Liphistius tung Schwendinger, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Schwendinger, Peter J.
name: Huber, Siegfried
name: Lehmann-Graber, Christina
name: Ono, Hirotsugu
name: Aung, Mu Mu
name: Hongpadharakiree, Komsan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Liphistiidae
Liphistius
Liphistius tung

description: Liphistius tung Schwendinger, sp. nov.
Figs 1, 2A, 8-9
Holotype: MHNG-ARTO-0028284 (sample THMY-10/08); male (matured 23.I.2014); Myanmar, Shan State, near Kong Paek Village (21°19’55”N, 99°30’37”E), NW of Kyaing Tong (= Kengtung, Keng Tong, Chieng Tung, Chiang Tung), 1300 m; 7.-8.I.2011; leg. P.J. Schwendinger.
Paratypes: MHNG-ARTO-0028285 (sample THMY-10/08); 1 male (matured 10.I.2013); collected together
with the holotype. – MHNG-ARTO-0028286 to ARTO-28290, BRCM (sample THMY-10/08); 6 females (allotype, MHNG-ARTO-0028286); collected together with the holotype.
Other material: MHNG (sample THMY-10/08); 1 penultimate male collected together with the types.
Etymology: The species epithet is a name in apposition taken from “Tungkalasi”, a mythical hermit who is said to have founded the city of Kengtung, the capital of a former Shan principality.
Diagnosis: Medium-sized species with no annulations on legs and palps in either sex. Similar to L. lahu, males distinguished by para-embolic plate much longer (Fig. 8 H-I, cf. Fig. 4D); slightly bent proximal edge of tegulum more strongly salient (Fig. 8 H-I cf. Fig. 4D); paracymbium without retrolateral-proximal heel, rectangular in ventral view (Fig. 8 A-B cf. Fig. 4 H-J). Females distinguished from those of L. lahu by lacking dark rings (annulations) on legs and palps and by vulval plates having a relatively longer posterior stalk, a larger CDO, a relatively shorter receptacular cluster, and anterior lobes closer to each other (Fig. 9 cf. Fig. 5).
Description of male (holotype): Colour in alcohol (see Fig. 2A): Mostly uniformly brown; ventral side of body slightly lighter than dorsal side; palpal coxae creamcoloured; proximal part of chelicerae and membranous cuticle of opisthosoma equally cream-coloured; opisthosomal tergites III-VI with indistinct light marks in centre of each lateral half; legs and palps without annulations; palpal tarsus and sclerites of palpal organ dark brown; eye mound very dark.
Setae on carapace: In posterior half distinctly more short, blunt-tipped setae than in anterior half; 4+5 setae in two parallel rows anterior to fovea.
Cheliceral teeth: 11 and 12 small teeth of different sizes on promargin of left and right cheliceral groove, respectively.
Scopula: Distally divided by a short glabrous longitudinal stripe and proximally with a median row of stiff bristles on all tarsi; quite thin and not clearly outlined in distal 2/3 of ventral side of leg tarsus I; equally developed and covering distal 3/4 of tarsus II; dense and clearly outlined, covering 4/5 of tarsi III-IV.
Tarsal claws: Paired claws with 4-5 teeth on tarsi I-II, 4-6 teeth on tarsus III, 5 teeth on tarsus IV; unpaired claw of tarsi I-II with 3-4 denticles, of tarsus III with 3 denticles, of tarsus IV with 1 denticle.
