Labahitha oonopiformis

Labahitha oonopiformis (Bristowe, 1938)

Fig. 25

Mystes oonopiformis Bristowe, 1938: 319, figs 10–13. Female holotype from Malaysia, Parit Buntar, H.T. Pagden leg., lost (see Zonstein et al. 2017), not examined; male neotype from Malaysia, Pahang, Genting, J. Murphy & F. Murphy leg., deposited in the Manchester Museum (MMUE G7572.1100), examined by photos.

Labahitha oonopiformis – Zonstein et al. 2017: 307, figs 1A–E, 2A–F, 3A–D, 5A–C. — Marusik et al. 2019: 258, figs 6–7.

This is the type species of the genus. The holotype from Parit Buntar is lost, and a neotype was designated by Zonstein et al. (2017) based on specimens from ca 240 km to the southeast of Parit Buntar. We have now examined specimens from Penang, ca 50 km to the northwest of Parit Buntar, providing additional evidence that Zonstein et al. (2017) interpreted Bristowe’s description correctly. We provide the first SEM images of the male of this species (Fig. 25A–B).

Males are similar to those of L. garciai, L. ryukyuensis and L. nicobarensis by the teardrop-shaped bulb with a keel-shaped paraembolic lamina. They differ from L. garciai by the longer embolus (vs shorter), from L. ryukyuensis by the more globose base of the bulb (vs base of the bulb more tubular) and from L. nicobarensis by the longer, more curved embolus (vs embolus short and straight) (Fig. 25A). Females are more similar to those of L. garciai and L. gibsonhilli by the large membranous base of the receptacles and well-developed median receptacle; they differ from L. garciai by the median receptacles larger in size than the laterals (vs median and lateral receptacles subequal in size) and from L. gibsonhilli by the globose median receptacles with evenly scattered pores (vs median receptacles with pores restricted to medial face) (Fig. 25C).

MALAYSIA • 1 ♂, 1♀; Penang, Telok Bahang, Muka Head, USM Field Sta.; [5.45968° N, 100.21067° E]; 22 Dec. 1984; J.A. Beatty leg.; on buildings; JBJB.

See Zonstein et al. (2017).

The shape and size of the median receptacles of females varies (Fig. 25C; Zonstein et al. 2017: fig. 5).

Peninsular Malaysia (Fig. 1B).