Draconarius suttisani Dankittipakul & Wang, 2008, sp. n.

Draconarius suttisani sp. n.

Figures 1–5, 11–12

Type material. Holotype: ď, Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, Fang District, Doi [Mt.] Ang-Khang, Royal Agricultural Station Ang-Khang, 1500 m, nature trail near guest houses, 10.xi.2007, P. Dankittipakul & A. Lewvanich leg. [MHNG].

Paratypes: 5ď, 8Ψ, same data as holotype [MHNG, TNHM]; 2ď, 1Ψ, Watershed Office, 1430 m, P. Dankittipakul & S. Pimpasalee leg. [TMHM].

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym dedicated to Mr. Suttisan Pimpasalee who organized numerous collecting trips to the study areas and for photographing a substantial number of spiders in their natural habitat; noun, genitive singular.

Diagnosis. Draconarius suttisani sp. n. is a member of the venustus -group that comprises more than twenty species distributed in Central Asia, the Himalayas, East Asia (China, Korea) and Southeast Asia (Thailand). Males are similar to D. phuhin Dankittipakul, Sontichai & Wang, 2006 and D. montis Dankittipakul, Sontichai & Wang, 2006 in having a short conductor, but can be separated from D. phuhin by the long cymbial furrow (more than half of cymbial length and with anterior end extending beyond cymbium) and from D. montis by the larger patellar apophysis and the well developed conductor lamella (Figs 1–3). Females are similar to D. phuhin but can be easily recognized by the presence of epigynal teeth and the converging anterior extension of the spermathecae (Figs 4–5). Both D. phuhin and D. montis have five promarginal and five retromarginal cheliceral teeth, while D. suttisani sp. n. has only two promarginal and three retromarginal teeth.

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 6.9. Prosoma 3.9 long, 2.5 wide; opisthosoma 3.0 long, 1.9 wide.

Prosoma posteriorly broad, strongly narrowed in front. Dorsal side of prosoma yellow, with two parallel dark greenish bands and a pair of pale green marginal bands, a thin narrow dark green line between PME and fovea forming Y-shaped patch. Fovea longitudinal, deep. Chelicerae dark brown. Labium and gnathocoxae brown. Sternum green, with median pale yellow band. Legs brown; femora and tibia with dark green annuli. Opisthosoma ovoid; dorsum decorated with pattern of dark green chevrons; venter with a broad longitudinal band of dark green color. Spinnerets pale green.

Chelicerae with two promarginal and three small retromarginal teeth.

Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.18, PME 0.16, PLE 0.18, AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.16, PME–PLE 0.21; MOQ: 0.45 long, 0.40 anterior width, 0.47 posterior width.

Leg measurements:

I II III IV Femora 3.6 3.2 3.0 3.9 Patellae + tibiae 5.0 4.1 3.4 4.6 Metatarsi 4.0 3.0 3.0 4.2 Tarsi 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.8 Total 15.1 12.3 10.9 14.5

Male palp (Figs 1–3): Patellar apophysis (PA) fairly short, with distal apex directed distad. Tibia with transverse median ridge on ventral side. Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) occupying approximately half tibial length, extending along tibia, with distal apex triangular. Lateral tibial apophysis (LTA) represented by a small ridge, situated retrolaterally to RTA. Cymbial furrow (CF) relatively broad and strongly elongated, almost reaching apex of cymbium; with distal end extending beyond cymbium and forming minute tubercle. Conductor (C) relatively short, with prolateral margin strongly excavated; conductor lamella membranous, well-developed, directed distally; dorsal apophysis of conductor (DC) represented by concave plate in ventral view. Median apophysis (MA) spoon-shaped, with distal end heavily sclerotized. Embolus (E) filiform, elongated, with base originating proximally.

Female (paratype). Total length 6.2. Prosoma 3.0 long, 2.2 wide; opisthosoma 3.2 long, 2.1 wide. Resembling holotype male in coloration and other characters but slightly smaller in size. Size of females greatly variable, ranging from 5.9–7.5 mm. Chelicerae with two promarginal and three small retromarginal teeth.

Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.15, PME 0.15, PLE 0.16, AME–AME 0.12, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.23; MOQ: 0.46 long, 0.38 anterior width, 0.42 posterior width. Leg measurements:

I II III IV

Femora 3.3 3.1 2.7 3.6

Patellae + tibiae 4.2 3.7 3.2 4.1

Metatarsi 3.1 2.8 2.2 3.5

Tarsi 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.7

Total 12.2 11.0 9.3 12.9

Epigyne and vulva (Figs 4–5): Epigynal plate slightly sclerotized, with dark oblique bands. Epigynal atrium (A) small, situated posteriorly, with anterior margin slightly excavated medially. Epigynal teeth short, situated apico-laterally on atrium. Copulatory ducts short, originating posteriorly. Spermathecae heavily sclerotized, with indistinct stalks and bases; anterior portions strongly convoluted, converging and almost touching each other; spermathecal heads short, digitiform.

Natural history. The type specimens of D. suttisani sp. n. were individually collected from their retreats in evergreen hill forests with sparsely opened canopy at Doi Ang-Khang. Numerous retreats were found on a road bank cutting through the forests. A substantial number of retreats were located relatively close to the dome webs of Psechrus ghecuanus Thorell (Psechridae).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand.