Clubiona kuu, Jäger, Peter & Dankittipakul, Pakawin, 2010

Jäger, Peter & Dankittipakul, Pakawin, 2010, Clubionidae from Laos and Thailand (Arachnida: Araneae), Zootaxa 2730, pp. 23-43 : 35-37

Clubiona kuu spec. nov.

Figs 46-50, 57-60, 71-72

Type material: Holotype: male, LAOS: Luang Prabang Province: SE Luang Prabang, Nam Khan, Ban Keng Koung , 372 m altitude, N 19°40.963', E 102°18.442', along stream, disturbed forest, cultivated land, at tree bark, by hand, at night, 8 March 2006, P. Jäger & J. Altmann leg. ( SMF, L15) .

Paratype: 1 male, LAOS: Luang Prabang Province: Nam Ou, Nong Khiao, Tham Pathok , 373 m altitude, N 20°33.082', E 102° 37.925', in front of cave, bananas, trees, bushes, at night, by hand, 29 February 2008, P. Jäger leg. ( SMF, L7) .

Additional material examined for comparison. 1 male, 1 female paratype of Clubiona damirkovaci Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 : MALAYSIA: Malay peninsula, Gombak Research Station N of Kuala Lumpur , from bamboo internodes, 1 July 1991, Damir Kovac leg. ( SMF 60487 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Lao word “kuu”, meaning "to threaten", referring to the threatened habitats by the human overpopulation; term in apposition.

Diagnosis. Small sized Clubioninae with body length of males 4.3 mm (Figs 57-58), belonging to the hystrix species-group. Closely related to Clubiona damirkovaci Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 and C. maipai spec. nov. Males can be distinguished by 1) smaller size, 2) the wide and short base of RTA in retrolateral view (Fig. 47; narrow and long in C. damirkovaci , narrow and short in C. maipai spec. nov.), 3) the prominent tegular hump (Fig. 46; indistinct in C. damirkovaci , distinct, but smaller in C. maipai spec. nov.), 4) number and arrangement of cheliceral teeth, namely 5 anterior and 3 posterior teeth with the distal two anterior and the distal posterior separated (Fig. 51; 5 anterior and 4 posterior teeth in a continuous, straight row in C. damirkovaci , 6 (5-7) anterior and 4 (3-5) posterior teeth in a continuous, straight row in C. maipai spec. nov.).

Note. The male of C. transversa Zhang and Yin, 1998 resembles that of C. kuu spec. nov. Shape of tegulum, embolus and distal tegular bulge including the course of the sperm duct show striking similarities with males of the hystrix species-group. However, the RTA lacks in the original description the fine distal part as shown for C. maipai spec. nov. and C. kuu spec. nov. This tiny tip can either have been overlooked, have been confused with a hair or bristle, or simply have been broken off. Apparently the female holotype of that species might be not conspecific with the male paratype, as it shows a completely different bauplan than females of other species of the hystrix species-group (see note under C. melanothele ).

Description. Male (holotype). PL 2.0, PW 1.5, AW 0.9, OL 2.3, OW 1.4. Eye diametres (Figs 49-50): AME 0.13, ALE 0.14, PME 0.12, PLE 0.13. Eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.02, PME-PME 0.22, PME-PLE 0.11, AME-PME 0.10, ALE-PLE 0.04, clypeus AME 0.04, clypeus ALE 0.03. Leg and pedipalp measurements: pedipalp 1.77 (0.63, 0.28, 0.26, -, 0.60); leg I 4.25 (1.2, 0.7, 1.1, 0.8, 0.45); leg II 4.6 (1.3, 0.75, 1.25, 0.85, 0.45); leg III 4.0 (1.1, 0.6, 0.85, 0.95, 0.5); leg IV 5.55 (1.5, 0.7, 1.35, 1.4, 0.6). Leg formula. 4213. Spination: Pedipalp femur: 130, patella 010, tibia 21(thin)01, tarsus 1002; Femur I p001, d111, r01(0)0, II p001, d111, III p001, d111, r001, IV p001, d111, r001; Patella IV r010; Tibia I-II v220, III p100, r100, v010, IV p110, r110, v110; Metatarsus II v100, III p111, r101, v203, IV p111, r101, v123.

Clypeus with sclerotised margin, chelicerae with distinct frontal bulge (Fig. 59), cheliceral furrow with 5 anterior and 3 smaller posterior teeth (Fig. 51). Tarsi and metatarsi with sparse scopulae, tibiae I-II with two bands of sparse scopulae ventrally. Tarsi I-II with reduced claw tufts. Spinnerets and anal tubercle elongated.

Palp as in diagnosis. Tibia diverging distally only slightly in retrolateral view. Cymbium distinctly longer than tibia, with less sclerotised ridge retrolatero-distally than in C. maipai spec. nov. (probably functional conductor). Small part of subtegulum visible prolatero-proximally. Distal RTA thin and spine-like. Embolus arising prolatero-distally from tegulum, its basal part wide, narrowing to filiform tip. Sperm duct running an elongated loop, extending proximally not as far as that from C. maipai spec. nov. (Figs 46-48).

Colour in ethanol (Figs 57 -59). Yellowish brown without colour pattern. Dorsal prosoma darker brown anteriorly, fovea distinct. Chelicerae, gnathocoxae and labium darker brown. Sternum marginally darker, with indistinct radial pattern. Appendages and opisthosoma pale yellowish brown. Dorsal opisthosoma with light brown patch above heart (resembling a scutum); ventral opisthosoma with light brown patch in front of epigastric furrow. Spinnerets slightly darker than opisthosoma.

Female: unknown.

Distribution. Known from Luang Prabang Province, Laos (Fig. 71: 4, 5).