Psechrus ancoralis Bayer & Jager 2010
Creators: name: Bayer, Steffen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Psechridae
Psechrus
Psechrus ancoralis

description: Psechrus ancoralis Bayer & Jäger, 2010
Figs 21a–g, 22a–d, 81a, 82m, 83a, 85a, 88a, 91a
Psechrus ancoralis Bayer and Jäger 2010: 65, figs 26–40, 44–53, 56, 61–62 (Description of ♂ and ♀, illustration of ♂ and ♀♀). [Holotype ♀ (SB 4) from LAOS: Luang Nam Tha Province: Nam Ha Protected Area |3|, N 21°08'17.6'', E 101°21'07.3'', 746 m, under bridge; P. Jäger leg. 06.III.2008; SMF; Paratypes: 2 ♀♀ (SB 3, 5), same data as for holotype; SMF; 2 ♀♀ (SB 23, 27) from Nam Ha Protected Area |2|, N 21°06'43.0'', E 101°20'36.1'', 693 m, under bridge; P. Jäger leg. 06.III.2008; MHNG; 1 ♂ (SB 26), same data as for SB 23; SMF; 1 ♂ (SB 24), same data as for SB 23; MHNG; 1 ♀ (SB 55) from Nam Ha Protected Area |6|, N 21°03'32.1'', E 101°24'03.0'', 589 m, under bridge; P. Jäger leg. 07.III.2008; RMNH, all type material examined].
Additional material examined (5 ♂♂, 28 ♀♀, 3 s.a. ♀♀, 3 juvs). LAOS: Luang Nam Tha Province: Nam Ha Protected Area |2|, N 21°06'43'', E 101°20'36.1'', 693 m, tubes under street; P. Jäger leg. 06. III.2008; 1 p. s.a. ♂ (SB 25), SMF. Nam Ha Protected Area |3|, N 21°08'17.6'', E 101°21'07.3'', 746 m, tubes under street; P. Jäger leg. 06. III.2008; 2 s.a. ♂♂ (SB 18–19), SMF. Nam Ha Protected Area |4|, N 21°08'48.9'', E 101°21'19.0'', 770 m, tubes under street; P. Jäger and S. Bayer leg. 19.XI.2009; 4 ♀♀ (SB 314–317), 1 s.a. ♂ (SB 313), SMF. Nam Ha Protected Area |5|, N 21°09'07.2'', E 101°19'47.9'', 848 m, tubes under street; P. Jäger and S. Bayer leg. 19.XI.2009; 1 ♂ (SB 296), 3 ♀♀ (SB 299, 335, 394), 1 s.a. ♂ (SB 319), 1 juv. (SB 297), SMF. Vieng Phou Kha, Ban Nam Eng, Kao Rao cave, N 20°43'30.5'', E 101°09'14.9'', 729 m, entrance of cave and aphotic zone; P. Jäger leg. 03. III.2008; 3 ♀♀ (SB SB 33–35), 1 juv. (SB 32), SMF. Vieng Phou Kha, Tham Pasat Thia, NW entrance, N 20°46'37.2'', 101°01'00.2'', 705 m, inside cave; P. Jäger leg. 04. III.2008; 2 ♀♀ (SB 46–47), SMF. Tham Pasat Thia |2|, N 20°46'45.2'', E 101°00'49.7'', in cave; H. Steiner leg. 09. II.2006; 1 ♀ (SB 70), RMNH; same data, 1 s.a. ♀ (SB 71), 1 juv. (SB 72), SMF. Oudomxai Province: Namor District, Tham Na Thong, N 20°52'20.6'', E 101°46'57.8''; |F47- 120-003|, ‘ Northern Lao – European Cave Project 2009/2010’; |085/10|; H. Steiner leg. 31.I.2010; 1 ♀ (SB 457), SMF. Luang Prabang Province: Phou Khoun, Tham Seua, N 19°26'55.7'', E 102°26'09.4'', in cave; H. Steiner leg. 04. II.2005; |119/05|, 1 ♀ (SB 75), 1 juv. (SB 89), SMF. Phou Khoun, way to Tham Seua, N 19°26'35.8'', E 102°26'19.1'', 1226 m, slopes at wayside (with escarpments); P. Jäger and S. Bayer leg. by night 13.XI.2009; 3 ♂♂ (SB 320–322), 6 ♀♀ (SB 324–326, 383–385), 2 s.a. ♀♀ (SB 386–387), SMF, 1 ♂ (SB 323), 1 ♀ (SB 327), DUY. Luang Prabang, Nong Khiao, Tham Pathok, N 20°33'05'', E 102°37'55'', 370 m, outside cave; P. Jäger leg. by night 29. II.2008; 1 ♀ (SB 88), same data but P. Jäger and S. Bayer leg. 16.XI.2009, 1 ♀ (SB 344), both SMF. Houaphan Province: Vieng Thong, Tham Mue, N 20°16'54.7'', E 103°22'18.4''; H. Steiner leg. 15.I.2009; |F48-135-010|, ‘ Northern Lao – European Cave Project 2009’, |50/09|; 1 ♀ (SB 13), SMF. THAILAND: Nan Province: Tha Wang Pha District, Nantaburi National Park, Doi Wao, 1500–1600 m, moist evergreen hill forest; P. Dankittipakul and P. Schwendinger leg. 07.XII.2005; 2 ♀♀ (SB 211–212), MHNG; same data, 1 ♀ (SB 217), SMF.
