Althepus tuqi Liu & Li & Wongprom & Zheng & Li 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Liu, Chang
name: Li, Fengyuan
name: Wongprom, Prasit
name: Zheng, Guo
name: Li, Shuqiang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Ochyroceratidae
Althepus
Althepus tuqi

description: Althepus tuqi Li et Li sp. nov.
Figs 17–18, 21–22
Type material. Holotype: Male (IZCAS), Thailand, Krabi Province, Muang District, Tap Prink Subdistrict, Thep Pratan Cave (Payanak Cave), 08°10.095'N, 98°52.870'E, altitude 81m, 13 October 2015. Paratypes: 2 females and 2 males, same data as holotype (IZCAS).
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Chinese pinyin 'tū qǐ', which means 'protrusion', referring to the large lateral protrusion on the tarsus of male palp; noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. The species resembles A. kuan sp. nov. (Figs 8–9) with the male palp, but can be distinguished by the large lateral protrusion on the tarsus (Figs 17A–D), by the needle-like embolus as well as by the long spermathecae (Fig. 18E).
Description. Male (holotype). Total length 3.19; carapace 1.09 length, 1.28 width; abdomen 1.97 length, 0.78 width. Carapace oval (Fig. 18G), yellow, with three longitudinal brown bands of different width, among them, the middle one three times wider than the lateral ones. Anterior margin of thoracic region distinctly elevated. Clypeus brown. Cheliceral promargin with two teeth, followed by a lamina, retromargin with two small teeth (Fig. 21J). Labium brown, with two light rounded areas basally. Sternum brown. Abdomen elongate, brown, with a yellow herringbone pattern on the dorsal surface and two narrow white bands on the ventral surface. Legs brown, femur and tibia annulated with white. Leg measurements: I missing, II 28.16 (6.09, 0.48, 7.05, 10.89, 3.65), III 19.32 (5.89, 0.48, 4.94 6.15, 1.86), IV 24.71 (7.37, 0.48, 7.05, 8.27, 1.54). Male palp (Figs 17A–D): tarsus with three slightly curved and serrated bristles at the top of cymbial protrusion (Fig. 17A), one twisty spine with tip directed towards proximally (Figs 17C–D), one strong spine arising from a small tubercle; bulb yellow, ovate; embolus arising retrolatero-distally from bulb, needle-like and slightly oblique distally; conductor arising distally from bulb, slightly curved distally; conductor and embolus widely separated (the distance is almost equal to diameter of bulb).
Female (paratype). Similar to male in coloration and general features (Figs 18H–I), but with a smaller body size. Internal genitalia with a pair of transparent spermathecae (Fig. 18E). Measurements: total length 3.08; carapace 1.03 length, 1.28 width; abdomen 1.92 length, 1.28 width. Legs I missing, II 22.13 (6.09, 0.40, 5.90, 7.69, 2.05), III 14.96 (4.49, 0.40, 3.85, 4.81, 1.41), IV 14.57 (4.42, 0.40, 3.85, 4.87, 1.03).
Variation. Carapace: males 1.09–1.50 length, 1.28–1.70 width; females 1.03–1.28 length, 1.27–1.28 width. Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 22).
description: Published as part of Liu, Chang, Li, Fengyuan, Wongprom, Prasit, Zheng, Guo & Li, Shuqiang, 2017, Eleven new species of the spider genus Althepus Thorell, 1898 (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from Thailand, pp. 469-499 in Zootaxa 4350 (3) on pages 491-494, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4350.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/1059253