Liphistius linang Peter J. Schwendinger 2017

The linang -group

Diagnosis: Small to medium-sized spiders (carapace length of males 4.50-6.83, carapace width 3.98-6.21) with a colour pattern on carapace, limbs and opisthosomal tergites (Fig. 2B). Distinguished from the malayanus - Key to the species of the linang -group:

1 Males without scopula on tarsus IV; long bristle retroventrally at base of tibial apophysis thin (Fig. 15A, G-I); paracymbium quite long (Fig. 15A); distal edge of contrategulum with wide gap behind distinctly bent dorsal apex (Fig. 15B). Poreplate with anterior margin distinctly invaginated (Fig. 16 A-E); CDO a transverse slit or triangle without enlarged pores lateral to it (Fig. 16A, C-D); receptacular cluster indistinctly divided into lateral halves, its vesicles quite short (Fig. 16B, E)............................................................................ L. linang sp. nov. (in Malaysia)

- Males with scopula on tarsus IV; long bristle retroventrally at base of tibial apophysis thick, spine-like (Fig. 17A, I-K); paracymbium short (Fig. 17A); distal edge of contrategulum without gap behind only slightly or not bent dorsal apex (Fig. 17B, G-H). Poreplate with anterior margin only indistinctly invaginated (Fig. 18); CDO a longitudinal slit or semicircular hole with an enlarged pore on each lateral side (Fig. 18A, C, E, G); receptacular cluster not divided into lateral halves, its vesicles quite long (Fig. 18B, D, F, H).... L. indra sp. nov. (in Thailand)

group and the tioman -group by males possessing a large para-embolic plate with a coarsely serrate distal margin (Figs 15 A-D, 17A-D), a narrow and pointed dorsal apex of the contrategulum (Figs 15 E-F, 17G-H), and a retrolateral tibial apophysis deeply divided into a long, deep retroventral part and a very short, small retrodorsal part (Figs 15 G-I, 17I-K) (tibial apophysis also deeply divided in L. tioman but in that species both parts equally long; Fig. 11A, G-I); three megaspines on retroventral part short and bent, single megaspine on retrodorsal part short, curved and weaker than other megaspines (Figs 15A, G-I; 17A, I-K). Females distinguished by a peculiar vulval plate with an only partially sclerotised poreplate widely separated from small remnant of posterior stalk situated at posterior margin of vulva (Figs 16 A-E, 18); CDO small, in many cases slit-like (Figs 16A, C-D; 18A, C, E, G).

Species included: Liphistius linang sp. nov., L. indra sp. nov.

Relationships: The linang -group is morphologically intermediate between the tioman -group and the batuensis -group. Sharing with L. tioman a deeply divided tibial apophysis with the retrodorsal-apical megaspine distinctly separated from the other three megaspines, and sharing with this and other species in the tioman -group a distinctly elevated para-embolic plate. Females of the linang -group show strong resemblance with those of the batuensis -group by possessing an only partially sclerotised poreplate. However, females of L. linang sp. nov. have a divided receptacular cluster, as do females of all tioman -group species. The relationships of the linang-group are therefore not clear.

Distribution: Northeastern peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand (Fig. 1, localities 13-14).