Liphistius priceae Peter J. Schwendinger 2017, sp. nov.

Liphistius priceae sp. nov.

Figs 23-24

Types: MHNG (most types, including the holotype), SMF (1 male and 1 female paratypes), sample MAL- 04/10; male holotype (matured late VIII.2004), 8 male paratypes (matured 20.VII., 1.VIII., 18.IX. 2004, mid- VII.; 11.VIII.2005; 3 male paratypes collected mature at the site) and 11 female paratypes (including allotype, moulted 24.XI.2004); Malaysia, Kelantan, about 5 km S of Dabong, Gua Keris (= Kris Cave) and Gua Pagar (locally also called Gua King Kong), 130 m; 8.-9. VI.2004; leg. P.J. Schwendinger. The precise type locality is Gua Keris.

Etymology: The new species is named in honour of Liz Price (London, UK), a former long-time resident in Kuala Lumpur, and a very active speleologist who over 30 years explored and published on caves and cave faunas all over Southeast Asia. She was also involved in conservation and trying to save some caves from destruction by quarrying in Malaysia.

Diagnosis: Small to medium-sized, light-browncoloured species, similar and closely related to L. tempurung. Both sexes slightly smaller than those of L. tempurung (carapace length of males 4.42-5.23 versus 5.51-6.46 in L. tempurung). Males distinguished by scopula on tarsus IV more extensive; palpal tibia with a longer retrolateral apophysis carrying much shorter megaspines (Fig. 23B, K-O cf. Fig. 21 E-G); paracymbium larger, with a more prominent retrolateralproximal part (Fig. 23A cf. Fig. 21A); tegulum with more clearly outlined proximal edge (Fig. 23I cf. Fig. 21B); contrategulum with series of oblique ribs on distal edge extending further prolaterally, dorsal apex much smaller and narrower, with a more pointed tip (Fig. 23 D-G cf. Fig. 21 I-L); para-embolic plate with more prominent, angular distal margin (Fig. 23A, D-E cf. Fig. 21A, I-L); sclerotised part of embolus proper with more pointed apex (Fig. 23A, I cf. Fig. 21 A-B). Females distinguished from those of L. tempurung by larger and more prominent receptacular cluster (Fig. 24 cf. Fig. 22); CDO much wider and more distinctly outlined, not sitting in a hollow (Fig. 24A, C, E-F cf. Fig. 22A, C, E, G, I); anterior margin of poreplate not or only indistinctly invaginated; posterior stalk anteriorly narrower.

Description of male (holotype): Colour in alcohol (slightly darker in life): Body mostly light brown, carapace with indistinct cream-coloured and flowershaped area around fovea. Chelicerae with proximal portion cream-coloured, distal portion light brown. Cheliceral fangs, palpal tarsi and sclerites of palpal organ reddish brown (darker than rest of body). Legs with indistinct annulations (light median rings) on all tibiae and metatarsi; legs and palps with a light distal zone on patellae. Opisthosomal tergite I uniformly light brown, following tergites with increasingly larger light areas in posterior part (except for bases of paired para-median spines); membranous part of opisthosoma cream-coloured.

Bristles on carapace: Stiff bristles on anterior and posterior margins, as well as on and behind eye mound; fewer weaker bristles on lateral margins and on posterior coxal elevations; no bristles anterior to fovea.

Cheliceral teeth: Twelve small teeth on promargin of cheliceral groove of each chelicera.

Scopula: All tarsi with indistinctly outlined scopula on roughly distal two-thirds of ventral side, only behind claw divided by a short median stripe; scopula on tarsus I very thin and its proximal limit difficult to identify; scopula on other tarsi denser and and more clearly delimited.

Claws: Paired tarsal claws with 3-4 denticles on anterior legs, 4-5 denticles on posterior legs; unpaired claws with one indistinct denticle or without.

Palp: Tibial apophysis well-developed and quite long, slightly set back from anterior margin of tibia, distinctly pointing away from axis of tibia (Fig. 23B), carrying four very short megaspines, the ventral one being longest, a median one set back from distal margin (Fig. 23K). Distal margin of cymbium with elongate prodorsal lobe (Fig. 23J). Paracymbium quite large and moderately deep, with a distinct retrolateral-proximal bulge (Fig. 23A, C); cumulus indistinctly elevated, carrying few long stiff bristles (Fig. 23A, C). Subtegulum without apophysis. Tegulum with wide, sharp, non-dentate proximal edge (Fig. 23I). Contrategulum with somewhat widely conical (its apex narrowly rounded) ventral process; distal edge with long row of oblique parallel ridges pointing towards embolus; dorsal apex asymmetrical, quite small and narrow, with narrowly rounded tip (Fig. 23D). Paraembolic plate low, its distal margin angular (Fig. 23A, D, I); embolus proper with slightly widened and obliquely truncate apex (Fig. 23A, I), dorsal and ventral walls of sclerotised part equally wide and lying close to each other (Fig. 23D), retrolateral side enforced by a long, distinct keel (Fig. 23D, I); membranous part of embolus proper narrow, indistinct (Fig. 23H).

