Von Wirth reported
two specimens
in the type jar. Unfortunately, in his original description, Simon had only quoted a size of “
25–30mm
” (
Simon 1892a
), a rough measurement of either the cephalothorax, or the cephalothorax including chelicerae, or entire body length. This was the only measurement Simon ever provided on this species. No subsequent work has elaborated further on the type. Of the
two specimens
now within the type jar in the
MNHN
, there are dissected pieces of anatomy for reference from one animal, with only the original data label of Simon’s pertaining to the one animal. In light of
two specimens
within the jar, the authors herein designate the largest specimen (dissected) as the
lectotype
and the smaller specimen considered a
paralectotype
.
Etymology:
The feminine form of a Latin technical military term
cunicularius
meaning ‘miner’ or ‘pioneer’, derived from
cuniculus
‘a mine’ and also the word for ‘rabbit’ and ‘rabbithole’, which reflects the spider’s fossorial habits.
Diagnosis:
Differs from
C. hoggi
sp. nov.
in having distinct white/cream bands along the distal segments of all legs (not obvious in
C. hoggi
sp. nov.
), spermathecal morphology with lateral lobe shafts clear entirely and integral in form, reduced length of leg IV setation (additionally setation piloerect, not curved), lyra bacillae much thinner and scopula on prolateral metatarsi IV division extending 1/3 distally (3/
4 in
C. hoggi
sp. nov.
). Differs from
C. obscura
sp. nov.
in having retrolateral coxae IV setal brushes medially (only 3–4 setae in
C. obscura
sp. nov.
) and scopula on prolateral metatarsi IV division only extending 1/3 distally (1/
2 in
C. obscura
sp. nov.
). Differs from
C. valida
in the absence of ventral proximal black studs border sternum on coxae III and IV and scopula on prolateral metatarsi IV division only extending 1/3 distally (1/
2 in
C. valida
). Differs from
C. kotacana
sp. nov.
in short lengths of intercheliceral pegs and retrolateral basomedial cheliceral spines (long in
C. kotacana
sp. nov.
), also in thinner anterior build. Differs from
C. gnathospina
sp. nov.
,
C. brachyramosa
sp. nov.
, and
C. jeremyhuffi
sp. nov.
as a group in the presence of apically swollen spermathecal lobes with clear shafts, scopula on retrolateral metatarsi IV division extending 3/4 distally (only extending 1/
3 in
above 3 species), retrolateral setae on metatarsi IV with distinct recurved form, long bottlebrush setae on tibiae and particularly metatarsi IV (absent in above 3 species).
Description:
Female nontype (RMBR ZRC ARA.739) with body length: 45.48.
Color (in life,
Fig. 1
): Carapace, chelicerae, coxae and trochantera cinnamon, as are anterior distal leg segments (pat., tib., met., tar.). Femora jet black. Ventrally dark brown to black. All leg segments with distinct cream banding distally. Long setae on posterior legs dark cinnamon red.
Carapace (
Fig. 2
): length 17.95, width 14.95 (width across anterior edge 9.35). Fovea 1.75 wide, procurved, deep, smaller in width than OT. Distance from anterior carapace to fovea, 12.35. Carapace with 4 discernible hair
types
(C1 to C4):
type
C1 long, needleform pallids border carapace entirely:
type
C2 long brown spiniforms, located along posterior carapace border only:
type
C3 short, thin wavy pallids, forming basis of carapace mat:
type
C4 emerge from what look to be bothrial collars, largely spiniform, pallid, aligned in uniform arrangement: (>5) along anterior edge of each radial groove, (>4) along anterior edge of each thoracic groove, (>4) along anterior edge of each caput groove and a line of>4 along medial caput ridge (between OT and fovea).>2 more behind each side of the OT, nearest median caput row.
FIGURES 2–7.
Coremiocnemis cunicularia
(Simon 1892)
, nontype female RMBR ZRC ARA.739. 2. Carapace, dorsal view. 3. Sternum, labium, maxillae and coxae, ventral view. 4. Abdomen, dorsal view. 5. Eyes, dorsal view. 6. Abdominal hair type #4, ventral view. 7. Abdomen, ventral view. Scale bar = 10mm for 2 and 3; 5mm for 4 and 7; 2mm for 5 and 6.
