Tapinocyba virga sp. nov.

Figs 9, 10, 11, 12

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Chongqing Municipality, Jiangjin District, Tanghe Town Gunziping Jianshanzi, Dayuandong, 28°55′46.81″N, 106°5′13.45″E, 752 m a. s. l., 2023. III. 5, Wang L. Y. et al. leg.; SWUC -T-LIN-29-01 . Paratypes: 1 ♂ 3 ♀; same location data as holotype; SWUC -T-LIN-29-02 to SWUC -T-LIN-29-05 • 1 ♂; Tanghe Town Gunziping Jianshanzi, Dayuandong, 28°55′46.81″N, 106°5′13.45″E, 752 m a. s. l., 2023. III. 25, Wang L. Y. et al. leg.; SWUC -T-LIN-29-06 • 2 ♂; Baisha Town, Zhang Gongshan, Xiannu Cave, 28°57′10.27″N, 106°8′57.34″E, 809 m a. s. l., 2023. III. 5, Wang L. Y. et al. leg.; SWUC -T-LIN-29-07 & SWUC -T-LIN-29-08 • 2 ♂; Tanghe Town Gunziping Jianshanzi, Dayuandong, 28°55′46.81″N, 106°5′13.45″E, 752 m a. s. l., 2023. II. 5, Wang L. Y. et al. leg.; SWUC -T-LIN-29-09 & SWUC -T-LIN-29-10 • 1 ♀; Tanghe Town, Longyuemen, Dayuandong, Gunziping Management Station, 28°55′43.93″N, 106°5′20.81″E, 773 m a. s. l., 2023. II. 5, Wang L. Y. et al. leg.; SWUC -T-LIN-29-11 .

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin noun virga, meaning “ rod ” and referring to the somewhat rod-like dorsal tibial apophysis of the male palp.

Diagnosis.

The male of Tapinocyba virga sp. nov. resembles T. praecox (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1873) in having the similar embolic division (Figs 9 A – D, 10 A – C; Hormiga 2000: fig. 27 A – E, pl. 62 A – F) and can be distinguished by the ocular region modified in T. virga sp. nov. (Fig. 11 B; vs not modified); tibia with three apophyses (DTA, PTA and RTA) in T. virga sp. nov. (Fig. 9 A, B, D; vs tibia with one apophysis); anterior radical apophysis present in T. virga sp. nov. (Figs 10 A, C; vs absent); and embolus as long as radix with bifurcated tip in T. virga sp. nov. (Figs 9 A, 10 A; vs much shorter than radix with pointed tip). The female of T. virga sp. nov. resembles T. triangularis sp. nov. in having the similar ventral and dorsal plate (Fig. 10 D – H; Fig. 7 D – H) and can be distinguished by the spermathecae oval in T. virga sp. nov. (Fig. 10 G, H; vs globular); copulatory opening longer than wide in T. virga sp. nov. (Fig. 10 D vs as long as wide).

Description.

Male (holotype, Fig. 11 A – C): total length 1.69; carapace 0.79 long, 0.59 wide, brown, cephalic region slightly elevated, cephalic pits absent, fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.20 high. Chelicerae with six promarginal and five retromarginal teeth. Sternum yellowish brown longer than wide, shield-like with microsetae. Ocular region strongly curved, extending above clypeus, eyes: AER recurved, PER procurved, slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.03, ALE 0.04, PME 0.06, PLE 0.05, AME – AME 0.03, PME – PME 0.07, AME – ALE, 0.01, PME – PLE 0.02, AME – PME 0.07, ALE – ALE 0.19, PLE – PLE 0.21, ALE – PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 1.88 (0.55, 0.21, 0.46, 0.39, 0.27), II 1.73 (0.52, 0.19, 0.41, 0.33, 0.28), III 1.44 (0.41, 0.17, 0.31, 0.30, 0.25), IV 2.51 (0.56, 0.20, 0.48, 0.36, 0.29). TmI 0.54 and TmIV absent. Tibial spine formula: 1-1 - 1 - 1. Opisthosoma 0.96 long, 0.66 wide, oval, greenish.

Palp (holotype, Fig. 9 A – D, a paratype SWUC -T-LIN-29-02, Fig. 10 A – C). Femur unmodified, almost as long as both patella and tibia. Patella longer than tibia. Tibia widest at distal end, with one retrolateral and one dorsal trichobothria, with two apophyses; dorsal tibial apophysis rod-like, two-third length of tibia; prolateral tibial apophysis (PTA) thumb-shaped with tapering tip in dorsal view; retrolateral tibial apophysis D-shaped; paracymbium J-shaped, basally with setae, distal arm tip hook-shaped with blunt end; tegulum almost round, ventrally bulging above the subtegulum, protegulum distinct, membranous; suprategulum small, with distinct median suprategular apophysis, distal suprategular apophysis membranous; embolic division simple, consisting of a radix longer than wide; tailpiece slightly curved with blunt tip; anterior radical process one-third the length of embolus, with blunt tip; median membrane short, present in between embolus and distal suprategular apophysis; embolus almost as long as radix, with bifurcated tip.

Female (paratype SWUC -T-LIN-29-03, Fig. 11 D, E): total length 1.86; carapace 0.91 long, 0.62 wide, cephalic region slightly elevated, brown, fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.10 high. Chelicerae with six promarginal and five retromarginal teeth. Sternum shield-shaped, longer than wide, yellowish brown with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER slightly procurved, slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.03, ALE 0.06, PME 0.06, PLE 0.05, AME – AME 0.03, PME – PME 0.06, AME – ALE, 0.02, PME – PLE 0.02, AME – PME 0.05, ALE – ALE 0.26, PLE – PLE 0.28, ALE – PLE 0.01. Length of legs: I 2.1 (0.57, 0.22, 0.51, 0.43, 0.37), II 1.99 (0.60, 0.23, 0.45, 0.38, 0.33), III 1.67 (0.52, 0.18, 0.36, 0.35, 0.26), IV 2.22 (0.66, 0.19, 0.55, 0.46, 0.33). TmI 0.50 and TmIV absent. Tibial spine formula: 1-1 - 1 - 1. Opisthosoma 1.10 long, 0.75 wide, oval, greenish, dorsally with a pair of sigillae, ventral side greenish black.

Epigyne (Fig. 10 D – H). Epigynal plate two times wider than long; ventral plate tapering ventrally, posteriorly with round hole followed by sclerotized ventral pit on its frontal face; dorsal plate almost rectangular, longer than wide; copulatory opening located posteriorly at the base of dorsal plate; copulatory ducts large, curving into two loops; spermathecae located dorsolaterally, spaced by three diameters; fertilization ducts large and sinuous.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 12).

Habitat.

The specimens of the species described here were collected from leaf litter in broad-leaved and coniferous forests.