Touranella jaegeri Likhitrakarn, 2025

Touranella jaegeri Likhitrakarn sp. nov.

Figs 10 View Figure 10 , 11 View Figure 11 , 12 View Figure 12

Type material.

Holotype • ♂ ( SMF -SM-01 ), Laos, Bolikhamsay Province, Lak Sao, Tham Mankhone , 501 m, 18°13'16.1"N, 104°48'45.9"E, 21. 7. 2016, leg. P. Jäger GoogleMaps . Paratypes: • 1 ♂ ( SMF -SM-01 ), same locality, together with holotype GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

The new species closely resembles both T. chenla sp. nov. and T. champasak , especially in its moniliform body with significantly reduced paraterga (Fig. 4 A – H View Figure 4 , 7 A – H View Figure 7 ). However, it differs from T. chenla sp. nov. by possessing a broader and better expanded apical process d, which arises proximal to the lamina lateralis (Figs 11 View Figure 11 , 12 View Figure 12 ) (vs a slender, long, curved, apical process d that rises distal to the lamina lateralis (Figs 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 )), coupled with a larger size, measuring 21.4–22.6 mm long (vs smaller, 15.2 mm long). In comparison to T. champasak , this species has pleurosternal carinae with complete crests and sharp caudal teeth on rings 2–4, and absent from ring 5 (vs present until ring 17 and absent thereafter). ♂ legs are 1.3–1.5 × as long as midbody height (vs longer, 1.7–1.8 ×), and ♂ tarsal brushes present until ring 10 (vs until ring 16).

Description.

Length 21.4–22.6 (♂), width of midbody pro- and metazona 2.6–2.8 and 3.2–3.3 mm (♂), respectively. Coloration of live animals dark brown-orange (Fig. 10 A View Figure 10 ), with a contrasting longitudinal pale yellow-orange stripe, this being narrow on prozona, but characteristically bead-shaped and broadened on metazona; paraterga, epiproct, and venter pale orange to pale yellow; head and antennae dark brown; legs contrasting pale orange, a few basal podomeres pale yellow to pallid. Coloration in alcohol after eight years of preservation faded to dark brown; antennae dark brown and increasingly faded distally; paraterga, venter, and epiproct pale brown to pallid; and podomeres pallid, basal podomeres of legs pallid, increasingly dark brown distally (Fig. 10 B – J View Figure 10 ).

Clypeolabral region and vertex sparsely setose, epicranial suture distinct. Antennae long, reaching until ring 5 when stretched dorsally (Fig. 10 A View Figure 10 ). In width, ring 3 = 4 <collum <ring 2 <5 <6–17 (♂); thereafter body gently and gradually tapering towards telson. Collum with three transverse rows of setae: 3 + 3 anterior, 2 + 2 intermediate, and 4 + 4 posterior; caudal corner very narrowly rounded, paraterga slightly declined ventrally, not produced past rear tergal margin (Fig. 10 A, B View Figure 10 ).

Tegument smooth and shining, prozona finely shagreened, metaterga nearly smooth, faintly rugulose and leathery (Fig. 10 B – F, H View Figure 10 ) Postcollum metaterga each with two transverse rows of setae: 2 + 2 in anterior and 3 + 3 in posterior row, the latter traceable as insertion points when setae broken off. Tergal setae simple, short, slender, ~ 1 / 5 metatergal length. Axial line visible on metazona, traceable also on prozona. Paraterga weak (Fig. 10 A – F, H View Figure 10 ), slightly upturned posteriorly, lying at ~ 1 / 2 midbody height, lateral edge without incisions. Paraterga 2 subhorizontal, broad in dorsal view, thin in lateral view, anterior edge well-developed, slightly rounded and oblique laterally, caudal tip rounded, slightly produced past rear tergal margin (Fig. 10 B, C View Figure 10 ).

Paraterga 3 and 4 with evident lateral bulges, caudal corner very broadly rounded, not produced past rear tergal margin (Fig. 10 B, C View Figure 10 ). Following rings with small lateral bulges, not produced past rear tergal margin, broader on pore-bearing rings (Fig. 10 B, D, F View Figure 10 ). Calluses on paraterga delimited by a sulcus both dorsally and ventrally. Ozopores evident, lateral, each lying in an ovoid groove at ~ 1 / 3 metatergal length in front of posterior edge of metaterga (Fig. 10 E, H View Figure 10 ). Transverse metatergal sulci usually distinct (Fig. 10 B – F, H View Figure 10 ), incomplete on ring 17, complete on rings 5–16, shallow, not reaching the bases of paraterga, at most faintly beaded at bottom. Stricture between pro- and metazona wide and rather deep, ribbed at bottom down to base of paraterga (Fig. 10 B – E View Figure 10 ). Pleurosternal carinae complete crests with sharp caudal teeth on rings 2–4, thereafter missing (Fig. 10 C, E, H View Figure 10 ).

Epiproct (Fig. 10 F – H View Figure 10 ) conical, flattened dorsoventrally, tip subtruncate, subapical lateral papillae small, but visible, lying close to tip. Hypoproct roundly subtrapeziform, small setigerous knobs at caudal edge small and well-separated (Fig. 10 G View Figure 10 ).

Sterna sparsely setose, without modifications (Fig. 10 G View Figure 10 ); an entire, high, rounded, linguiform, setose, sternal lobe between ♂ coxae 4 (Fig. 10 I, J View Figure 10 ). A paramedian pair of evident tubercles in front of gonopodal aperture. Legs long and slender, midbody ones ~ 1.3–1.5 as long as body height; prefemora without modifications; ♂ tarsal brushes present until ring 10 (♂).

Gonopods relatively simple and suberect (Figs 11 View Figure 11 , 12 View Figure 12 ). Coxite slightly curved caudally, rather densely setose distodorsally (Fig. 11 A, B View Figure 11 ). Prefemoral part (pfe) densely setose, ~ 1 / 4 as long as acropodite (femoral + postfemoral parts) (Fig. 11 A – C View Figure 11 ). Femorite (fe) strongly reduced, without femoral processes, bearing a medial, strong, long, flagelliform solenomere (sl), twisted distally, and with an oblique lateral sulcus defining a postfemoral part (Fig. 11 A, B View Figure 11 ). Solenophore (sph) long, rather slender, slightly curved caudally, sheathing most of solenomere (sl), directed caudally, with a lateral shoulder (u) at base (Figs 11 C, D View Figure 11 , 12 A, D, E View Figure 12 ). Solenophore consisting of a well-developed, strongly twisted lamina lateralis (ll) and a smaller, slightly twisted lamina medialis (lm) (Fig. 11 A – D View Figure 11 ). Tip of the lamina lateralis (ll) split into two broad, expanded apical laminae, a median lamina with a small denticle, and halfway bearing a broad, expanded apical lamina (Figs 11 A, D View Figure 11 , 12 C – F View Figure 12 ), subtruncate tip process d rising proximal to lamina lateralis (Fig. 11 A, B View Figure 11 ).

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality, apparently endemic to the central part of Laos.

Etymology.

To honor Dr. Peter Jäger, a renowned arachnologist from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, who collected the type specimens of this species.

Remarks.

The new species was discovered during a survey undertaken as part of the Laos Biodiversity Survey project.

Key to the currently known species of Touranella (chiefly based on ♂), modified after Nguyen et al. (2023)