Eyes (
Fig. 5
): ocular tubercle; length 1.83, width 2.62. Anterior row transverse. Posterior row slightly recurved. Eyes: AME: 0.67/0.68, ALE: 0.67/0.25, PLE: 0.56/0.34, PME: 0.36/0.21. Inter–ocular distances: AME–AME: 0.31, AME–ALE: 0.21, AME–PME: 0.25, ALE–ALE: 1.99, ALE–PME: 0.36, PME–PME: 1.48, PME–PLE: 0.09, PLE–PLE: 2.11, ALE–PLE: 0.26. OT hair
types
: 8 to 10 C2’s directly posterior to AME’s, 4 to 5 between PME and centre of eye tubercle (directly behind each AME), 10 C2’s (slightly smaller) along posterior OT edge. 10–12 along median anterior OT surface. OT entirely covered in short weak, pallid setae (C3), directionally point to centre of OT, posteriorly and anteriorly. Lateral small pallids (C3) very sparse with no uniform direction/random point.
Chelicerae (right,
Figs 10 and 12
): length 10.65, width at base of each lobe 4.91 (bases widest point, dorsally). Ectal lyrate region (
Fig. 11
): a series of strikers (>80), in>8 horizontal rows. Strongest/longest strikers on lowest rows. Each striker needleform, with some filiform ends. Teeth 15 (>2 smaller teeth between apical teeth 2 and 3 on left chelicerae, 1 small tooth between apical teeth 3 and 4 on right),>50 basomesals. Intercheliceral pegs (>6 larger,>20 smaller) in tight cluster on basodorsal surface. Retrolateral face basomedially with small cluster of short but strong spines (>6) (some broken, but bases easily visible,
Fig. 9
), point distad.
FIGURES 8–15.
Coremiocnemis cunicularia
(Simon 1892)
, nontype female RMBR ZRC ARA.739. 8. Labium, ventral view. 9. Basomedial retrolateral cheliceral spine cluster. 10. Right chelicerae, retrolateral view. 11. Cheliceral strikers, retrolateral view. 12. Right chelicerae, prolateral view. 13. Intercheliceral peg setae. 14. Right maxillae, prolateral view. 15. Maxillary lyra, prolateral view. Scale bar = 5mm for 10 and 12; 2mm for 8, 11, 13, 14 and 15; 0.5mm for 9.
Maxillae (
Fig. 14
): prolaterally plano-convex, anterior lobe well pronounced, many cuspules (
>
190) on inner basoventral surface. Lyra (
Fig. 15
): many bacilliform rods (>160) form dense, ovoid patch prolaterally (3.85 long, 1.94 high), lowest row with>25 bacillae, longest rods in centre of lowest row. Rods paddle-shaped (paddles up to 0.34 long) with medium to long shafts (length including paddles up to 0.69), largest with distal blades (longest distal blades>0.07). At widest point, lyrate patch 10–11 rows deep, smallest rods dorsally. Posterior end of patch truncate, anterior end slightly pointed distad/rounded. Immediately above maxillary suture>55 small spines (
Fig. 16
) on anterior margin of maxillae, rows unordered. Labium (
Fig. 8
): length 2.25, width 3.53. many small cuspules (>650) along anterior 1/3 surface. One hair
type
on labium (L1): long, reasonably dark spiniform in shape, curving distally toward anterior, most concentrated along lateral borders. Setae longest along anterior edge (>35).
Sternum (
Fig. 3
): length 8.21, width 7.52. Slightly wider posteriorly than anteriorly, with 4 discernible hair
types
(S1 to S4):
type
S1 longest, thickest, darker basally, becoming pallid distally, entire but sparse over sternum:
type
S2 elongate spiniforms, entirely dark, border sternum, most concentrated posteriorly:
type
S3 with same morphology as S1, although only 1/4–1/2 length by comparison, entire but sparse over sternum:
type
S4 short thin pallids, forming basis of sternal mat. Posteriorly between left and right cox. IV, sternal bor- der slightly acuminate, lateral sternal points also slightly acuminate. Sternal sigilla (
Fig. 3
): 3 pairs (not including labio-sternal sigilla), posterior medium in size; right length 1.25, width 0.53, left length 1.16, width 0.47. Ovoid morphology, 2.43 apart, 2.15–2.00 from sternal margin. Median pair 1/2 size of posterior, similar in form, 0.6–0.8 of their length from sternal margin. Anterior pair 1/3 size of posterior, somewhat obscured, border sternal margin. Labio-sternal sigilla large, as big as PSS.
