Thorelliola aliena, Zhang & Maddison, 2012

Zhang, Jun-Xia & Maddison, Wayne P., 2012, New euophryine jumping spiders from Papua New Guinea (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae) 3491, Zootaxa 3491, pp. 1-74 : 44-46

Thorelliola aliena sp. nov.

Figs 205–216

Type material. Holotype: male, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Southern Highlands Province: Umgé , 5.304° S, 142.512° E, elev. 1450 m a.s.l., 15–19 July 2008, coll. W. Maddison & Aislan Tama Wanakipa Indiaf, WPM#08- 013 ( UBC-SEM AR00097 ) . Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype ( UBC-SEM AR00098 ) ; 2 females and 2 males, same data as holotype .

Etymology. Latin aliena (foreign or incongruous), referring to the atypical male palpal structure and body form.

Diagnosis. This new species resembles other species of Thorelliola in the absence of a median septum in the epigynum. It can be easily distinguished by the presence of longitudinal stripes on the dorsum of abdomen (red in male and yellow in female; Figs 205–210), and the unusually long tibia and patella of the male palp ( Fig. 214). It also differs in the long embolus of the male palp, the sperm duct loop located at the proximal side instead of retrolateral side of the bulb, the absence of an apophysis on the femur of male palp ( Figs 212–214), the presence of a pair of secondary spermathecae in addition to the primary spermathecae in the vulva ( Fig. 216), and the absence of guanine deposits in the carapace ( Figs 209–210).

Description. Male (holotype, UBC-SEM AR00097). Carapace length 1.9 (variation 1.8–2.2, n=3); abdomen length 2.0. Clypeus with only ordinary fine setae. Chelicera ( Fig. 211): with two promarginal teeth and one bicuspid retromarginal tooth; with a ectal protrusion at distal end. Palp ( Figs 212–214): dark brown. Embolus long and spiral; sperm duct loop proximal and pointing towards center of bulb. Tibia of palp with one prolateral and one ventral macrosetae. Retrolateral tibial apophysis finger-like. Tibia and metatarsus of first leg with four pairs of ventral macrosetae each. Measurements of legs: I 4.6, II 3.4, III 4.4, IV 4.1. Color in alcohol ( Fig. 209): carapace dark brown, scattered with orange scales; abdomen yellowish brown, with gray markings and two orange stripes laterally; first pair of legs dark brown, other legs yellowish brown.

Female (paratype, UBC-SEM AR00098). Carapace length 1.8 (variation 1.8–2.0, n=3); abdomen length 2.0. Chelicera: with two promarginal teeth and one bicuspid retromarginal tooth. Tibia and metatarsus of first leg with four pairs of ventral macrosetae each. Measurements of legs: I 3.5, II 2.7, III 3.5, IV 3.6. Epigynum ( Figs 215–216): with a big window. Copulatory duct thick at the beginning and then divided, with one leading to secondary spermatheca and the other to the kidney-shaped primary spermatheca with rather thin connecting duct; without accessory gland. Color in alcohol ( Fig. 210): similar to that of male, but carapace a bit lighter in color, stripes on dorsal abdomen yellow, and the first pair of legs yellowish brown.

Natural history. Specimens were found on leaf litter in a mid-elevation forest.