Anahita popa, Jäger, Peter & Minn, Myin Zu, 2015

Jäger, Peter & Minn, Myin Zu, 2015, New species in the family Ctenidae Keyserling, 1877 from high altitude habitats in Myanmar, with the first case of penetration of the female’s cuticle by a male in the RTA-clade (Arachnida: Araneae: Ctenidae), Zootaxa 3994 (2), pp. 235-252 : 236-238

Anahita popa spec. nov.

Figs 1–6 , 63

Type material. MYANMAR: Mandalay Division: Holotype female, Mt Popa [20°55'24"N, 95°14'24"E], 1250 m, Heinrich leg. February 1937, ex RII 8021 ( SMF).

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality; name in apposition.

Diagnosis. Small Ctenidae (total length female 8.6). Females of this new species are distinguished from those of A. fauna Karsch, 1879 , A. jinsi Jäger, 2012 , A. punctulata Hentz, 1844 , A. samplexa Yin, Tang & Gong, 2000 , and A. wuyiensis Li, Jin & Zhang, 2014 by the median plate distinctly narrower than the epigynal field ( Fig. 1 ) and by the copulatory duct situated medially to ventrally from the spermathecae ( Fig. 2 ; median plate as wide as epigynal field, copulatory duct situated laterally from spermathecae in species listed above); distinguished from A. smythiesi (Simon, 1897) , A. feai (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) and A. jucunda (Thorell, 1897) by having the anterior median plate wider than the half of its widest part ( Fig. 1 ; narrower than half of the widest part in the species listed above); distinguished from A. maolan Zhu, Chen & Song, 1999 and A. jianfengensis Zhang, Hu & Han, 2011 by the internal duct system (=spermathecae sensu Zhang et al. 2011) bent ( Fig. 2 ; roughly straight and parallel in the 2 preceding species), and from most similar A. denticulata (Simon, 1884) by having a double-Sshaped dorsal internal duct system ( Fig. 2 ; simply bent, roughly kidney-shaped in A. denticulata ). Males unknown.

Description. Female (holotype). PL 3.5, PW 2.8, AW 1.6, OL 5.1, OW 2.8. Eye diameters and interdistances ( Fig. 6 ): AME 0.17, ALE 0.14, PME 0.30, PLE 0.30, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.27, PME–PME 0.10, PME– PLE 0.30, AME–PME 0.10, ALE–PLE 0.14, clypeus height at AME 0.11, clypeus height at ALE 0.39. Palp and leg measurements: palp 3.9 (1.3, 0.6, 0.9, -, 1.1), I 11.5 (3.1, 1.6, 3.3, 2.4, 1.1), II 10.2 (2.9, 1.5, 2.6, 2.2, 1.0), III 9.2 (2.6, 1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 1.0), IV 13.7 (3.7, 1.3, 3.4, 3.9, 1.4). Leg formula 4123. Spination of palp and legs: palp 131, 110, 1111, 1013; femora I p031, d111, r011, II–III p112, d111, r112, IV p112, d111, r002; patellae I–II 0 0 0, III–IV 101; tibiae I–II v22222, III–IV p11, d111, r11, v222; metatarsi I–II v222, III p111, d012, r111, v222, IV p111, d012, r111, v2122. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal, 6 retromarginal teeth, and with elongated patch of 8–10 denticles along entire cheliceral furrow. Retromargin of chelicerae close to fang base with 1 thick and 1 thin bristle. Ventral tarsi with sparse scopula, in metatarsi scopula almost absent. Palpal claw and leg claw I with 4 secondary teeth.

Copulatory organ as in diagnosis ( Figs 1–3 ). Epigynal field as long as wide, anterio-laterally with one pair of slit sensilla. Median plate with anterior margins sub-parallel and distinct keel in anterior half, epigynal teeth small, just barely reaching median plate. Internal duct system with two distinct clasp-like structures medially converging anteriorly, fertilisations ducts arising posterio-medially, anteriad.

Colouration ( Figs 4–5 ). Yellowish-brown with light brown markings. Prosoma dorsally with distinct light median band, dark lateral bands especially in posterior half with light patches, latter partly fused, frontally with 2 light patches close to ALE. Sternum, coxae, labium and gnathocoxae pale yellowish without pattern. Chelicerae light reddish-brown with diagonal to longitudinal dark lines frontally. Legs yellowish-brown with pattern especially from femora to tibiae. Opisthosoma dorsally with distinct serrated light median band; laterally dark and to the ventral side spotted; ventrally pale yellowish [spinnerets missing].

Male. Unknown

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Mt Victoria from elevation of 1250 m ( Fig. 63 : inset, blue cross).

Figures

FIGURE 63. Distributional records of Ctenidae treated in this paper. Large Map: Records at Nat Ma Taung (= Mt Victoria). Red triangles— Ctenus cladarus, yellow circle— C. pingu spec. nov., green squares— C. natmataung spec. nov., white arrowsummit. White numbers indicate elevation [m]. Inset: Location of Mt Victoria (orange drop), and Mt Popa (blue cross; Anahita popa spec. nov., 1250 m).

FIGURES 1 – 3. Anahita popa spec. nov., holotype female copulatory organ from Mt Popa, Myanmar (1 epigyne ventral, 2 vulva, dorsal, 3 schematic course of internal duct system). CS—clasp-like structure; ET—epigynal teeth; FD—fertilisation duct; ID—internal duct system (dorsal part), K—keel of median plate.

FIGURES 4 – 11. 4 – 6 Anahita popa spec. nov., holotype female from Mt Popa, Myanmar (4 habitus, dorsal; 5 habitus, ventral; 6 eye arrangement, dorsal). 7 – 11 Ctenus cladarus Jäger, 2012 from Mt Victoria, Myanmar. Male (7 – 8) and female (9 – 11) habitus (7, 9, 11 dorsal; 8, 10 ventral).