Leg setation: All segments distally with cream band of short blunt setae. Leg IV entirely with distinctly longer setae, most noticeable on tib. and met. IV, giving a “bottlebrush” appearance. Retrolaterally on met. IV, longer setae show distinct recurvature. Long recurved setae distinct on tar. IV.
Legs: formula (length); IV, I, II, III: (width) III, IV, I, II. Leg
RF
~ 78.61. Leg lengths (fem., pat., tib., met., tar., total): palp: 10.51, 6.35, 7.15, 0.00, 6.87, 30.88. I: 14.67, 8.75, 11.27, 9.14, 6.60, 50.43. II: 13.01, 7.83, 9.03, 8.94, 6.04, 44.85. III: 12.05, 6.42, 7.67, 9.98, 5.84, 41.96. IV: 16.21, 8.22, 15.39, 17.35, 6.98, 64.15. Leg mid–widths (fem., pat., tib., met., tar., total.): palp: 2.64, 2.66, 2.40, 0.00, 2.35, 10.05. I: 3.42, 3.55, 2.78, 2.12, 2.18, 14.05. II: 3.34, 3.18, 2.49, 2.26, 2.19, 13.46. III: 3.78, 3.38, 2.90, 2.41, 2.43, 14.90. IV: 3.74, 3.52, 3.15, 2.38, 2.00, 14.79. Tar. IV shows transverse weakening (
Fig. 22
).
Scopula: met., tar. I–III undivided, met., tar. IV divided (
Fig. 21
). Met. I: entire, II: 4/5, III: 2/3, IV: 1/3 prolateral side of division, 3/4 outer retrolateral side (
Figs 20–22
). Tar. IV with wider /incrassate retrolateral scopulate field than seen prolaterally, noted from dorsal view (
Fig. 19
). Coxae (
Fig. 3
): some small black thorns prolatero-dorsally, no thorns retrolaterally on I–IV. Coxae easily seen dorsally. I longest,
ca.
1.2 times length of II. IV widest, as long as III, basally rectangular with rounded corners. Coxae with small ventral thorns prolaterally on I–IV. I–III ventrally with many long thick blunt setae proximally, pallid. No short black setae. IV with mixture of long thick blunt setae entirely, pallid intermixed with shorter thin pallid setae. Ventral I–IV gently sloping anteriorly. Retrolateral setation: I–III with median narrow light brush, IV as in I–III, with median narrow brush. I–IV retrolaterally lack ventral ledge. Ventral measurements for coxae: palp– length 7.45, width 4.67; I–7.55, 3.78; II–5.53, 4.36; III–6.05, 3.43; IV–7.25, 4.56.
Trochantera: palp–length 2.62, width 2.95; I–2.95, 3.60; II–3.33, 3.33; III–3.10, 3.29; IV–3.90, 3.99.
Trichobothria: Tarsi: on all tarsi basal filiform field slightly wider than clavate field, merges evenly. Clavates on tar. I in distal 2/3 (>30), long filiforms only in basal 1/2, shorter filiforms intermixed with clavates distally. Clavate extent on tar. II–IV
cf.
I, in distal 2/3. Shorter filiforms for length. Short epitrichobothrial field on tar. I shorter than clavates, uniform height for length. Tarsal organ not evident on legs I–IV under stereoscope (up to 64X). Tar. I with field 3.98 long, 0.76 wide distally, 0.95 wide proximally. Tar. IV with field 4.21 long, 0.55 wide distally, 0.95 proximally. Metatarsi: trichobothrial field not detected. Tibia: Tib. I prolaterally and proximally with short, possibly clavate trichobothria (>20 per
0.25mm
squared) with patch 0.71 long, 0.45 wide, clearly pallid:>6 filiforms detected in semicircular pattern proximally to clavate patch. Tib. IV prolaterally and proximally with short dark clavates (>20 per
0.25mm
squared) with patch 0.67 long and 1.35 wide:>6 filiforms detected in semi circular pattern proximally to clavate patch.
FIGURES 16–22.
Coremiocnemis cunicularia
(Simon 1892)
, nontype female RMBR ZRC ARA.739. 16. Right maxillae, prolateral view above maxillary suture. 17. Spermathecae, ventral view. 18. Right maxillae, ectal view. 19. Right tar. IV, dorsal view. 20. Right met. and tar. IV, prolateral view. 21. Right met. and tar. IV, ventral view. 22. Right met. and tar. IV, retrolateral view. Scale bar = 10mm for 20, 21 and 22; 5mm for 19; 2mm for 16 and 18; 1mm for 17.