Palp: Tibial apophysis basally quite narrow in ventral view, distinctly set back from distal margin of tibia (Fig. 8B), carrying 4 long and tapering apical megaspines, the ventral two weaker and longer than the two dorsal ones (Fig. 8B). Distal margin of tarsus widely but shallowly invaginated (Fig. 8J). Paracymbium relatively short and moderately deep, quadrangular, longer than wide in ventral view, its distal side domed (not conical), without a retrolateral-proximal heel (Fig. 8 A-B); slightly elevated cumulus carrying a densely packed group of 5 long strong bristles (Fig. 8 A-B). Subtegulum without apophysis (Fig. 8A, G). Tegulum wide, with long and slightly bent, moderately serrate proximal edge strongly protruding from surface of palpal organ (Fig. 8A, C, I-J); distal margin not elevated (Fig. 8G). Tegulum and contrategulum connected by a well-developed pigmented bridge on retrodorsal side of palpal organ (Fig. 8G). Contrategulum with short, blunt conical proventral process (Fig. 8C); no wrinkles on dorsal surface, a distinctly developed proximal ledge on retrodorsal side (Fig. 8C, G, J); distal edge of contrategulum widely arched and carrying pronounced ridges, its dorsal apex narrowly rounded (Fig. 8C), appearing pointed when slightly inclined prodorsad (Fig. 8E, showing male paratype). Para-embolic plate long, tounge-shaped, inclinded prodorsad, with rounded distal margin, its prodorsal margin weakly dentate (Fig. 8A, I). Retroventral edge of embolus complex distinctly elevated into a short, widely arched keel (Fig. 8I). Sclerotised part of embolus proper strengthened by 4 longitudinal ribs reaching apex and carrying denticles distally (Fig. 8A, C, G, I); membranous part of embolus proper distinctly shorter than sclerotised part, both narrowly divided; at base of membranous embolus part a short and weakly pigmented area with numerous longitudinal wrinkles, its distal margin horizontal and fairly straight (Fig. 8J); embolic folds short and indistinct.
Measurements: Total length 16.35; CL 6.30, CW 5.70; opisthosoma 7.18 long, 5.26 wide; eye mound 0.90 long, 1.21 wide; palpal coxa 2.23 long, 1.36 wide; labium 0.64 long, 1.32 wide; sternum 2.87 long, 2.15 wide (1.16 on ventral surface); palp 11.72 long (3.43 + 2.07 + 3.99 + 2.23); leg I 19.06 long (5.42 + 2.63 + 4.23 + 4.47 + 2.31); leg II 20.41 long (5.54 + 2.71 + 4.43 + 5.18 + 2.55); leg III 23.64 long (6.06 + 2.71 + 4.78 + 6.86 + 3.23); leg IV 29.31 long (6.90 + 2.79 + 5.90 + 9.33 + 4.39).
Description of female (allotype): Colour in alcohol (darker in life): Mostly dark brown. Eye mound and anterior margin of carapace black. Chelicerae dark brown distally, light brown proximally. Carapace with dark pattern including torch-shaped marking between eye mound and fovea. No dark annulations on legs and palps. Membranous cuticle of opisthosoma light greyish brown; tergites dark greyish brown. Ventral sclerites lighter than dorsal ones.
Setae on carapace: Several (more than in males) short, blunt setae on posterior and lateral margins and on coxal elevations of carapace; 10+14 setae in two parallel rows anterior to fovea.
Cheliceral teeth: 13 strong teeth on promargin of right cheliceral groove, 15 on left groove.
Claws: Palpal claws with 2 and 4 worn denticles. Paired tarsal claws of leg I with 3 teeth, of legs II-IV with 3-4 teeth; unpaired claws of legs I-II with 3 denticles, of leg III with 2-4 denticles, of leg IV with 1-2 denticles. All tarsi without scopula.
Vulva (Fig. 9 A-B): Uterus externus with a distinct pair of lateral pockets on dorsal side (as illustrated for L. ferox sp. nov., Figs 11 I-J, N, P, 12D, F). Vulval plate wider than long; its lateral folds well developed, carrying several hairs. Anterior margin of poreplate with a pair of strongly arched lobes, these close to each other and separated by a narrow and deep invagination; posterior margins of poreplate distinctly bulged; CDO slightly larger than in females of other species in same group, situated in centre of poreplate; receptacular cluster racemose, relatively small, slightly longer than wide, not reaching anterior margin of poreplate. Posterior stalk large, widely oval, narrower than poreplate.
