Clubiona campylacantha Dankittipakul

Dankittipakul, Pakawin & Singtripop, Tippawan, 2008, Five new species of the spider genus Clubiona Latreille (Araneae: Clubionidae) from Thailand, Zootaxa 1747, pp. 34-60 : 38-39

Clubiona campylacantha Dankittipakul sp. n.

( Figs 2–4 , 11–14 , 34–40 )

Type material: Holotype: ɗ, Phu Kradueng National Park [Phu Kradueng District, Loei Province, Northeastern Thailand], gallery evergreen forest, 1200 m, 15.–20.x.2006, P. Dankittipakul ( MHNG).

Paratypes: 1ɗ, 2Ψ, same data as holotype ( MHNG, TNHM).

Etymology. The specific epithet, campylacantha , means curved spine and is derived from Greek καμπυλος (= curved, bent) and ααν ϑα (= thorn, thistle); it refers to the unique characteristic of an apical appendage on the male palp that is a fusion between embolus and conductor.

Diagnosis. Clubiona campylacantha sp. n. stands close to C. deletrix O. P.-Cambridge, 1885, C. octoginta sp. n. and C. picturata but is consistently separable by its genitalia. Males of C. campylacantha sp. n. resemble those of C. picturata by the presence of triangular retrolateral tibial apophysis, and by the conspicuous apical appendage of the tegulum, which is presumably a fusion between the minute, conical embolus and the curved conductor ( Figs 11–12 , 35–37 ). They can be distinguished by the details of the apical appendage, which is sickle-shaped in that of C. picturata , but consistently slender and without a connecting bridge in this new species. Males of this new species are separable from those of C. octoginta sp. n. by a curved conductor medially connected to the embolus ( Fig. 35 ) but distally attached in the latter species ( Fig. 42 ). Females of this new species differ from those of C. picturata and C. deletrix by the vulva with spermathecal stalks well-developed, almost reaching anterior margin of the epigynal atrium ( Figs 4 , 39–40 ), by the peculiar spermathecal heads terminally with digitiform tubercles attached to spherical bases ( Figs 14 , 39–40 ). Clubiona campylacantha sp. n. and C. deletrix are distinct from C. picturata by the posterior membranous bursae being larger.

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 3.8; prosoma 1.8 long, 1.2 wide; opisthosoma 2.0 long, 1.0 wide.

Prosoma ( Fig. 34 ). Oval, pars cephalica slightly narrowed, in profile highest just behind longitudinal fovea, gradually slopping anteriorly; integument smooth. Dorsal shield of prosoma pale yellow, with a pair of short purplish bands running longitudinally from behind PLE, connected to longer, V-shaped bands almost reaching reddish fovea; ocular region brown. Chelicerae dark brown; dorsally marked with dark purple color pattern. Labium and endites yellowish brown. Sternum yellow.

Eyes. Eyes with black rings and surrounded by purplish markings. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.10, PME 0.10, PLE 0.10, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.03, PME–PME 0.18, PME–PLE 0.11; MOQ: 0.26 long, 0.25 anterior width, 0.38 posterior width.

Legs. Yellow; tibiae with dark proximal and distal annuli; metatarsi with dark annulus distally. Leg formula 4213.

Leg measurements:

I II III IV

Femora 1.10 1.31 1.08 1.48

Patellae + tibiae 1.72 1.82 1.31 1.79

Metatarsi 0.79 0.89 1.12 1.57

Tarsi 0.48 0.51 0.37 0.46

Total 4.09 4.53 3.88 5.30

Opisthosoma ( Fig. 34 ). Elongate-oval; dorsum with dark color pattern; venter pale, without marking. Spinnerets brown, distinctly darker on dorsal side.

Male palp ( Figs 11–12 , 35–37 ). Retrolateral tibial apophysis triangular, sharply pointed. Cymbium longer than wide, slightly excavated dorso-apically. Bulb oval, with anterio-proapically membranous part; sperm duct sinuate, forming a double loop. Embolus represented by triangular tubercle, broad at base, gradually tapering toward its apex, prolaterally fused with curved conductor at its half length.

