Cheiracanthiidae Cheiracanthium

"Cheiracanthium" sp. "White-blotched"

White-blotched Long-jawed Sac Spider

Like Cheiracanthium sp. D but unlike most other Cheiracanthium featured in this book, the dorsum of this cream-coloured species is decorated with two rows of irregular white blotches. Legs I of this species are longer than other legs (as in other Cheiracanthium), but in adult males, these legs are proportionately longer than the Cheiracanthium norm. It also differs from other Cheiracanthium males by having flexible and proportionally longer metatarsi I, and chelicerae that project diagonally forward (rather than downwards). Such leg and cheliceral characters set this species apart from the typical Cheiracanthium, and suggest an affiliation with the genera Calamoneta and Calamopus (found in Thailand and Indonesia). In both genera, all described species have forward-pointing chelicerae, and disproportionately long legs I with flexible and elongated metatarsus I. However, a cymbial spur is present in the male palp of this species, a character absent in Calamoneta. Based on the lower photograph, the cymbial spur is straight and points posterio-laterally, contrary to one of the most diagnostic characters of Calamopus: a cymbial spur bent at the base, with the tip pointing almost anteriorly.

In summary, this species shows several characters that fall outside the current definitions of Calamoneta, Calamopus and Cheiracanthium. The uncertainty about its identity is compounded by the lack of mature specimens. The mature male featured on this page was not collected, while the specimen pictured on the left is a sub-adult female. For all these reasons, the placement of this under Cheiracanthium should be regarded as provisional, pending further study when mature specimens are available.