Althepus pictus Thorell, 1898

Lin, Yejie, Tavano, Maria L., Li, Shuqiang & Chen, Haifeng, 2020, Redescription of the type specimens of Althepus pictus Thorell, 1898 (Araneae Psilodercidae) from Myanmar, Zootaxa 4838 (3), pp. 441-444 : 441-442

Althepus pictus Thorell, 1898 ( Figs 1‒3 )

Althepus pictus Thorell, 1898: 279

Althepus pictus Fage, 1912: 144 , figs 109–122

Type material. Lectotype ♂ and paralectotype 1♀ (here designated, MSNG), label “ Carin Chebà, 600–800 m., XI.88”. A female specimen from Farm Caves was mentioned in the original description, but was not available.

Diagnosis. Althepus pictus resembles A. nophaseudi Li, Li & Jäger, 2014 by the males having similarly shaped tarsus and tibia, sigmoid conductor, and the females having two pairs of spermathecae. However, the male of A. pictus can be distinguished by the hook-shaped spine reaching the top of bulb ( Fig. 1C ) (vs. at the middle of bulb, see Li et al 2014, fig. 20), conductor arising prolatero-distally from bulb ( Fig. 1A ) (vs. conductor arising proximally from bulb, see Li et al 2014, fig. 18). In the female, the copulatory ducts are clearly curved ( Fig. 2B ) (vs. copulatory ducts are straight, see Li et al 2014, fig. 22).

Description. Male. Measurements: total length 3.40; prosoma 1.12 long, 1.07 wide; opisthosoma 2.10 long, 1.18 wide. Leg measurements: I 19.50, II 14.50, III 10.00, IV 16.00. Color faded. Dorsal prosoma sub-circular. Cheliceral lamina reduced, promargin with three teeth, retromargin with two small teeth, posterior surface of fang with 18 small denticles.

Male palp: serrated bristles lost; cymbium with a hooked spine with tip directed proximally; bulb ovate, conductor arising prolatero-distally from bulb, sigmoid, proximad; embolus missing; embolus and conductor widely separated (the distance is less than diameter of bulb) ( Figs 1 A–C).

Female. Measurements: prosoma 1.60 long, 1.56 wide; opisthosoma 2.21 long, 1.53 wide. Internal genitalia with two pairs of transparent copulatory ducts and spermathecae ( Fig. 2A, B, D ).

Variability. Both male and female type specimens are in poor condition, most legs are lost, and no further measurements are possible.

Distribution. Myanmar. Only known from type localities.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Left male palp of lectotype Althepus pictus. A Prolateral view; B Ventral view; C Retrolateral view

FIGURE 2. Male lectotype and female paralectotype of Althepus pictus and original labels. A Female epigastric furrow, ventral view; B Internal genitalia, dorsal view; C Male habitus, dorsal view; D Female habitus, dorsal view; E Original labels

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Althepus pictus