Psechrus sinensis

Bayer, Steffen, 2012, The lace-sheet-weavers — a long story (Araneae: Psechridae: Psechrus), Zootaxa 3379 (1), pp. 1-170 : 123

Specimen from sinensis -group with doubtful identification

Figs 68a–d

Material examined: TAIWAN: Taipei county: Wulai , N 24°51'51'', E 121°33'15'', ca. 150 m, secondary forest near bridge across stream; J. Haupt leg. 16. IV.1980; 1 ♂ ( SB 792 ), ZMB 35304 .

Description. Male:

Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 8.3, carapace width 5.5, anterior width of carapace 3.6, opisthosoma length ca. 9.5, opisthosoma width ca. 5.0. Eyes: AME 0.42, ALE 0.48, PME 0.50, PLE 0.49, AME–AME 0.24, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.35, PME–PLE 0.42, AME–PME 0.72, ALE–PLE 0.56, clypeus height at AME 0.91, clypeus height at ALE 0.90.

Cheliceral furrow with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth.

Measurements of palp and legs. Leg formula: 1243. Palp: 10.0 [3.4, 1.8, 1.4, 3.4]; Legs: I 59.2 [14.7, 3.9, 15.8, 17.6, 7.2], II 46.3 [12.0, 3.5, 12.1, 13.1, 5.5], III 31.1 [9.0, 2.7, 7.2, 8.5, 3.7], IV 44.5 [11.9, 2.9, 11.4, 12.6, 5.7].

Spination. Palp: 132, 110 (all spines very small), 0000; legs: femur I 536, II 536 {535}, III 545 , IV 544 ; patella I–IV 000; tibia I– II 3038 , III 2023, IV 2035; metatarsus I– IV 3035 .

Palpal femur modified with strongly protruding rounded ventral bulge ( Fig. 68d ), similar to the one in P. tingpingensis .

Remark: According to the male palp structures ( Fig. 68a–c ) this specimen is similar to P. clavis sp. nov. Differences are: Palpal femur with distinct modification ( Fig. 68d ); embolus slightly shorter; prolateral ‘loop’ of sperm duct less distinct; tegulum with basal protrusion ( Figs 68a,c ); Conductor apically with slightly different folding ( Figs 68a–c ). Thus, this specimen either belongs to a new species or it may be conspecific with one of the two other Psechrus species appearing in Taiwan, P. taiwanensis or P. kenting , which are known only from females. Due to the lack of material of P. taiwanensis and P. kenting this question cannot be solved at the moment.

Figures

FIGURES 68a–d. Psechrus ♂ SB 792 [out of sinensis-group] with doubtful identification from Taiwan, Taipei County. a–c ♂ palp (a prolateral, b ventral, c retrolateral view). d ♂ left palpal femur, retrolateral view.