Heptathela amamiensis Haupt, 1983

Xu, Xin, Ono, Hirotsugu, Kuntner, Matjaz, Liu, Fengxiang & Li, Daiqin, 2019, A taxonomic monograph of the liphistiid spider genus Heptathela, endemic to Japanese islands, ZooKeys 888, pp. 1-50 : 1

Heptathela amamiensis Haupt, 1983 Fig. 9

Heptathela kimurai amamiensis Haupt, 1983: 283 (holotype: female, from Naze, Amami-oshima, Japan, collected by J. Haupt on 26 March 1980, deposited in ZMH, holotype presumably lost ( Dunlop et al. 2014); Haupt 2003: 69. Heptathela amamiensis : Ono and Nishikawa 1989: 120; Ono 2009: 80; Ono and Ogata 2018: 27, 479.

Diagnosis.

Males of H. amamiensis differ from those of H. sumiyo sp. nov. by the wider saddle-shaped embolus in the prolateral view, and the narrower conductor base in the ventral view ( Fig. 9G, J–L ); from those of H. kanenoi and H. kojima sp. nov. by the spiniform conductor apex ( Fig. 9F, I, J ). Females of H. amamiensis resemble those of other Amami group Heptathela species but can be distinguished from those of H. kanenoi by the tuberculate outer receptacular clusters ( Fig. 9 B–E ). H. amamiensis can also be diagnosed from all other Amami group Heptathela species by the following unique nucleotide substitutions in the standard DNA barcode alignment: C (89), A (179), A (194), T (215), T (218), C (273), A (281), C (284), A (327), G (332), G (362), C (467), C (543), C (647).

Description.

Male. Carapace brown; opisthosoma light brown, with dark brown tergites; cheliceral groove with 13 denticles; 8 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 12.85, CL 6.50, CW 5.98, OL 6.65, OW 4.00; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; leg I 18.25 (5.00 + 2.45 + 3.80 + 4.60 + 2.40), leg II 18.75 (4.85 + 2.40 + 3.75 + 5.00 + 2.75), leg III 20.10 (4.90 + 2.60 + 3.60 + 5.90 + 3.10), leg IV 25.30 (6.00 + 2.60 + 5.10 + 7.70 + 3.90).

Palp. Prolateral side of paracymbium unpigmented and unsclerotised, numerous setae and spines at the tip of paracymbium ( Fig. 9 F–H ). Contrategulum with serrated margin ( Fig. 9F, G, I, J ). Tegulum wide, with dentate dorsal extension of terminal apophysis ( Fig. 9H, L ) and blunt terminal apophysis ( Fig. 9H, K, L ). Conductor sclerotised and rugose, with several folds and a spiniform apex ( Fig. 9 F–L ). Embolus sclerotised, with a wide and flat opening, the distal part slightly sclerotised, and saddle-shaped in the prolateral view ( Fig. 9 F–L ).

Females (N = 5). Carapace and opisthosoma colour as in male; cheliceral groove with 12-14 pronounced denticles; tergites similar to those of male; seven or eight spinnerets. Measurements: BL 11.08-16.90, CL 5.45-6.90, CW 4.70-6.20, OL 6.61-9.10, OW 4.70-7.38; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; palp 12.36 (4.12 + 2.11 + 2.75 + 3.38), leg I 14.12 (4.52 + 2.50 + 2.70 + 2.83 + 1.57), leg II 14.06 (4.25 + 2.37 + 2.61 + 3.15 + 1.68), leg III 15.13 (4.27 + 2.56 + 2.55 + 3.55 + 2.20), leg IV 21.86 (5.84 + 2.91 + 4.08 + 5.81 + 3.22).

Female genitalia. A pair of indistinct depressions on the ventro-lateral part of genital atrium ( Fig. 9C, D ). Paired receptacular clusters along the anterior margin of bursa copulatrix, divided into two parts, the inners ovate, the outers tuberculate, without genital stalks ( Fig. 9A-E ).

Material examined.

JAPAN · 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Kagoshima-ken, Amami-Oshima, Amami-shi, Nazehirata-cho, Michinoshima Loop Bridge; 28.36N, 129.50E; alt. 60 m; 15 September 2013; D. Li and B. Wu leg.; XUX-2013-276, 278, 281 to 285.

Distribution.

The species is known from the Japanese island Amamioshima ( Fig. 1C ).

Figures

Figure 1. General somatic morphology of Heptathela kimurai (Kishida, 1920) A dorsal view B ventral view and map showing the sampling localities of Heptathela specimens from Kyushu to central Ryukyus (C).

Figure 9. Male and female genital anatomy of Heptathela amamiensis Haupt, 1983 A, C 3278 (short for XUX- 2013 - 278) B, D, E 3285 F-L 3283 A, B vulva dorsal view C, D vulva ventral view E vulva distal view F right palp prolateral view G right palp ventral view H right palp retrolateral view I-L left palp distal view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.