Nescina kohi, Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016

Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, A survey of the spider family Nesticidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Asia and Madagascar, with the description of forty-three new species, ZooKeys 627, pp. 1-168 : 11

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Nesticidae

Nescina kohi sp. n. Figs 6, 7, 81

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (LKCNHM), paratypes 2♀ (LKCNHM) and 1♂1♀ (IZCAS), SINGAPORE: Central Catchment Nature Reserve, near Mandai Agrotechnology Park (1.41492°N, 103.79894°E, 46 m), 1.IX.2015, Y. Tong & S. Li leg.

Etymology.

The new species is named after Joseph K. H. Koh, a pioneer spider researcher in Singapore; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

Nescina kohi sp. n. morphologically is very similar to Nescina minuta (see Figs 6 A–D, 7 E–G and Ballarin and Li 2015: 183, figs 3 A–D, 4 A–C). Males of Nescina kohi sp. n. can be distinguished from those of Nescina minuta by the narrower terminal apophysis (Ta) (Fig. 6A vs. fig. 3B) and the different shape of process I of the conductor (Cp-I) (Fig. 6D vs. fig. 3D). Diagnostic characters for the females are the straighter posteromedial margin of the epigyne (Fig. 7G vs. fig. 4B) and the longer fertilization ducts (Fd) at the sides of the spermathecae (Fig. 7F vs. fig. 4C with Fd reported as Id). Furthermore Nescina kohi sp. n. is slightly smaller than Nescina minuta (1.30-1.44 vs. 1.56-1.57).

Description.

Habitus as in Fig. 7 A–D. Carapace yellowish, faintly dark at the margins, with several long setae along the midline, two between AMEs. Mouthparts and sternum pale yellow. Legs and female palps uniformly pale yellow, lacking spines. Opisthosoma yellowish, in the male dorsal side with four faint darker marks.

Male palp (Fig. 6 A–D): paracymbium with a wide, lobed ventral apophysis (Fig. 6A) and a short, fingerlike distal process bent ventrally (Fig. 6D). Terminal apophysis small (Fig. 6A), with two processes, Ta-I laminar and translucent apically oriented (Fig. 6A, C–D), and Ta-II small, spur-like and sclerotized, ventrally oriented (Fig. 6A, C–D). Conductor with a small laminar process (Cp-I) at the subapical margin (Fig. 6A).

Epigyne (Fig. 7 E–G): posterior margin straight (Fig. 7 E–G). Copulatory openings separated from each other by approximately the diameter of the spermathecae (Fig. 7G). Spermathecae globular, close to each other (Fig. 7G). Fertilization ducts long and wide, twisted to form two conjoined saccules below the spermathecae (Fig. 7 F–G). Copulatory ducts short and straight (Fig. 7F).

Male (holotype). Total length 1.30. Carapace 0.69 long, 0.62 wide. Opisthosoma 0.65 long, 0.50 wide. Clypeus height 0.13. Sternum 0.46 long, 0.43 wide. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Female (one of the paratypes). Total length 1.44. Carapace 0.65 long, 0.58 wide. Opisthosoma 0.82 long, 0.64 wide. Clypeus height 0.09. Sternum 0.45 long, 0.41 wide. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Habitat.

Forest leaf litter.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 81).

Remarks.

The molecular analysis confirms that Nescina kohi sp. n. differs from the type species, Nescina minuta (see Appendix B). Futhermore Nescina kohi sp. n. is distributed in Singapore while the type locality of the other species is in Yunnan, China, with a linear distance of more than 2000 kilometers separating the two sites.