Psechrus marsyandi Levi 1982
Creators: name: Bayer, Steffen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Psechridae
Psechrus
Psechrus marsyandi

description: Psechrus marsyandi Levi, 1982
Figs 33a–d, 34a–i, 81h, 82r, 85h, 88i, 91i
Psechrus marsyandi Levi 1982: 120, figs 13–15 (Description of ♂ and ♀, illustration of ♂ and ♀). [Holotype ♂ (SB 79) from NEPAL: Gandaki Province: Lamjung District, Marsyandi stream, Senghe, 1050 m, rock wall near river bank; J. Martens & A. Ausobsky leg. 10.IV.1980; SMF 30900; Paratypes: s.a. ♂ (SB 865), with same data as for holotype; SMF 30900; 2 ♀♀ (SB 231–232) from NEPAL: Dhawalagiri Province: near Sibang, N 28°27'30'', E 83°22'30''; K.H. Hyatt leg. 18.VI.1954, ‘British Museum Nepal Expedition’; NHM 1981˙4˙10˙5,6; 2 ♀♀ (SB 226–227) from NEPAL: Dhawalagiri Province: near Darban, N 28°24'30'', E 83°23'30''; K.H. Hyatt leg. 16.VI.1954; NHM 1981˙4˙10˙7,8; 2 ♀♀ (SB 229–230) from NEPAL: Dhawalagiri Province: near Seti river, Pokhara, N 28°14', E 83°59'; K.H. Hyatt leg. 04.VIII.1954; NHM 1981˙4˙10˙9,10; all type material examined]. Jäger 2007: 45.
Psechrus himalayanus — Griswold 1993: 7, ad part (Record of ♀ [in fact s.a. ♀] from Gandaki zone, Nepal, misidentified).
Additional material examined (1 ♀, 7 s.a. ♂♂, 12 s.a. ♀♀, 3 p. s.a. ♀♀, 3 juvs). NEPAL: Dhawalagiri Province: Dana, South of D.; M. Hubert leg. 28.I.1967; 3 s.a. ♀♀ (SB 747, 750–751), MNHN. Darban, near D., N 28°24'30'', E 83°23'30''; K.H. Hyatt leg. 16.VI.1954; 1 ♀ (SB 228), NHM. Kabre; M. Hubert leg. 17.I.1967; 2 s.a. ♀♀ (SB 729–730), 1 juv. (SB 728), MNHN. Rakhu; M. Hubert leg. 14.I.1967; 2 s.a. ♀♀ (SB 748–749), MNHN. Garamdi (near Kali Gandaki); M. Hubert leg. 15.I.1967; 2 s.a. ♀♀ (SB 752–753), 1 s.a. ♂ (SB 754), MNHN. Gandaki Province: Kaski District, Kahre – Pokhara, ca. 1400 m; J. Coddington leg. 29.X.1985; 2 p. s.a. ♀♀ (SB 757–758), 2 s.a. ♂♂ (SB 759–760), 1 juv. (SB 756), USNM. Kaski District, W of Landrung, ca. 1600 m, forest; J. Coddington leg. 21.X.1985; 1 s.a. ♀ (SB 761), 1 juv. (SB 762), USNM. Kaski District, Bhichuk, ca. 1800 m; J. Coddington leg. 20.X.1985; 2 s.a. ♀♀ (SB 766–767), 3 s.a. ♂♂ (SB 763–765), USNM. Kaski District, Landrung - Chomrung, 1500–1900 m; J. Coddington leg. 21.X.1985; 1 p. s.a. ♀ (SB 768), 1 s.a. ♂ (SB 769), USNM.
Revised diagnosis (see also diagnosis for himalayanus -group above). Male similar to P. himalayanus and P. inflatus sp. nov. in having the straight embolus (E) completely associated with conductor (C). Distinguished from himalayanus by the W-shaped sperm duct and the shorter E and C (Fig. 33b). Distinguished from inflatus by the two equal long loops of sperm duct and the narrower C (Fig. 33b). Distinguished from both by the distally structured E exhibiting a very small barbed hook (Fig. 33b). Females similar to P. himalayanus in general shape of median septum (MS) and vulva (see diagnosis P. himalayanus). Distinguished from himalayanus by the shorter copulatory ducts and the more prominent spermathecal heads (SH) (Figs 34b,d–e).
Description. Male:
Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 8.9, carapace width 6.8, anterior width of carapace 3.4, opisthosoma length 12.7, opisthosoma width 6.3. Eyes: AME 0.38, ALE 0.43, PME 0.44, PLE 0.43, AME–AME 0.28, AME–ALE 0.10, PME–PME 0.33, PME–PLE 0.38, AME–PME 0.67, ALE–PLE 0.46, clypeus height at AME 0.96, clypeus height at ALE 0.97.
Cheliceral furrow with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth.