FIGURES 23–28.
Coremiocnemis cunicularia
(Simon 1892)
, nontype male BMNH 1924.II 27:23. 23. Habitus, lateral view. 24. Left maxillae, prolateral view showing lyra. 25. Lyrate paddles. 26. Right bulb, prolateral view. 27. Left bulb, ventral view. 28. Distal embolus tip showing transverse snapping of tip. Scale bar = 10mm for 23; 2mm for 24; 1mm for 25–27. Photos: R. Raven.
Spines: met. I with 1 DV, met. II with 1 DV, 1 DPV, 1 DRV, met. III with 2 DV, 1 DPV, 1 DRV, 1 DD, met. IV with 2 DV, 1 DPV, 1 DRV, 1 DD.
Claws: paired claws on all legs and palpal claw unarmed. Reduced third claw on leg IV.
Abdomen (
Figs 4, 7
): ovular, elongated, yellow brown (in alcohol), with 4 discernible hair
types
(A1 to A4): Dorsally with 3 hair
types
:
type
A1 long, dark, but distally pallid:
type
A2 mid-length, also dark, but distally spiniform:
type
A3 form dense mat of abdomen, mid-length, uniformly dark, but not spiniform. Longest hairs (A1) more concentrated posteriorly toward spinnerets, point distad. Ventral hair
types
similar to dorsal, although
types
A2, A3 more dense entirely. Hair
type
A4 (
Fig. 6
) in very dense patch (2.75 length, 3.65 width), trapezoid shaped, immediately posterior to pedicel between median regions of cox. IV. Hairs medium length, wavy, jet black.
Genitalia: epigastric fold 4.62 (
Fig. 7
). Spermathecae (
Fig. 17
): paired but not fused, separated by 0.62 (width including spermatheca 1.62), bilobular apically, each lobe with strong apical rounded appendages: lateral apical widths 0.51 (left)–0.49 (right): medial apical widths 0.35 (left)–0.34 (right), heavily sclerotized: highly distinct, compared with weakly sclerotized/clear spermathecal shafts. Lobes apically swollen, lateral lobes (including shaft length) about as long as medials (0.98–1.02). Right medial lobe with additional bud (
0.11 in
width), about 3/4 proximally from base of spermathecal shaft. Epigastric fold extends
ca.
2/3 length of medial spermathecal lobes.
Spinnerets: PMS: length 2.18, width (medially) 1.05. PLS: section lengths; basal 3.76, medial 2.89, apical 4.05. PLS section widths (medially); basal 2.03, medial 1.46, apical 1.25. Spinnerets with 2 discernible hair
types
(SP1, SP2): SP1 very short and distally blunt pallid, covers both pairs ventrally, second form (SP2), very similar but up to two times longer, dorsally on all segments.
Distribution and natural history:
To date, all conspecifics of
C. cunicularia
have come from
Penang
Hill,
Penang
Island,
Penang
, West
Malaysia
.
C. cunicularia
is a fossorial theraphosid that constructs its burrow retreat in sloped ground in shaded areas of montane tropical rainforest (
Fig. 29
) at elevations of 600–790 meters. Depending on the size of the specimen, burrows range between
30 to 80 cm
in depth, terminating in an enlarged flask-like chamber, burrow opening is simple with small traces of silk around the entrance (R. West, pers. obs.) (
Fig. 30
). Males were found in February.
FIGURES 29–30.
Coremiocnemis cunicularia
(Simon 1892)
, biotope (Fig. 29) and burrow (Fig. 30), Penang Hill, Penang Island, Penang, West Malaysia. Photos: E. Hijmensen and C. Sainsbury.
Remarks:
All of Abraham’s (1924) “
C. validus
”
specimens were examined (from both the NHM and RMBR) and found to belong to
C. cunicularia
.
Two individual specimens held in the RMBR are not from the original Ridley collection, are not from
Penang
and do not fit into the genus
Coremiocnemis
. Regarding Abraham’s male (
Fig. 23
), although both of the distal emboli are broken (
Figs 26–28
) and presence or absense of a distal kiss curl in this species could not be ascertained, informative traits of interest were noted in the male. The lyrate bacillae on the prolateral maxillary surface of the male are shorter than in females (
Figs 24, 25
), a trait also seen in other
Coremiocnemis
described herein, also within some
Lyrognathus
(
West and Nunn 2010
)
.