Uroballus koponeni, Logunov, 2014

Logunov, Dmitri V., 2014, Description of a new species of Uroballus Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae) from Malaysia, with the longest spinnerets of any known jumping spider, Zootaxa 3894 (1), pp. 183-187 : 184-185

Uroballus koponeni sp. n.

Figs 1–10 , Map 1

Type: Holotype ♀ and 2 immatures ( MHNG) from Malaysia, [Borneo], Sarawak, route Kuching-Serian , nr. Kampong Kuap (ca. 18 km of Kuching), secondary forest, beating, 30 m a.s.l., 13.XII.1987 (C. Lienhard).

Etymology. The species is named in honour of my colleague and friend, Seppo Koponen (Turku, Finland), for his life-long dedication to spiders and on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

Diagnosis. The new species differs from other Uroballus species (cf. Prószyński, 1987: p. 107–108; Żabka, 1985: fig. 638) in having a clearly marked central pocket in the epigyne and by the different relative size and conformation of spermathecal chambers ( Figs 9–10 ). In addition, this species differs in having dark long hairs covering the entire abdomen, becoming especially dense and long at the rear end and on the spinnerets ( Figs 1–2, 4–7 ). Such extremely long spinnerets covered with long hairs are unique within the Salticidae .

Description. MALE unknown.

FEMALE. Measurements. Carapace 1.23 long, 0.91 wide and 0.48 high at PLE. Ocular area 0.67 long, 0.74 wide anteriorly and 0.93 wide posteriorly. Diameter of AME 0.23. Clypeus height 0.04, chelicera length 0.29. Abdomen 1.55 long (with anal tubercle), 0.70 wide. Length of leg segments: I: 0.50 + 0.34 + 0.28 + 0.21 + 0.20 (1.53); II: 0.47 + 0.26 + 0.23 + 0.23 + 0.20 (1.39); III: 0.40 + 0.21 + 0.21 + 0.27 + 0.21 (1.30); IV: 0.63 + 0.29 + 0.35 + 0.29 + 0.24 (1.80). Leg formula: IV,I,II,III. Leg spination. Leg I: Tb v 2-2 -0; Mt v 2-2. Legs II and III: without visible spines. Leg IV: Tb v 1 ap; Mt pr 1ap, v 2 ap. Coloration ( Figs 1–5 ) is rather pale, and therefore it seems to be a recently molted specimen. Carapace flat, light yellow, with pale grey tinge, which is darker on the thorax ( Figs 1–2 ); sparsely covered with dark hairs becoming more dense at the rear edge of thorax; black areas around the PLEs and in front of the carapace, behind the eyes of the first row. Sternum and labium light yellow, tinged with grey ( Fig. 3 ). Chelicerae and maxillae light yellow. Chelicerae with a small, inconspicuous promarginal tooth and a large, fissidentate retromarginal tooth ( Fig. 8 ). Abdomen unusually long, light yellow; dorsum and sides with a zebra-like grey pattern and transverse rows of dark long hairs ( Figs 1–4 ). Book-lung covers light yellow. Spinnerets light yellow and long; especially the dorsal spinnerets are long and hairy ( Figs 4–7 ), amounting for 50% of the abdominal length. Legs I strongest and thickest (but not the longest ones), light yellow. Legs II–IV light yellow, with grey semi-rings on ventral and prolateral sides of tibiae and metatarsi. Palps entirely light yellow. Epigyne and vulva as in Figs 9–10 : a narrow central pocket is present; two small and rounded copulatory orifices are widely separated; the spermathecae are simple, two-chambered, with short insemination ducts.

Distribution. The type locality only: Malaysia, Borneo, Kampong Kuap ( Map 1 ).

Figures

MAP 1. Collecting localities of the described species of Uroballus: U. henicurus Simon, 1902 (diamond), U. koponeni sp. n. (circle), U. octovittatus Simon, 1902 (square), and U. peckhami Żabka, 1985 (asterisk).

FIGURES 1 – 5. Somatic characters of Uroballus koponeni sp. n. (♀ holotype), body, dorsal view (1), ditto, lateral view (2), sternum, maxillae and carapace, ventral view (3), spinnerets, ventral view (4), ditto, dorsal view (5). Scale bars: 1 – 3, 0.5 mm, 4 – 5, 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 6 – 10. Somatic characters (6 – 8) and copulatory organs (9 – 10) of Uroballus koponeni sp. n. (♀ holotype), body, dorsal view (6), ditto, lateral view (7), female chelicerae, ventral view (8), epigyne, ventral view (9), vulva, dorsal view (10). Scale bars: 6 – 7, 0.5 mm, 8 – 10, 0.1 mm.