Leptothele Raven & Schwendinger 1995
Creators: name: Schwendinger, Peter J.
name: Lehmann-Graber, Christina
name: Hongpadharakiree, Komson
name: Syuhadah, Nurul
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Dipluridae
Leptothele

description: Leptothele Raven & Schwendinger, 1995
Leptothele Raven & Schwendinger, 1995: 636-637.
Type species: Leptothele bencha Raven & Schwendinger, 1995 by monotypy and by designation.
Species included: Leptothele bencha Raven & Schwendinger, 1995 and L. chang sp. nov.
Revised diagnosis: Distinguished from Phyxioschema by males lacking a prolateral band of elongated spinules and by possessing a much shorter ventral spur (Figs 3B, E, 5E, 6G cf. Raven, 1981: fig. 7; Schwendinger, 2009: figs 2D, 4C, 5C, 9C, 12C, 15C) and a low transversal subdistal ventral ridge on tibia II (Figs 3 B-C, E-F, I-J, 5E, 6G-K), and by possessing a single, widely conical or mound-like ventral process instead of 2-3 longitudinal ridges on metatarsus II (Figs 3 B-C, E-F, I-J, 5E, 6G-I cf. Raven, 1981a: fig. 7; Schwendinger, 2009: figs 2D, 6J, 10J, 13J, 16K, 19L). Females with
Key to the genera of Euagridae in Asia:
1A Males with a band of elongated spinules on prolateral side of tibia II (Raven, 1981a: fig. 7), with a distinct, quite long spur (carrying megaspines) on ventral side of tibia II, and with 2-3 longitudinal keels on ventral side of metatarsus II (proventral one reduced to a small cone in P. sayamense Schwendinger, 2009: fig. 13I-J); patella I with a row of short, sigmoid or (rarely) curved retroventral-distal spines (Schwendinger, 2009: figs 3L, 6F, 10F, 13F, 16F); femur II with a long proventral band of hooked spinules (almost or actually reaching distal margin of leg article; Schwendinger, 2009: figs 2B, 4E, 5E, 9E, 12E, 15E, 18E); palpal tarsus with strong distal bristles (not spines; Schwendinger, 2009: fig. 2C). Females with or without secondary receptacles, if present then situated posterior of median receptacles (Schwendinger, 2009: figs 3A-I, 7, 11, 14, 17, 20; Schwendinger & Zonstein, 2011: figs 4-5, 8). Both sexes usually with spines on tarsi of posterior legs (most males of P. suthepium Raven & Schwendinger, 1989 and some P. eripnastes Schwendinger, 2009 without). Central Asia and all over Thailand ..... ............................................................................................................................................................. Phyxioschema
1B Males without a band of elongated spinules on prolateral side of tibia II (Figs 5E, 12G), with a rather indistinct short spur (carrying megaspines) on ventral side of tibia II, and with 1-2 mound-like, conical or tooth-shaped processes on ventral side of metatarsus II (exception: a short retroventral keel in M. cameronensis sp. nov., Fig. 11 G-J); patella I with a row of long, not sigmoid bristles (Figs 6F, 8F, 11F, 13I) or with only a single curved spine retroventrally-distally (Fig. 15E); femur II with a short proventral band of hooked spinules (distant from distal margin of leg article; Figs 5F, 10B); palpal tarsus with distinct distal spines (Figs 3A, D, H, 6 B-E, 8A-E, 11A-D, 15A-C). Females without secondary receptacles (Figs 4, 7, 9, 11K, 16), if exceptionally present, then situated anterior of median receptacles (Fig. 7C). Both sexes without spines on tarsi of posterior legs. Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia ........................................................................................................................................... 2
2A Small body size (carapace length in males 1.52-2.73), distal article of PLS pseudosegmented (Fig. 5I), no metatarsal preening combs in both sexes. Males with at least two megaspines and with a transversal subdistal ridge on ventral side of tibia II (Figs 3 B-C, E-F, I-J, 5E, 6G-K); metatarsus II with a single conical or mound-like process on ventral side (Figs 3 B-C, E-F, I-J, 5E, 6G-I); tarsi I-II not ventrally bulged (Fig. 5H). Females with quite long spermathecal trunks; stalks of median receptacles not sclerotised (Figs 4, 7). Southern Thailand ................................ Leptothele
2B Very small body size (carapace length in males 1.11-1.44), distal article of PLS not pseudosegmented (Fig. 12 J-K), metatarsal preening combs present on legs II-IV in both sexes. Males with only one ventral megaspine and without a subdistal ridge on ventral side of tibia II (Figs 8 H-K, 10B, 11G-J, 12G, 13J-M, 15F-H); metatarsus II with two small conical processes, a proventral and a retroventral one (Figs 13 J-K, M, 15F-H), or with only a small conical retroventral process (Fig. 8 I-J), or with a small conical proventral and a keel-shaped retroventral processes (Fig. 11 G-J); tarsi I-II ventrally bulged (Fig. 10D). Females with rather short spermathecal trunks; stalks of median receptacles sclerotised (Figs 9, 11K, 14, 16). Peninsular Malaysia ........................................ Malayathele gen. nov.
