Pteroneta brevichela, Versteirt & Deeleman-Reinhold & Baert, 2008

Versteirt, V., Deeleman-Reinhold, C. & Baert, L., 2008, Description Of New Species Of The Genus Pteroneta (Arachnida: Araneae: Clubionidae) From Papua New Guinea, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (2), pp. 307-315 : 311-312

Pteroneta brevichela , new species

(Fig. 6)

Material examined. – Holotype male: Papua New Guinea, Madang [=Province], Baiteta forest 8 Jun.1993 ( T9 , coll. O. Missa). Female allotype: Papua New Guinea, Madang [= Province], Baiteta forest 8 Jul.1993 ( T9 , coll. O. Missa).

Paratypes: 1 female 21 Jun.1995 (AR17), 1 female 22 Jun.1995 (AR18), 1 female 30 Jun.1995 (AR22), 1 female 30 Jun.1995 (AR25-14), 2 females 13 Jul.1995 (AR29), 2 males 17 Apr.1996 (AR43), 1 female 9 May 1996 (AR50), 1 female 7 Jun.1996 (AR56), 1 female 18 Jun.1996 (AR58), 1 female 25 Jul.1996 (AR70), 1 male and 2 females 30 Mar.1993 (M2), 1 male and 1 female 22 Apr.1993 (M4), 1 male 14 Jun1994 (M10), 1 female 6 Apr.1994 ( XI). All from Papua New Guinea, Madang [=Province], Baiteta forest ( Table 1) .

Fig. 5. Pteroneta longichela ; A, ventral view of left male pedipalp; B, dorsolateral view of left male pedipalp, C: ventral view (epigyne). Abbrevations used: emb, embolus; spd, spermduct; ste, subtegulum; tap, tibial apohysis; ent, entrance opening; fed, fertilization duct; ind, insemination duct; lsp, lower spermathecae; usp, upper spermathecae.

Diagnosis. – Males of this species are distinguished by the shorter, thick chelicerae, by the number (only one) and position of spines on the chelicerae, with bulge in mesal part of the fangs. Females of this species are characterized by the very long insemination ducts, entering caudolaterally and by the smaller upper dark spermathecae and larger more transparent lower spermathecae.

Description. – Male: total body length: 3.0 mm; carapace length: 1.45 mm, width: 1.1 mm; abdomen length: 1.53 mm and width: 1.0 mm. Eyes: PME: 0.26 mm and PL: 0.56 mm apart, head width: 0.74 mm. Abdomen and legs are coloured pale yellow, carapace and chelicerae on the other hand are brownish yellow. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal teeth and 1 retrolateral tooth; only one short blunt spine on dorsal side, bunch of hairs on chelicerae mesally situated (till PMT 2). Legs: Spination: femora I-II 2*d 1p, III 2*d, IV 1d (left); tibiae I 2*v, II-III spineless, IV 1d; metatarsi I-II spineless, III 102d 2*v + circle of 11 (barbed) spines, IV 202d 1p 102v + retrolateral bunch of 11 small spines + 1 ventrally situated. Measurements: Fe I: 0.86 mm, Pa+Ti I: 1.2 mm, Mt I: 0.53 mm, Ta I: 0.36 mm; Fe II: 1.08 mm, Pa+Ti II: 1.54 mm, Mt II: 0.56 mm, Ta II: 0.55 mm; Fe III: 0.59 mm, Pa+Ti III: 0.81 mm, Mt III: 0.58 mm, Ta III: 0.26 mm; Fe IV: 0.95 mm, Pa+Ti IV: 1.18 mm, Mt IV: 0.94 mm, Ta IV: 0.3 mm.

Male pedipalp (see Fig. 6 A–B): Tibial apophysis similar to P. longichela with exception of the tip, which is much sharper; tibia without any spines. Sperm duct originating from larger structure, going distally, making a curve of 180° and ending in a sharp beak like embolus. Tegulum longer than wide with additional small, sharp ridged appendage (retrolateral flange), distally, near embolus basis. Cymbium with 2 apical spines on ventral side.

Female: total body length: 3.5 mm; carapace length: 1.4 mm, width: 1.03 mm; abdomen length: 1.98 mm and width: 1.15 mm. Eyes: PME: 0.2 mm apart, PL: 0.44 mm and head width: 0.6 mm. Sometimes very pale yellow spiders (abdomen and carapace), chelicerae and fangs are slightly darker. Chelicerae with 6 very small promarginal teeth and 6 dot like retromarginal teeth. Legs: Spination: femora I-IV 2*d; tibiae I-III spineless, IV 1p 1r, metatarsi I 200v, II (10- 01-0)v, III 102d 1v + circle of 10 (barbed) spines, IV 202d 102v + retrolateral bunch of 9 small spines. Measurements: Fe I: 0.64 mm, Pa+Ti I: 0.98 mm, Mt I: 0.39 mm, Ta I: 0.3 mm; Fe II: 0.94 mm, Pa+Ti II: 1.23 mm, Mt II: 0.36 mm, Ta II: 0.55 mm; Fe III: 0.56 mm, Pa+Ti III: 0.61 mm, Mt III: 0.46 mm, Ta III: 0.23 mm; Fe IV: 0.7 mm, Pa+Ti IV: 1.15 mm, Mt IV: 0.76 mm, Ta IV: 0.33 mm.

Epigyne (see Fig. 6 C): circular and smaller upper spermathecae and two larger and circular lower spermathecae. Long insemination ducts originating from caudo-laterally situated entrance openings; making a loop of 180° ending in the proximal part of the lower spermathecae. Short and wide fertilization duct originating from upper spermathecae.

Etymology. – After the shorter male chelicerae, by which it differs from the previous species.

Remarks. – Pteroneta longichela and P. brevichela are very alike in habitus (as do most Pteroneta species) but differs in a number of somatic characteristics. The most important ones in male individuals are the length of the chelicerae (and number of spines) and the number of promarginal retromarginal teeth. The pedipalps of both species are slightly different, whilst the epigynes can easily be distinguished (see Figs. 5–6). Preliminary cladistic analyses show that they are closely related but differ enough to be placed in different branches.