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Research Article
One new species of the genus Savarna Huber, 2005 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from southern Thailand
expand article infoPrasit Wongprom, Decha Wiwatwitaya
‡ Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
Open Access

Abstract

One new species Savarna kraburiensis sp. n. (♂♀) is reported from southern Thailand.

Keywords

Taxonomy, morphology, pholcidae, southeast Asia

Introduction

The small genus Savarna Huber, 2005 only contains three species: Savarna baso (Roewer, 1963) from Sumatra, Indonesia, S. tesselata (Simon, 1901) from Malaysia, and S. thaleban Huber, 2005 from Thailand (World Spider Catalog 2014). In this paper, we describe one more, a new species from Ranong, Thailand.

Material and methods

Specimens were examined and measured with a Leica M205 C stereomicroscope; details were studied with an Olympus BX51 compound microscope. Male and female copulatory organs were examined and illustrated after they were dissected from the spiders. Epigynes were removed and treated in 10% warm solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) before illustration. Type specimens were preserved in 75% ethanol solution. Photographs were taken with an Olympus C7070 wide zoom digital camera (7.1 megapixels) mounted on a Leica M205 C stereomicroscope. The images were assembled using Helicon Focus 3.10 image stacking software. All measurements are given in millimeters unless noted otherwise. Leg measurements are shown as: Total length (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus). Leg segments were measured on their dorsal side. Type specimens are deposited in the Thailand Natural History Museum, Pathum Thani, Thailand.

Terminology and taxonomic descriptions follow Huber (2000). The following abbreviations are used in the descriptions: ALE = anterior lateral eye, AME = anterior median eye, PME = posterior median eye, L/d = length/diameter.

Taxonomy

Savarna Huber, 2005

Type species

Savarna thaleban Huber, 2005

Savarna kraburiensis sp. n.

Figs 1, 2

Type material

Holotype: ♂, near the entrance of Phra Kha Yang Cave (10°19.568'N, 98°45.908'E, elevation 6 m), Kraburi District, Ranong, Thailand, 28 October 2014, P. Wongprom leg. Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology

The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis

The species resembles S. tesselata (Simon, 1901) (see Huber 2005: 78, figs 129–130, 138–140), but can be distinguished by absence of median apophyses on male clypeus (Fig. 2E), by relatively wide pedipalpal tibia subproximally (Figs 1A–B), and by shape of bifurcated distal apophysis on bulb (Fig. 1A).

Figure 1. 

Savarna kraburiensis sp. n., holotype male. A–B Pedipalp (A Prolateral view B Retrolateral view) C–D Distal part of procursus (C Prolateral view D Retrolateral view). b = bulb, pr = procursus.

Figure 2. 

Savarna kraburiensis sp. n., holotype male (D–E) and paratype female (A–C, F–G). A–B Epigyne (A Ventral view B Lateral view) C Vulva, dorsal view D Chelicerae, frontal view E–G Habitus (E–F Dorsal view G Ventral view). pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate.

Description

Male (holotype). Total length 2.97 (3.13 with clypeus), prosoma 1.04 long, 1.34 wide, opisthosoma 1.93 long, 1.44 wide. Leg I: 27.73 (7.63 + 0.55 + 7.05 + 9.94 + 2.56), leg II: 18.52 (5.45 + 0.48 + 4.62 + 6.50 + 1.47), leg III: 13.52 (4.04 + 0.47 + 3.27 + 4.77 + 0.97), leg IV: 18.36 (5.64 + 0.48 + 4.49 + 6.73 + 1.02). Habitus as in Fig. 2E. Dorsal shield of prosoma yellowish, with black margins and a narrow, dark median line behind ocular area; sternum black. Legs brownish, but slightly whitish on femora (distally) and tibiae (distally), with slightly darker rings on femora (subdistally). Opisthosoma yellowish, with black spots. Distance PME-PME 0.20, diameter PME 0.12, distance PME-ALE 0.04, AME absent. Ocular area slightly elevated and separated from rest of prosoma. Thoracic furrow distinct and deep. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.87/0.78). Chelicerae as in Fig. 2D, with a pair of proximo-lateral apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 1A–B; trochanter with a curved ventral apophysis lying against femur; procursus simple proximally but complex distally; bulb with a proximal sclerite and a bifurcated distal apophysis. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 9%; legs with short vertical hairs on tibiae, without spines and curved hairs; tarsus I with more than 30 distinct pseudosegments.

Variation. Tibia I in another male: 6.73.

Female. Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 2F–G. Tibia I (n=2): 6.22, 6.35. One of the specimens measured: Total length 2.69 (2.81 with clypeus), prosoma 0.89 long, 1.13 wide, opisthosoma 1.80 long, 1.47 wide; tibia I: 6.22. Distance PME-PME 0.18, diameter PME 0.12, distance PME-ALE 0.03, AME absent. Epigyne (Figs 2A–B) strongly protruding, without pockets. Vulva (Fig. 2C) with a pair of pore plates.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality.

Acknowledgments

The manuscript benefited greatly from comments by two anonymous reviewers.

References

  • Huber BA (2005) Revision of the genus Spermophora Hentz in Southeast Asia and on the Pacific islands, with descriptions of three new genera (Araneae: Pholcidae). Zoologische Mededelingen, Leiden 79: 61–114.
  • World Spider Catalog (2014) World Spider Catalog, version 15.5. Natural History MuseumBern. http://wsc.nmbe.ch [accessed 5 December 2014]
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