Revised diagnosis (see also diagnosis for ancoralis -group above). Males similar to P. antraeus Bayer & Jäger, 2010 in having embolus (E) about as long as width of tegulum (T). Distinguished by the broad conductor (C) (more than 1/3 width of T, Fig. 21b). Females with typical short median septum (MS) (at least twice as broad as long) (Fig. 21d). Vulva with spermatheca located anteriolaterally, copulatory ducts (CD) posteriomedially (Fig. 21e) and spermathecal heads (SH) upon anterior, distal part of CD.
Description. Male:
Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 4.5–7.3, carapace width 3.2–5.4, anterior width of carapace 1.8–2.8, opisthosoma length 5.7–8.6, opisthosoma width 2.9–3.6. Eyes: AME 0.27–0.37, ALE 0.31–0.41, PME 0.32–0.43, PLE 0.31–0.41, AME–AME 0.14–0.18, AME–ALE 0.05–0.08, PME–PME 0.19–0.25, PME–PLE 0.29–0.34, AME–PME 0.42–0.53, ALE–PLE 0.29–0.38, clypeus height at AME 0.50–0.96, clypeus height at ALE 0.48–0.86.
Cheliceral furrow with three promarginal and five retromarginal teeth.
Measurements of palp and legs. Leg formula: 1423. Palp: 6.0–9.2 [2.1–3.3, 1.0–1.7, 0.9–1.4, 2.0–2.8]; Legs: I 40.1–57.5 [9.7–15.4, 2.0–3.4, 11.0–16.1, 11.8–16.3, 5.6–6.3], II 30.7–46.1 [8.1–12.8, 1.9–3.0, 8.0–12.5, 8.6–12.7, 4.1–5.1], III 20.8–31.2 [5.8–9.0, 1.4–2.4, 5.0–7.7, 5.7–8.3, 2.9–3.8], IV 31.6–47.6 [8.3–13.4, 1.7–2.6, 8.0–12.3, 9.0–13.4, 4.6–5.9].
Spination (most common pattern, in parentheses the second most common one).
Palp: 131, 110 (prolateral one very small), 0000; legs: femur I 555 (656), II 555 (556) III 555 (556), IV 554; patella I–IV 000; tibia I–II 3038, III–IV 3034 (3036); metatarsus I–III 3035, IV 3036 (3035).
Palpal femur without modification, distally slightly broader than proximally (see fig. 30 in Bayer and Jäger 2010). MC-I and MT-I present as apical row (Fig. 82m).
Copulatory organ (see also diagnosis and general description for ancoralis -group). Flange of C folded retrolaterad to ventrad (Fig. 21c). Basal section of T broader than distal section (Fig. 21b). Palpal tibia in lateral view medium-sized (Fig. 21a,c).
Female: (Measurements of holotype first, those of other specimens as range in parentheses).
Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 7.7 (5.0–8.4), carapace width 5.6 (3.3–5.8), anterior width of carapace 3.2 (2.1–3.5), opisthosoma length 10.2 (6.6–10.4), opisthosoma width 5.2 (3.6–5.8). Eyes: AME 0.41 (0.31–0.40), ALE 0.45 (0.38–0.47), PME 0.53 (0.42–0.53), PLE 0.49 (0.39–0.49), AME–AME 0.19 (0.15–0.21), AME–ALE 0.03 (0.03–0.06), PME–PME 0.26 (0.18–0.33), PME–PLE 0.38 (0.28–0.45), AME–PME 0.56 (0.47–0.67), ALE–PLE 0.46 (0.32–0.58), clypeus height at AME 1.21 (0.72–1.41), clypeus height at ALE 1.04 (0.69–1.24).
Cheliceral furrow with three promarginal and five retromarginal teeth.
Measurements of palp and legs. Leg formula: 1423. Palp: 9.0 (6.1–9.8) [3.1 (2.0–3.3), 1.4 (0.9–1.5, 1.6 (1.1–1.8), 2.9 (2.1–3.2)]; Legs: I 40.0 (29.9–45.7) [11.0 (8.0–12.3), 3.1 (2.1–3.5), 11.2 (8.2–12.8), 10.0 (7.8–11.7), 4.7 (3.8–5.4)], II 32.5 (24.0–36.4) [9.5 (6.8–10.1), 2.7 (1.8–3.1), 8.5 (6.3–9.8), 7.9 (5.9–9.0), 3.9 (3.2–4.4)], III 23.7 (16.9–24.4) [7.0 (5.0–7.2), 2.2 (1.4–2.2), 5.8 (4.1–6.2), 5.8 (4.1–5.7), 2.9 (2.3–3.1)], IV 32.8 (24.2–38.1) [9.5 (6.9–10.4), 2.4 (1.7–2.7), 8.6 (6.0–10.2), 8.1 (6.1–9.9), 4.2 (3.5–4.9)].
Palpal claw with 16 (13–15) teeth.
Spination. Palp: 131 (131), 110 (110), 1101 (1101), 1014 (1014,1013); legs (—except for patella— variable, only most common states noted): femur I 556 (556,566), II 556 (556) III 556 (555,566), IV 555 (555,554,553); patella I–IV 000; tibia I 3038 (3038), II 3038 (3038), III 3034 (3034,3036), IV 3036 (3034,3036); metatarsus I–III 3035 (3035), IV 3034 (3034,3036).
Copulatory organ (see also diagnosis and general description of ancoralis -group). Epigyne with flat depressions in front of copulatory openings (CO) (Figs 21d, 88a). Slit sense organs and epigynal muscle sigilla outside epigynal field.
Primordial copulatory organ. Pre-epigyne: Pre-MS with transversal foldings medially in anterior half (Fig. 22a).
Pre-vulva: Pre-copulatory ducts, in contrast to CD of adult ♀, anterior to (pre-) receptacula (Fig. 22b).
Colouration of male and female (see also description for ancoralis -group and Psechrus). Median bands on carapace slightly serrated or serrated (Fig. 81a). Lateral bands narrow (ca. 1/2 diameter of PME) and slightly serrated. Light longitudinal line ventrally on opisthosoma continuous, its width medium-sized. If measured centrally on opisthosoma, its width is ca. 2/3 the width of one half of the cribellum.
Variation of copulatory organs. Males with only slight variation (not illustrated). In females the variation is high (see description and illustrations in Bayer and Jäger 2010). Length of MS and the distances between copulatory openings vary. In the vulva, the distance between spermatheca varies, copulatory ducts extend differently posteriorly.
Remarks: The specimens SB 211–212 and 217 (Figs 22c,d) from Nan Province, Thailand differ from specimens recorded in Laos. Their vulvae seem shifted, hence CD are located almost as far anterior as the spermatheca (Fig. 22c). Additionally, the SH are on average shorter than in the specimens from Laos (which means that there are also Laotian specimens with rather flat SH). The epigynes of the specimens SB 211–212 and 217 fit in with the variation range of P. ancoralis. Unfortunately no male was recorded from Nan Province. Because of those rather slight differences (in interspecific regard) and the lack of material, especially males, I do not consider those specimens as belonging to a different species.
Distribution. Laos, Thailand (Fig. 98).
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 47-50, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3379.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6039832