Measurements: Total length 9.96; carapace 4.51 long, 4.24 wide; opisthosoma 3.96 long, 2.61 wide; eye mound 0.64 long, 0.76 wide, AME well-developed; palpal coxae 0.99 long, 0.95 wide; labium 0.40 long, 0.87 wide; sternum 2.02 long, 1.47 wide (0.75 on ventral surface); palp 7.77 long (2.46 + 1.39 + 2.69 + 1.23); leg I 14.69 long (3.96 + 1.82 + 3.17 + 3.64 + 2.10); leg II 15.61 long (4.08 + 1.82 + 3.29 + 4.08 + 2.34); leg III 17.18 long (4.16 + 1.86 + 3.56 + 4.91 + 2.69); leg IV 21.62 long (5.07 + 1.90 + 4.51 + 6.69 + 3.45).

Description of female (allotype): Colour in alcohol (slightly darker in life): Mostly as in male, annulations on tibiae and metatarsi of legs slightly more distinct; palpal tarsus reddish brown only at tip. Opisthosomal tergites generally darker, light patches smaller.

Bristles on carapace: Mostly as in male, additionally with very few tiny bristles on anterior coxal elevations. Cheliceral teeth: Eleven strong teeth on promargin of left cheliceral groove, twelve on right side.

Claws: Each palpal claw with three worn denticles. Paired leg claws with 2-4 denticles; unpaired claws of legs I-III with 2-3 denticles, leg IV with 0-2. All tarsi without scopula.

Vulva: Posterior margin of genital sternite widely W-shaped (Fig. 24 C-D), in slightly posteroventral view posterior edge of posterior stalk clearly visible between paramedian lobes. Vulval plate (Fig. 24 C-D) wider than long; posterior part of poreplate partly unpigmented; CDO distinctly outlined, somewhat quadrangular, longer than wide (Fig. 24C), leading into large and complex receptacular cluster (Fig. 24D); the latter strongly protruding beyond slightly arched anterior margin of poreplate (Fig. 24C); posterior stalk strongly pigmented, trapezium-shaped, anteriorly much narrower than posteriorly, indistinctly separated from pigmented areas of poreplate, its posterior portion finely pitted and bent ventrad at right angles (Fig. 24B, showing paratype). Measurements: Total length 15.38; carapace 6.18 long, 4.91 wide; opisthosoma 6.49 long, 4.83 wide; eye mound 0.69 long, 0.82 wide; palpal coxae 1.90 long, 1.43 wide; labium 0.63 long, 1.43 wide; sternum 2.85 long, 1.90 wide (1.11 on ventral surface); palp 10.26 long (3.33 + 1.82 + 2.65 + 2.46); leg I 12.91 long (4.12 + 2.06 + 2.81 + 2.61 + 1.31); leg II 13.42 long (4.12 + 2.10 + 2.85 + 2.81 + 1.54); leg III 14.30 long (4.20 + 2.14 + 2.93 + 3.33 + 1.70); leg IV 19.46 long (5.23 + 2.38 + 4.08 + 5.39 + 2.38).

Variation: Carapace lengths in males (n=9) 4.42- 5.23, carapace width 4.02-4.76; in females with welldeveloped copulatory organs (n=9) 5.54-5.85 and 4.61-5.04, respectively. In a male and in a female one of the two AME is absent, in all other specimens both are distinct. In two males (including the holotype) the W-shaped marking behind the eye mound is indiscernible, in the other males it is more or less well-developed. No noteworthy variation in size and density of the tarsal scopula of males was detected. The arrangement of distal megaspines on the tibial apophysis of the male palp is quite variable (Fig. 23 K- O). A male paratype has fewer bristles on the cumulus of both palps than the other males; one of the cumulus bristles of the illustrated holotype palp runs to the dorsal side of the palpal organ (Fig. 23A, C). The dorsal apex of the contrategulum is narrowly rounded to pointed (Fig. 23 D-G). Variation in the shape of the vulval plates is shown in Fig. 24. The CDO is small to large, wider than long or longer than wide, circular, elliptical or quadrangular (Fig. 24A, C, E-F). The posterior stalk is more or less distinctly separated from the pigmented area of the poreplate. The lateral walls of the genital atrium are developed as narrow folds (Fig. 24D) or as simple trenches. Three of the females examined have 1-2 lateral hairs on only one side of the genital atrium (Fig. 24 A-B, E-F), the allotype has none (Fig. 24 C-D).

Distribution: Known only from two caves in the same limestone hill (Fig. 1, locality 18) in the north of peninsular Malaysia.

Biology: The spiders examined were all collected in different zones (from the euphotic entrance area to the aphotic interior) of both caves. No such spiders were found in the adjacent degraded rain forest. Despite apparently being confined to these caves, L. priceae sp. nov. shows no noteworthy cave adaptations in its morphology.

Quite short burrows with a single door and relatively long signal lines (no measurements were taken), as usual for cave-dwelling Liphistius, were built in horizontal or sloping loam at or near the cave entrance, as well as in cracks and holes of the walls at the entrance and in deeper portions of the caves. No sac-like retreats on rock surface, as constructed by some other cave-dwelling Liphistius, were seen. The trapdoor of the largest female was 1.4 cm long and 2.4 cm wide, in penultimate and adult males they were 1.15-1.6 long and 1.55-2.0 wide. Three males were adult when collected in early June 2004; four others matured not long afterwards, between late July and late September; the remaining two males matured in mid-July and late August of the following year. Adult females usually moulted twice per year: between March and August and again between September and January. No egg cases were found in the field and no eggs were laid in captivity, which means that the females had not yet mated when collected in early June.