Key to the species of Leptothele:
1A Small body size (carapace lengths in males 1.52-2.04). Males normally with two ventral megaspines (Fig. 3C, F; single asymmetrical exception, Fig. 3J) and always without wrinkles behind and in front of subdistal-ventral ridge on tibia II (Fig. 3C, F, J); ventral process on metatarsus II widely conical (Fig. 3B, E, I); bulbous part of palpal organ as long as wide or wider than long (Fig. 3A, D, H, G). Females with quite long and narrow spermathecal trunks; stalks of median receptacles mostly shorter than corresponding heads (Fig. 4 A-D), except for females from Ko Siray (Fig. 4 E-F) .................................................................................................................................. L. bencha
1B Larger body size (carapace lengths in males 2.30-2.73). Males with 2-3 ventral megaspines and with wrinkles behind and in front of subdistal ridge on tibia II (Fig. 6 H-K); ventral process on metatarsus II less distinct, developed as a low, wide mound (Fig. 6G); bulbous part of palpal organ longer than wide (Fig. 6 A-E). Females with relatively shorter and wider spermathecal trunks; stalks of median receptacles very long and thin, almost twice of corresponding head lengths (Fig. 7) ................................................................................. L. chang sp. nov. vulvae quite similar to those of Phyxioschema females, but stalks of receptacles not sclerotised and usually no secondary receptacles present [one exception – unsymmetrical and situated anterior of median receptacle – in L. chang sp. nov. (Fig. 7C); secondary receptacles in Phyxioschema, if present, posterior of or at same level as median receptacle, see Schwendinger, 2009: figs 3A-I, 11, 17 and Schwendinger & Zonstein, 2011: figs 4-5, 8]. Metatarsal preening combs absent (present in P. suthepium and P. erawan Schwendinger, 2009, but not in other Phyxioschema). Distinguished from Malayathele gen. nov. by distal article of PLS with a pseudosegmentation (Fig. 5I cf. Fig. 12 J-K) and by lacking metatarsal preening combs in both sexes; males with 2-3 (Figs 3C, F, 6 H-K; exceptionally more, Fig. 3J) megaspines (only one in Malayathele gen. nov., Figs 8 I-J, 11I-J, 13J, 15F) and a transversal subdistal ridge (Figs 3 B-C, E-F, I-J, 6G-K; absent in Malayathele gen. nov.) on ventral side of tibia II, and with a single, widely conical or mound-like median process on metatarsus II (Figs 3 B-C, E-F, I-J, 6G-I; 1-2 small conical processes or one conical process plus a short keel-shaped process in Malayathele gen. nov., Figs 8 H-K, 11G-J, 13J-M, 15F-H); tarsi I-II not ventrally bulged (Fig. 5H cf. Fig. 10D). Females distinguished from those of Malayathele gen. nov. by possessing median receptacular stalks with unsclerotised walls (Figs 4, 7 cf. Figs 9, 11K, 14, 16). Revised character: teeth on unpaired leg claws either all sessile (Fig. 1 F-G) or proximal teeth raised on indistinct common base (Fig. 1E, H).
Distribution: Southern Thailand (Fig. 2, localities 1-11).
description: Published as part of Schwendinger, Peter J., Lehmann-Graber, Christina, Hongpadharakiree, Komson & Syuhadah, Nurul, 2020, New euagrid spider species from Thailand and Malaysia, and new localities of Leptothele bencha (Arachnida: Araneae), pp. 423-453 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 127 (2) on pages 425-428, DOI: 10.35929/RSZ.0031, http://zenodo.org/record/5743952