Ischnothyreus serpentinum Saaristo 2001

Ischnothyreus serpentinum Saaristo, 2001

(Figs. 70–73)

Type material. Female holotype: (PBI_OON00016122), SEYCHELLES: Mahé, La Réserve, February 1, 1999, leg. M. Saaristo, Pat Matyot, Maureen Kirkpatrick, (MZT AA 1.237) in the Zoological Museum, University of Turku.

Female paratype: SEYCHELLES: Mahé, La Réserve, February 2, 1999, leg. M. Saaristo, Pat Matyot, Maureen Kirkpatrick, (MZT AA 1.238) in the Zoological Museum, University of Turku.

5 males, 7 females (PBI_OON00031880), JAVA: Ujung Kulon National Park (6° 44′ 48″ S, 105° 20′ 1″ E), leaflitter November 1986, leg. Suh. Djojosudharmo, Coll. Deeleman, NNM Leiden.

1 male, 3 females (PBI_OON00031885), JAVA: Ujung Kulon National Park (6° 44′ 48″ S, 105° 20′ 1″ E), leaflitter November 14–25, 1986, leg. Suh. Djojosudharmo, Coll. Deeleman, NNM Leiden.

2 females (PBI_OON00031895), JAVA: Pudjon Pass w of Malang, 1800m, secondary forest, leaf litter, small leaves near tree trunk July 18, 1982, Coll. Deeleman, NNM Leiden.

Diagnosis. Males of I. serpentinum resemble males of I. lucidus sp. nov. and I. marggii sp. nov. in body coloration and sclerotization of scuta (Figs. 70 A–D). Pedipalps of I. serpentinum males can easily be distinguished from the others by the shape of the tip of the bulb which appears blunt and strongly wrinkled on the dorsal side and has a groove above the retrolateral lobe (w, g, rl, Figs. 72 C–F, 73A, C–F). Males of I. serpentinum lack conspicuous processes on the cheliceral fang base (Fig. 73 A, B). The prolateral side of the femora I are provided with three spines (Fig. 71 C).

Females of I. srepentinum resemble I. bifidus, I. parorbitellus, I. boonjee, I. crenulus, I. eacham, I. collingwood and I. bualveus from Australia in morphology of the winding tube, but are easily recognized by the elongated winding tube in combination with the presence of small lateral sclerites of the postepigastric scutum (wt, ls, Figs. 75 C–E) and a very weak sclerotization of the narrow dorsal scutum (Fig. 74 E).

Description. Male: (PBI_OON00031885). Total length 1.68; carapace length: 0.83; carapace width: 0.68; carapace height: 0.33; abdomen length: 0.85; sternum length: 0.47; sternum width: 0.44.

CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace yellow, without any pattern, broadly oval in dorsal view, pars cephalica strongly elevated in lateral view, anteriorly narrowed to between 0.5 and 0.75 times its maximum width, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides smooth; lateral margin straight, smooth;. Clypeus margin unmodified, curved downwards in front view, vertical in lateral view, low, ALE separated from edge of carapace by less than their radius. Eyes six, well developed, ALE largest, all eyes oval; posterior eye row procurved from both above and front; ALE touching, ALE-PLE touching, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME touching. Sternum as long as wide, yellow, uniform, surface smooth, microsculpture absent, lateral margin without infra-coxal grooves, distance between coxae approximately equal, extensions of pre-coxal triangles absent, lateral margins unmodified; setae sparse, dark, needle-like, evenly scattered, originating from surface. Mouthparts: Chelicerae, endites and labium yellow. Chelicerae straight, anterior face unmodified; directed medially, shape normal, without prominent basal process, tip unmodified; setae dark, needle-like, evenly scattered; paturon inner margin with scattered setae. Labium rectangular, not fused to sternum, anterior margin not indented at middle, same as sternum in sclerotization; subdistal portion with unmodified setae. Endites distally not excavated, anteromedian tip with one strong, tooth-like projection, much more heavily sclerotized than sternum.

ABDOMEN: ovoid, rounded posteriorly; dorsum soft portions white, without color pattern. Posterior spiracles not connected by groove. Scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel. Dorsal scutum weakly sclerotized, yellow, without color pattern, covering about 1/2 of abdomen, between 1/4 and 1/2 abdomen width, fused to epigastric scutum, middle surface smooth, sides smooth, only weakly sclerotized. Not much darker than abdominal soft portion. Epigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites absent. Postepigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, yellow, short, almost rectangular, covering about 1/3 of the abdominal length, fused to epigastric scutum, anterior margin unmodified. Dorsum setae present, dark, needle-like. Spinneret scutum without fringe of setae.

LEGS: yellow, without color pattern; patella plus tibia I near as long as carapace, tibia I unmodified. Leg spination: femora: I p0-2-1; II p0-0-1; tibiae: I, II p2-2-0; r2-2-0; metatarsi: I, II p1-1-0; r1-1-0; (leg I: with 3 spines on femora I.).

GENITALIA: Bulb with two flat ventral protuberances, the retrolateral protuberance much smaller, retrolateral lobe simple (rl, Fig. 72 F). Tip of bulb slightly elongated, blunt, with retrolateral groove and strong dorsal wrinkles (g, w, Figs. 72 C–F, 73A, C, F).

Female: Total length 1.95; carapace length: 0.85; carapace width: 0.77; abdomen length: 1.11.

CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace pale orange, ovoid in dorsal view, anteriorly narrowed to 0.49 times its maximum width or less. Clypeus vertical in lateral view, low, ALE separated from edge of carapace by less than their radius. Eyes six, well developed, ALE largest, ALE circular, PME oval, PLE oval; posterior eye row procurved from both above and front; ALE touching, ALE-PLE touching, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME touching. Sternum wider than long, yellow, uniform, not fused to carapace, without radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV, surface smooth, without pits. Mouthparts: Chelicerae slightly divergent; fangs directed posteriorly; setae light, needle-like, evenly scattered. Labium with 3–5 setae on anterior margin. Endites anteromedian tip unmodified, posteromedian part unmodified. Female palp claws absent; spines present, formula: femur v1-1 -0; tarsus unmodified.

ABDOMEN: Pedicel tube medium, unmodified, scutum not extending far dorsal of pedicel. Dorsal scutum covering less than 1/2 of abdomen, between 1/4 and 1/2 abdomen width, not fused to epigastric scutum. Epigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites present. Postepigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, pale orange, widely hexagonal, covering about 1/3 of the abdominal length, not fused to epigastric scutum. Spinneret scutum absent, without fringe of setae. Colulus represented only by setae.

LEGS: pale orange. Leg spination: femora: I p1-2-1; r0-1-1; II p0-0-1; tibiae: I, II p2-1-1; r2-1-1; metatarsi: I, II p1-1-0; r1-1-0.

GENITALIA: Postepigastric scutum of female hexagonal. Winding tube elongated (wt, Figs. 75 C–E). Apodemes lateral of winding tube short and with openings to surface of postepigastric scutum (a, o, Figs. 75 C–E), postepigastric scutum with posterior process over goblet-like atrium and row of pores covering the whole length of the winding tube(p, po, Figs. 75 C–E).

Distribution. Java, Madagaskar, Seychelles.

MAP.