Sphingius spinosus Dankittipakul, Tavano & Singtripop, 2011, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Dankittipakul, Pakawin
name: Tavano, Maria
name: Singtripop, Tippawan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Liocranidae
Sphingius
Sphingius spinosus

description: Sphingius spinosus sp. nov.
Figures 22–26
Type material. Holotype: ♂, THAILAND: Nakhorn Sri Thammarat Province: Khao Luang NP, Ban Kiriwong, 170 m, 10 February 1991, leg. P.J. Schwendinger (MHNG, 596). Paratypes: Same data as holotype, 1♂, 2♀ (MHNG, 596). Nakhorn Sri Thammarat Province: Khanom District, Khao Dad Far, 680 m, evergreen forest, 14 July 2005, leg. P.J. Schwendinger, 1♂, (MHNG, TH- 05/05). Yala Province: Bang Lang NP, 150 m, 2 January 1990, leg. P.J. Schwendinger, 1♂, (MHNG). INDONESIA: Sumatra, West Sumatra Province: Rimbo Panti Nature Reserve, ca. 30 km north of Lubuk Sikaping, 300–400 m, primary forest, leg. P.J. Schwendinger 1♂, 1♀ (MHNG, Sum-06/18). MALAYSIA: Pahang State: Charas Hill, ca. 3 km north of Panching, 60 m, evergreen forest on limestone, 9–10 July 2001, leg. P.J. Schwendinger, 1♂, 1♀ (MHNG, SIM- 01/12); 60 m, rainforest remnant at foot of limestone hill, 3–4 June 2004, leg. P.J. Schwendinger, 1♂, 1♀ (MHNG, MAL- 04/08); Trengganu State: Kuala Buka, 12 March 1977, leg. T. Jaccoud & P. Marcuard, 1♀, (MHNG, Sph-332).
Diagnosis. Males of S. spinosus sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the possession of a small, mesal spine on the median apophysis of the male palp (Figs 22–24); females by the large, spherical anterior bursae lacking stalks (Fig. 26).
Etymology. The specific epithet, a nominative form of an adjective, is derived from Latin (spinosus, -a, -um = spiny) and refers to a small spine on the median apophysis of the male palp.
Description. Male (holotype): Total length 3.64. Prosoma 1.76 long, 1.20 wide. Opisthosoma 1.88 long, 1.10 wide. Spination: femora I–IV 1 d; tibia I 1-1-0- 1 v, II 1- 1v, III–IV 2-1 -2, 1p, 1-0-1r; metatarsi III–IV 1 pv, 1- 1v. Eye size and interdistances: AME 1/3 d of ALE; PME 3/4 d of PLE; AME-AME their d apart; AME-ALE 1/2 d of AME; PME-PME 1 d of AME; PME-PLE 1/2 d of AME; PME-PLE 3/4 d of AME; ALE-PLE 3/4 d of AE. MOQ longer than wide, narrower in front than behind.
Prosoma dark chestnut-brown; lateral margin rebordered, posterior margin slightly excavated; carapace integument finely punctated. Fovea deep, longitudinal. Sternum dark brown; surface integument finely punctated. Chelicerae dark brown. Labium and gnathocoxae brown. Legs yellowish brown.
Opisthosoma elongate-ovoid. Dorsal scutum covering almost entire length of opisthosoma, dark brown, clothed with fine pubescence. Epigastric scutum extending anteriorly, represented by groove collar in dorsal view. Ventral scutum smaller than dorsal one, weakly sclerotized, fused with epigastric scutum.
Palp (Figs 22–24): RTA triangular, gradually narrowing towards its apex, reaching half length of cymbium. Embolus filiform, elongated; embolic base spiniform, originating prolaterally on membranous area between tegulum and subtegulum. Conductor indistinct. Median apophysis rostrated, with small, sharply pointed spine situated meso-retrolaterally. Accessory tegular apophysis minute, triangular, colorless and transparent, situated posterior to embolus.
Female (paratype, MHNG, 596): Total length 3.78. Prosoma 1.82 long, 1.22 wide. Opisthosoma 1.96 long, 1.18 wide. Spination: femora I–III 1 d; tibia I–III 1-1 -0v, 1pl, IV 1 -0- 2 v, 1-1r; metatarsi III–IV 1 pv, 1-0- 1 v. Eye size and interdistances: AME 1/2 d of ALE; PME 2/3 d of PLE; AME-AME their d apart; AME-ALE 1/4 d of AME; PME-PME 1/2 d of AME; PME-PLE 1/3 d of AME; PME-PLE 1/2 d of AME; ALE-PLE 3/4 d of AE. MOQ longer than wide, narrower in front than behind.
General appearance as in male except prosoma slightly wider posteriorly; carapace and sternum smooth; dorsal and ventral scuta on opisthosoma absent; opisthosoma creamy white, sparsely covered with black pubescence.
Genitalia (Figs 25–26): Epigynal plate elongate-ovoid, weakly sclerotized. Atrium quadrangular, situated anteriorly, its posterirorly margin indistinct. Copulatory orifices large, elliptic, situated on posterior lateral border of epigynal atrium. Insemination ducts short, running obliquely between copulatory orifices and spermathecae. Bursae large, spherical, provided with few pores of ductules, originating on middle portion of insemination ducts. Spermathecae reniform, distinctly narrowed anteriorly. Fertilization ducts acicular-shaped.
Natural history. Types of S. spinosus sp. nov. were collected from pristine evergreen forests at low altitudes.
Distribution. Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia (Fig. 40).
description: Published as part of Dankittipakul, Pakawin, Tavano, Maria & Singtripop, Tippawan, 2011, Neotype designation for Sphingius thecatus Thorell, 1890, synonymies, new records and descriptions of six new species from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Liocranidae), pp. 1-20 in Zootaxa 3066 on page 10, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.201922