Heptathela Kishida, 1923

Xu, Xin, Liu, Fengxiang, Chen, Jian, Ono, Hirotsugu, Li, Daiqin & Kuntner, Matjaz, 2015, A genus-level taxonomic review of primitively segmented spiders (Mesothelae, Liphistiidae), ZooKeys 488, pp. 121-151 : 129

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Liphistiidae

Genus Heptathela Kishida, 1923 Figures 15-21

Heptathela Kishida, 1923, type species Liphistius kimurai Kishida, 1920, P. 235.

Diagnosis.

Heptathela males differ from all other Heptathelinae genera by a leaf-shaped conductor (Figures 18-19), a thumb-shaped embolus (Figures 15, 18) and a wide tegulum with a rugate margin (Figures 16, 18-19). Heptathela females can be distinguished from all other Heptathelinae genera by a single paired depression on the ventro-lateral part of genital atrium (Figure 20), and by the one pair of main receptacular cluster and secondary, lateral, irregular receptacular clusters (Figures 20-21).

Description.

Total length (excluding chelicerae) = 7-17 mm (N = 229); male palp with a leaf-shaped conductor with spiniform apex or dentate edge, rugate (Figures 18-19); spinose paracymbium long, nearly the length of the cymbium (Figures 15-16); embolus thumb-shape (Figures 15, 18); tegulum wide, with a rugate margin (Figures 16, 18-19); female genitalia with a paired depression on the ventro-lateral part of the genital atrium (Figure 20); with a pair of main receptacular cluster at the anterior margin of the bursa copulatrix and separated from each other, and with secondary, lateral, irregular receptacular clusters (Figures 20-21).

Species composition.

Heptathela amamiensis Haupt, 1983; Heptathela higoensis Haupt, 1983; Heptathela kanenoi Ono, 1996; Heptathela kikuyai Ono, 1998; Heptathela kimurai (Kishida, 1920); Heptathela nishikawai Ono, 1998; Heptathela yaginumai Ono, 1998; Heptathela yakushimaensis Ono, 1998; Heptathela yanbaruensis Haupt, 1983.

Distribution.

Japan (Kyushu and Okinawa).