Liphistius Schiodte 1849

Liphistius Schiödte, 1849

Type species: Liphistius desultor Schiödte, 1849, described from female holotype deposited in the Natural History Museum of Denmark (= Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen).

Diagnosis and characterisation: See Platnick

&

Sedgwick (1984); habitus as in Fig. 2 A-B. Key to the species-groups in peninsular Malaysia:

1 Embolus proper deeply split, distal portion of sclerotised and membranous part disconnected from each other on both sides (on retrodorsal side more widely so than on proventral side); ventrolateral wall of sclerotised part and of membranous part basally running into a short but very wide, mostly dorsad-directed fold (called “dorsal lamella” in Schwendinger, 1990: figs 60-62) (Fig. 3A, C, E, G); distal margin of tegulum (corresponding to marginal tegular apophysis of Heptathelinae; see Schwendinger & Ono, 2011) drawn into a more or less distinctly prominent edge; subtegulum with or without apophysis. Poreplate with small CDO and rather small and simple receptacular cluster; mediolateral processes on ventral rim of poreplate present or absent (e.g. Schwendinger, 1990: figs 37-39, 43-45, 47-49, 53-56).......................................................................................................................................... trang -group

- Embolus proper much less distinctly split, sclerotised and membranous part touching each other on both sides and forming a closed tube; connecting fold mostly long and narrow, indistinct and running prolaterad (Fig. 3B, D, F, H) (in L. endau and L. negara sp. nov. bent prodorsad instead of running straight proventrad or prolaterad; Figs 6F, H; 8F-G); distal margin of tegulum indistinct, never developed as an edge; subtegular apophysis never present. Poreplate with very large quadrangular, pentangular or trapezium-shaped CDO (see Fig. 5), or (rarely) with small or medium-sized circular CDO (see Fig. 24F), or with indistinct slit-like CDO (see Figs 16A, C-D; 22A, C, E, G); receptacular cluster large or medium-sized, always complex, never simple and digitiform; mediolateral processes on ventral rim of poreplate always absent................................................................................................................ 2

2 Contrategulum with distal edge proventrally ending in a downward-curved, U-shaped or V-shaped row of denticles (Figs 4C; 6A, C; 8A, D); para-embolic plate short or absent. Vulval plate strongly sclerotised; CDO large, of various shapes; receptacular cluster large, always undivided....................................................... malayanus -group

- Distal edge of contrategulum proventrally not ending in a U-shaped or V-shaped row of denticles; para-embolic plate short or long. Vulval plate completely or only partially scerotised; CDO small to large, rounded, angular or slit-like, entire, medially divided by a longitudinal septum (Fig. 13G), or completely divided into two paramedian openings (Figs 13A, C-D; 14I); receptacular cluster entire or divided into two paramedian halves (Figs 13B, E-F, H; 14J)...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

3 Contrategulum with more or less distinct ventral process (Figs 10B, 11F, 14 C-D). Vulval plate completely scerotised; CDO rounded or angular, entire (Fig. 12A, C, F), medially divided by a longitudinal septum (Fig. 13G), or completely divided into two paramedian openings (Figs 13A, C-D; 14I); receptacular cluster always divided into two paramedian halves (Figs 12B, D, G; 13B, E-F, H; 14J)........................................................ tioman -group

- Contrategulum always without ventral process. Posterior portion of vulval plate only partially scerotised; CDO and receptacular cluster never divided longitudinally.............................................................................................. 4

4 Para-embolic plate long, its distal margin coarsely serrate (Figs 15 B-D, 17B-D); dorsal apex of contrategulum narrow and pointed (Figs 15 E-F, 17G-H); distal margin of cymbium with two indistinct, subequal lobes (Figs 15B, 17B); tibial apophysis divided into a long part carrying three megaspines and a short part with only one megaspine, all these megaspines short and bent (Figs 15A, G-I; 17A, I-K). Vulval plate with posterior stalk reduced to a small sclerite at posterior margin, far apart from poreplate (Figs 16 A-E, 18A-F)......................................... linang -group

- Para-embolic plate short, its distal margin smooth; dorsal apex of contrategulum wider, tounge-shaped, with rounded or pointed tip (Figs 19D, 21 I-L, 23D-G); distal margin of cymbium with prodorsal lobe distinctly longer than proventral one (Figs 19C, 21H, 23J); tibial apophysis undivided, its megaspines long or short, curved but not bent. Posterior stalk wide, close to poreplate, not or only partially connected to poreplate (Figs 20, 22, 24).................................................................................................................................................................... batuensis -group