Measurements of palp and legs. Leg formula: 1243. Palp: 11.9 [4.5, 2.2, 2.1, 3.1]; Legs: I 76.4 [20.1, 4.5, 21.4, 24.0, 9.8], II 61.6 [16.9, 4.1, 17.2, 16.2, 7.2], III 40.4 [11.3, 3.2, 9.7, 11.1, 5.1], IV 61.2 [17.3, 3.7, 15.2, 17.2, 7.8]. Spination. Palp: 141, 010, 0000; legs: femur I 566, II 556, III–IV 555; patella I–IV 000; tibia I–II 3038, III 2034, IV 3036; metatarsus I–IV 3035.
Palpal femur without modification, broadest medially (Fig. 33d).
Copulatory organ (see also diagnosis and general description for himalayanus -group). Sperm duct prolaterally at central position of tegulum with very small curve (Fig. 33a,b). Palpal tibia (in lateral view) medium sized (Figs 33a–c). Cymbium dorsally with very dense scopula, covering almost ½ of the former.
Female: Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 7.7–11.7, carapace width 5.2–8.5, anterior width of carapace 3.5–5.1, opisthosoma length 10.0–17.0, opisthosoma width 4.1–11.2. Eyes: AME 0.35–0.48, ALE 0.42–0.51, PME 0.45–0.53, PLE 0.45–0.53, AME–AME 0.22–0.33, AME–ALE 0.07–0.11, PME–PME 0.28–0.46, PME–PLE 0.45–0.53, AME–PME 0.67–0.89, ALE–PLE 0.50–0.64, clypeus height at AME 0.74–1.82, clypeus height at ALE 0.89–1.79.
Cheliceral furrow with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth.
Measurements of palp and legs. Leg formula: 1243. Palp: 9.7–14.2 [3.3–5.0, 1.5–2.2, 1.9–2.6, 3.0–4.5]; Legs: I 45.9–65.6 [12.6–18.2, 3.4–5.1, 12.8–18.2, 12.2–17.4, 4.9–7.6], II 36.9–53.0 [10.5–15.0, 3.1–4.6, 10.1–14.6, 8.9–13.3, 4.3–6.0], III 26.0–37.9 [8.0–11.7, 2.3–3.5, 6.3–9.3, 6.2–9.1, 3.2–4.3], IV 36.9–51.9 [10.7–14.8, 2.7–4.1, 9.3–13.2, 9.6–13.6, 4.6–6.2].
Palpal claw with 12–15 teeth.
Spination. Palp: 131, 110, 1101, 1014; legs: femur I 566, II 566 (556), III 555 (556), IV 555 (554,556,564); patella I–IV 000; tibia I–II 3038, III 3036 (3034), IV 3036 (3034); metatarsus I–IV 3035.
Copulatory organ (see also diagnosis and general description of himalayanus -group). Epigyne with bulges in the regions of the CO (Figs 34a,f,i, 88i). Slit sense organs and epigynal muscle sigilla outside epigynal field (EF). Anterior to epigyne numerous slightly curved wrinkles.
Primordial copulatory organ. Pre-epigyne: Similar to the one of P. himalayanus. Distinguished by the longer distance between distal endings of anterior margins of pre-LL (Fig. 34g). Pre-EF more distinctly developed.
Pre-vulva: Similar to P. himalayanus. Distinguished by the shorter pre-copulatory ducts and the slightly protruding pre-SH (Fig. 34h) (in P. himalayanus these are very flat).
Colouration of male and female (see also description for himalayanus -group and Psechrus). Median bands on carapace, if present as such, slightly serrated. However, carapace mostly completely dark brown overflown. Lateral bands, if present as such, narrow (almost diameter of PME) and slightly serrated. Light longitudinal line ventrally on opisthosoma subdistally either broken or strongly constricted (Fig. 81h) with most distal section (or patch) often broader than main section. This ventral median line quiet broad. If measured centrally on opisthosoma, its width is ca. 0.9–1.2 times the width of one half of the cribellum.
Variation of copulatory organs. Females: Posterior part of MS may be slightly broader (Fig. 34i) or protruding slightly more (Fig. 34f) than generally (Fig. 34a). Vulvae with insignificant differences (Figs 34b,d,e).
Remarks: Levi (1982) matched the females from Southern Dhawalagiri Province and Eastern Gandaki Prov. with the male holotype of P. marsyandi. The latter locality is just 35 km away from type locality. I also strongly assume that these females are conspecific with the male holotype. Not only because of geographical reasons, but also due to the shorter copulatory duct, which corresponds to the shorter —in comparison to the males of the closely related P. himalayanus — embolus in the male holotype.
Distribution. Nepal (Fig. 95).
description: Published as part of Bayer, Steffen, 2012, The lace-sheet-weavers — a long story (Araneae: Psechridae: Psechrus), pp. 1-170 in Zootaxa 3379 (1) on pages 68-72, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3379.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6039832