Asianopis apo, Omelko & Fomichev, 2025

Omelko, Mikhail M. & Fomichev, Alexander A., 2025, New data on Asianopis (Aranei: Deinopidae) in Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 5637 (2), pp. 311-325 : 321-324

Asianopis apo sp. nov.

( Figs 9–10 , 15 , 20 , 35–38 , 43–44 , 49–53 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE ♀ ( ZMMU), PHILIPPINES: Mindanao Isl.: Cotabato Prov., Apo Mt. , 7° 1’N, 125°13’E, 1350 m, 26– 30.01.1995 (A.M. Emelyanov).

Etymology. The species is named after Mount Apo, where it was collected, noun in apposition

Diagnosis. Female of A. apo sp. nov. is most similar to those of A. naumenkoi sp. nov. (see diagnosis of the latter species). From A. labangan the new species can be distinguished by the number of copulatory ducts turns (5 vs. 3; cf. Fig. 50 and Barrion-Dupo & Barrion 2018: fig. 5A).

Description. Female. Total length 18.48. Carapace: 6.07 long, 4.21 wide.Abdomen: 12.44 long, 6.20 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances:AME 0.17,ALE 0.39, PME 0.90, PLE 0.34, AME–AME 0.28, AME–ALE 1.30, PME–PME 0.21, PME–PLE 1.29, AME–PME 0.19. Palp measurements: 5.97 (2.15, 0.80, 1.15, -, 1.87). Leg measurements: I: 46.16 (13.82, 2.38, 12.18, 15.11, 2.67). II: 40.97 (13.23, 2.30, 11.28, 11.47, 2.69). III: 24.56 (8.69, 1.85, 6.11, 6.42, 1.49). IV: 24.42 (8.61, 1.79, 6.80, 6.13, 1.09).

Coloration. Clypeus brown. Areas around AME, ALE and PME covered with white plumose setae. Chelicerae yellow with brown spits and stripes anteriorly, 6 pro-, 6 retrolateral teeth and number of retrolateral denticles. Carapace brown posteriorly and yellow anteriorly with yellow median and lateral bands. Sternum light brown with darker edges. Labium and endites yellow.

Palpal femur, patella and tibia light brow; cymbium light brown proximally, dark brown distally. Legs coloration. Coxae dark gray with irregular yellow spots; femora I brown with proximal parts on ventral side black, II brown, with black and light brown spots ventrally, III brown with black ventral side and light spots; IV brown with light yellow spots ventrally; patellae I–II light brown, III–IV brown; tibiae I–II light brown, III–IV brown with yellow irregular spots; metatarsi I light brown with brown spots, II brown, III brown with yellow irregular spots, IV brown proximally, light brown distally; tarsi brown. Сalamistrum represented by dense row of short black setae ( Fig. 44 ). Calamistrum length/metatarsus length ratio ca. 0.28. Femora I, III with large humps (Hu) covered with strong short spines (SP, figs 35–38). Humps height/femur width ratio ca. 0.16.

Dorsal side of abdomen yellow anteriorly and dark brown posteriorly, with longitudinal dark stripe and two thin slash stripes medially. Sides of abdomen light brown with numerous yellow spots and wavy line. Venter light yellow with brown longitudinal stripe and two spots medially. Spinnerets dark brown.

Epigyne as in Figs 49–52 . Median plate (MP) anchor-shaped in ventral view, trapezoidal posterio-ventrally, width/length ratio 2. Copulatory openings (CO) distinct. Copulatory ducts (CD) with five loops. Receptacles (Re) oval, almost touching each other. Receptacle ducts (RD) long, narrow.

Male unknown.

Notes. Currently, two species of Asianopis are known from the Philippines: A. labangan and A. luzonensis (Mindanao and Luzon, respectively). Both of these species are known only from the original descriptions ( Barrion-Dupo & Barrion 2018) by females. Unfortunately, a precise comparison between the species previously known from Philippines and the newly described Asianopis naumenkoi sp. nov. and A. apo sp. nov. is difficult because the original description is accompanied by only very schematic black-and-white illustrations, and for A. luzonensis , the internal structures of the epigyne are not illustrated. We sent photographs of our new Asianopis species to Mrs. Barrion-Dupo for comparison with the types of A. labangan and A. luzonensis , and received a response stating, ‘…these may be different…’, but unfortunately, extensive searches for the types in the museum collection were unsuccessful. It is important to note that A. naumenkoi sp. nov. and A. apo sp. nov. were found far from the type localities of A. labangan and A. luzonensis . The type locality of A. apo sp. nov. and the locality of A. labangan differ in elevation, with the former occurring in high-altitude areas and the latter in low-altitude areas. The distance between the type locality of A. naumenkoi sp. nov. and A. luzonensis is about 170 kilometers, with the species found in isolated mountain ranges. Given these geographical differences, as well as the morphological distinctions indicated in the diagnoses, we believe that A. naumenkoi sp. nov. and A. apo sp. nov. are distinct species, and the likelihood that they are junior synonyms of known Philippine species is very low.

Distribution. Type locality only, Philippines ( Fig. 53 ).

Figures

FIGURE 53. Distribution records of Asianopis spp in Indomalayan Realm and New Guinea: A. aruensis (1), A. camela (2), A. celebensis (3), A. dumogae (4), A. fasciculiger (5), A. goalparaensis (6), A. gorochovi (7), A. kollari (8), A. konplong (9); A. labangan (10), A. liukuensis (11), A. luzonensis (12), A. reticulata (13), A. wangi (14), A. wuchaoi (15), A. zhuanghaoyuni (16), A. mediocris (17), A. lini sp. nov. (18), A. naumenkoi sp. nov. (19), A. apo sp. nov. (20).

FIGURES 1–10. General appearance of Asianopis lini sp. nov. (1–2), A. gorochovi (3–4), A. liukuensis (5–6), A. naumenkoi sp. nov. (7–8) and A. apo sp. nov. (9–10). 1, 3, 5—male, dorsal; 2, 4, 6—ditto, ventral; 7, 9—female, dorsal; 8, 10—ditto, ventral. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURES 11–15. Prosoma of Asianopis lini sp. nov. (11), A. gorochovi (12), A. liukuensis (13), A. naumenkoi sp. nov. (14) and A. apo sp. nov. (15). 11–15—anterior. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 16–20. Chelicerae of Asianopis lini sp. nov. (16), A. gorochovi (17), A. liukuensis (18), A. naumenkoi sp. nov. (19) and A. apo sp. nov. (20). 16–20—posterior. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 35–40. Legs of Asianopis apo sp. nov. (35–38) and A. naumenkoi sp. nov. (39–40). 35—humps with spines on femora I; 38, 40—ditto, on femora I and III, prolateral; 36—femora I–II; 37, 39—all legs, dorsal. Arrows indicate short spines. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (35, 38, 40), 2 mm (36, 37, 39). Abbreviations: Hu—hump, SP—short spine.

FIGURES 41–44. Lateral side of abdomen (41, 43) and calamistrum on metatarsus IV (42, 44) of Asianopis naumenkoi sp. nov. (41–42) and A. apo sp. nov. (43–44). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 45–52. Epigyne of A. naumenkoi sp. nov. (45–48) and A. apo sp. nov. (49–52). 45, 49—ventral; 46, 50—dorsal; 47, 51—median plate, posterior-ventral; 48, 52—ditto, posterior. Scale bars=0.2 mm. Abbreviations: CD—copulatory duct, CO—copulatory opening, MP—median plate, Re—receptacle.