Female (paratype): Total length 4.0; prosoma 1.8 long, 1.3 wide; opisthosoma 2.2 long, 1.2 wide. General characters as in males, from which the females differ by: slightly larger in size; ocular area distinctly dark brown; chelicerae brown; dorsum of opisthosoma with markings poorly defined.

Eyes. Eyes with black rings and surrounded by purplish markings. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.10, PME 0.10, PLE 0.10, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.20, PME–PLE 0.13; MOQ: 0.26 long, 0.26 anterior width, 0.40 posterior width.

Legs. Leg measurements:

I II III IV

Femora 1.25 1.28 1.20 1.50

Patellae + tibiae 1.55 1.65 1.30 2.00

Metatarsi 0.72 0.75 0.90 1.50

Tarsi 0.45 0.50 0.35 0.50

Total 3.95 4.18 3.75 5.50

Epigyne and vulva ( Figs 2–4 , 13–14 , 38–40 ). Epigynal atrium situated anteriorly, its anterior margin slightly rebordered. Genital orifices situated on posteriorlateral part of the atrium. Parallel spermathecal stalks elongated tabular, running longitudinally then moving obliquely to spermathecal bases; spermathecal heads distally enlarged, its terminal digitiform tubercles provided with numerous tubules. Membranous bursae rounded, situated posterior to the insemination ducts.

Natural history. The type specimens were collected by sweeping vegetations in gallery evergreen forest. The type locality is a vast plateau on top of sandstone mountain. The plateau of Phu Kradung is mainly composed of pine forest and grassland. Phu Kradung also has a variety of forest types including dry dipterocarp, mixed deciduous and gallery evergreen.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in northeastern Thailand ( Fig. 69 ).

Figures

FIGURE 69. Records of Clubiona species treated in the present study: * C. filicata; C. suthepica sp. n.; C. melanosticta; C. octoginta sp. n.; C. campylacantha sp. n.; Ο C. filifera sp. n.; C. abnormis sp. n.

FIGURES 2 – 4. Clubiona campylacantha sp. n. 2 structure of vulva, dorsal, showing duct system; 3 Vulva, dorsal, membranous insemination ducts (ID) connected to membranous bursae (BS); 4 Vulva, dorsal, three main parts of spermathecae (spermathecal bases, SB; heads, SH; stalks, SS) and posterior bursae.

FIGURES 11 – 19. Clubiona campylacantha sp. n., male holotype (11, 12) and female paratype (13, 14). 11 male palp, dorsal; 12 ditto, retrolateral; 13 epigyne, ventral; 14 dilated terminal apparatus of spermathecal heads. Clubiona octoginta sp. n., male holotype (15, 16) and female paratype (17 – 19). 15 male palp, dorsal; 16 ditto, retrolateral; 17 epigyne, ventral; 18 vulva, dorsal; 19 dilated terminal apparatus of spermathecal heads. Scale bars = 0.1 mm (11 – 13, 15 – 18).

FIGURES 34 – 40. Clubiona campylacantha sp. n., male holotype (34 – 37) and female paratype (38 – 40). 34 habitus, dorsal; 35 male palp, ventral; 36 ditto, prolateral; 37 ditto, retrolateral; 38 epigyne, ventral; 39 right part of epigyne in lactic acid, ventral; 40 right part of vulva, dorsal. Scale bars = 1.0 mm (34); 0.1 mm (35 - 40).

FIGURES 41 – 47. Clubiona octoginta sp. n., male holotype (41 – 44) and female paratype (45 – 47). 41 habitus, dorsal; 42 male palp, ventral; 43 ditto, prolateral; 44 ditto, retrolateral; 45 epigyne, ventral; 46 left part of epigyne in lactic acid, ventral; 47 right part of vulva, dorsal. Scale bars = 1.0 mm (41); 0.1 mm (42 – 47).