Measurements: Total length 19.48; CL 7.85, CW 7.06; opisthosoma 8.65 long, 7.16 wide; eye mound 1.15 long, 1.31 wide; palpal coxa 2.73 long, 1.59 wide; labium 0.89 long, 1.99 wide; sternum 3.93 long, 2.04 wide (1.79 on ventral surface); palp 13.96 long (4.57 + 2.58 + 3.28 + 3.53); leg I 16.75 long (5.17 + 2.98 + 3.43 + 3.38 + 1.79); leg II 17.35 long (5.17 + 3.08 + 3.53 + 3.58 + 1.99); leg III 18.94 long (5.37 + 3.13 + 3.73 + 4.37 + 2.34); leg IV 26.05 long (7.06 + 3.38 + 5.22 + 7.06 + 3.33).
Variation: For carapace measurements and prefoveal setae counts see Table 1. In one female the left AME is missing, in another one it is indistinctly developed. In both males examined extent and density of the scopulae are the same. Variation in details of the male palp is illustrated in Fig. 8. The holotype has one of the proventral-distal bristles on the left palpal tarsus distinctly stronger than the other bristles (Fig. 8A). In contrast to the holotype, the male paratype has a smooth prodorsal margin of the para-embolic plate (Fig. 8H; dentate in the holotype, Fig. 8A, I). The number of longitudinal ribs reaching the apex of the sclerotised embolus part ranges from four to five. The pigmented area at the base of the membranous part of the embolus has a horizontal and fairly straight distal margin in the holotype, whereas in the male paratype it is widely and asymmetrically angular. Small females have distinctly annulated legs and palps, whereas in large females the annulations are indistinct to absent, obviously having faded as the spiders became older and larger. Variation in the shape of the vulval plates is shown in Fig. 9. The vulval plates of small (immature?) females have less pronounced anterior lobes, less bulging posterior poreplate margins, a relatively larger CDO, a relatively larger receptacular cluster with a partly unsclerotised base, and an anteriorly narrower posterior stalk than large females (Fig. 9 E-H cf. Fig. 9 A-D).
Relationships: Among males of the birmanicus - group a large para-embolic plate (common in species of the trang -group) is only found in L. tung sp. nov. and L. ferox sp. nov. (Fig. 8 H-I and Fig. 10 A-D). This appears to be a synapomorphy, but considering the wide geographical separation of both species (Fig. 1) it may actually be a homoplasy.
Distribution: The new species is only known from its type locality in the south-eastern part of the Shan State (Fig. 1).
Biology: The spiders examined were collected from the banks of a small stream running through fallow fields on a steep mountain side. All burrows were simple and unbranched, with a single trapdoor up to 2.0 cm long and 3.3 cm wide, and with up to eight signal lines, the longest measuring 8 cm. In captivity the two males became adult in burrows with 2.4-2.9 cm long and 1.8- 2.0 wide trapdoors. Three egg cases, 2.2-3.0 cm long, 2.3-3.3 cm wide, 1.7-2.3 cm high, were found at the type locality in early January. They contained 56, 97 and 110 light yellow eggs suspended in a fine mesh of silken threads. The males matured in early January, after two and three years in captivity. Since at that period of the year egg cases were found in the wild, the mating dates of the males in captivity were obviously later than in nature.
description: Published as part of Schwendinger, Peter J., Huber, Siegfried, Lehmann-Graber, Christina, Ono, Hirotsugu, Aung, Mu Mu & Hongpadharakiree, Komsan, 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Liphistius birmanicus-group (Araneae: Liphistiidae) with the description of five new species, pp. 375-424 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 129 (2) on pages 389-392, DOI: 10.35929/RSZ.0083, http://zenodo.org/record/7761487