Heptathela yanbaruensis 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 yanbaruensis Haupt, 1983 Fig. 14

Heptathela kimurai yanbaruensis Haupt, 1983: 284 (holotype: male, from Yona, Okinawa, Japan, collected by J. Haupt on 15 April 1977, deposited in ZMH, where the type may be lost ( Dunlop et al. 2014); Haupt 1984: 166; Haupt 2003: 69. Heptathela yanbaruensis : Ono 2009: 80; Ono and Ogata 2018: 28, 480.

Diagnosis.

Males of H. yanbaruensis can be distinguished from those of H. helios by the contrategulum that is distinctly curved in the middle ( Fig. 14I, J ), and from those of H. unten sp. nov. and H. crypta sp. nov. by the conductor that is longer than its width ( Fig. 14I, J ). Females of H. yanbaruensis can be distinguished from those of H. shuri sp. nov. by the wide and straight posterior margin of the genital atrium ( Fig. 14A, C ). Heptathela yanbaruensis can also be diagnosed from all other Heptathela species of the Okinawa group by the following unique nucleotide substitutions in the standard DNA barcode alignment: G (53), T (327), A (356), A (443).

Description.

Males (N = 3). Carapace yellow brown; opisthosoma light brown, with dark-spotted tergites close to each other; cheliceral groove with 10-12 denticles; seven spinnerets. Measurements: BL 8.53-9.22, CL 4.21-4.57, CW 3.71-3.75, OL 4.20-4.48, OW 2.30-2.80; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; leg I 14.28 (4.15 + 1.70 + 3.05 + 3.56 + 1.82), leg II 15.15 (3.97 + 1.70 + 3.07 + 4.13 + 2.28), leg III 15.24 (4.00 + 1.68 + 3.08 + 4.10 + 2.38), leg IV 19.78 (4.75 + 1.37 + 3.91 + 6.45 + 3.30).

Palp. Prolateral side of paracymbium unpigmented and unsclerotised, numerous setae and spines at the tip of paracymbium ( Fig. 14 E–G ). Contrategulum margin obviously curved in the middle, the contrategulum margin proximally serrated and distally smooth ( Fig. 14 H–J ). Tegulum wide with a dentate dorsal extension of terminal apophysis ( Fig. 14J, K ), blunt terminal and marginal apophysis ( Fig. 14J, K ). Conductor oval, with weakly serrated margin, and a fold in prolateral view ( Fig. 14 H–J ). Embolus sclerotised, with a wide opening, the distal margin slightly sclerotised, and with a wide saddle-shaped margin in the retrolateral view ( Fig. 14 I–K ).

Females (N = 15). Carapace and opisthosoma colour as in male; cheliceral groove with 11-14 pronounced denticles; tergites similar to male; seven spinnerets. Measurements: BL 7.78-10.33, CL 3.90-5.10, CW 3.40-4.23, OL 3.90-6.00, OW 2.80-4.70; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; palp 8.70 (2.96 + 1.51 + 2.11 + 2.12), leg I 10.20 (3.12 + 1.75 + 1.93 + 2.12 + 1.28), leg II 9.97 (3.05 + 1.72 + 1.77 + 2.13 + 1.30), leg III 10.05 (2.91 + 1.78 + 1.48 + 2.47 + 1.41), leg IV 14.77 (4.08 + 2.10 + 2.51 + 3.97 + 2.11).

Female genitalia. A pair of depressions on the ventro-lateral part of the genital atrium ( Fig. 14C, D ). The posterior margin of genital atrium wide and straight ( Fig. 14 A–D ). Paired receptacular clusters along the anterior margin of bursa copulatrix, divided into two parts, the size of inner ones similar to that of laterals, with several granules, with short genital stalks ( Fig. 14 A–D ).

Material examined.

JAPAN · 3 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; Okinawa-ken, Kunigami-son, Yona, Tropical Biosphere Research Centre field station, University of the Ryukyu; 26.76N, 128.22E; alt. 20 m; 18 December 2012; D. Li, F.X. Liu and X. Xu leg.; XUX-2012-310 to 322B · 6 ♀♀; Okinawa-ken, Ogimi-son, Taiho Dam; 26.65N, 128.16E; alt. 80 m; 24 December 2012; D. Li, F.X. Liu and X. Xu leg.; XUX-2012-441 to 446.

Distribution.

The species is endemic to the Japanese island Okinawajima ( 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 14. Male and female genital anatomy of Heptathela yanbaruensis Haupt, 1983 A, C 2315 (short for XUX- 2012 - 315) B, D 2441 E-G 2322 B H-K 2311 A, B vulva dorsal view C, D vulva ventral view E palp prolateral view F palp ventral view G palp retrolateral view H-K palp distal view; 2311, 2315, 2322 B: Yona, Okinawajima; 2441: Taiho Dam, Okinawajima. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.