The new Southeast Asian goblin spider genus Aposphragisma (Araneae, Oonopidae): diversity and phylogeny

Abstract

The new genus Aposphragisma (Araneae, Oonopidae, Oonopinae) comprising the new species A. baltenspergerae, A. borgulai, A. brunomanseri, A. confluens, A. dayak, A. dentatum, A. draconigenum, A. hausammannae, A. helvetiorum, A. kolleri, A. menzi, A. monoceros, A. nocturnum, A. retifer, A. rimba, A. salewskii, A. scimitar, A. sepilok and A. stannum is described. It is characterised by very hard bodied, strongly sclerotized species with completely armoured prosoma and strongly sclerotized ventral and dorsal abdominal scuta. Aposphragisma gen. nov. is placed within the Gamasomorpha-group sensu Saaristo (2001). Descriptions and illustrations are given for all new species. A phylogenetic analysis based on 40 characters using Prethopalpus fosuma, Gamasomorpha asterobothros, G. cataphracta, G. seximpressa, Xestaspis biflocci, X. kandy and X. paulina as outgroup-taxa and Cortestina thaleri (Oonopidae, Sulsulinae) as the root is presented and discussed. Furthermore it is shown that females of Aposphragisma gen. nov. possess complex internal genitalia. The members of the new genus are ground-dwelling litter inhabitants restricted to Southeast Asian lowland and montane forests, with more than 60% of the species only known from single localities. They are presumed to be negatively affected by the massive destruction of pristine forest habitats within their range. This work has been conducted within the framework of the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (PBI) of Oonopidae (see http://research.amnh.org/oonopidae).

Description of three new species of Aposphragisma Thoma, 2014 (Araneae: Oonopidae) from Sumatra, Indonesia

“…Males and females were matched based on the following criteria: (1) collected in the same sample, (2) body size, and (3) punctuation pattern and colouration. Morphological nomenclature follows Thoma et al (2014).…”

“…From A.brunomanseri Thoma, 2014 it can be separated by the presence of only one pair of prosomal spikes (Fig. 1G), the latter species having two pairs of spikes (Thoma et al 2014; fig. 2E, F); males are differentiated from A.kolleri Thoma, 2014 by their strongly twisted tip of the embolus (Fig.…”

“…The genus Aposphragisma most resembles the genera Gamasomorpha Karsch, 1881 and Xestaspis Simon, 1884 (Thoma et al 2014) but they can be differentiated based on the combination of the following characters: hard-bodied spiders; sternum with microsculpture; dorsal and ventral abdominal scuta not fused; labium strongly incised; legs without spines. Furthermore, males are distinguished by their palpal bulb bearing an apical embolus closely associated with a laminar conductor (Thoma et al 2014).…”

“…Furthermore, males are distinguished by their palpal bulb bearing an apical embolus closely associated with a laminar conductor (Thoma et al 2014). …”

“…In 2014, Thoma described the new South East Asian genus Aposphragisma Thoma, 2014 including 19 new species, from which only one species was described from Sumatra, A.borgulai Thoma, 2014 (Thoma et al 2014). Here we present the description of three new species of Aposphragisma from Sumatra.…”