Trachelas japonicus Bösenberg et Strand, 1906

(Figs. 23–35)

Trachelas japonicus Bösenberg & Strand 1906: 294, pl. 16, f. 504; Yaginuma, 1986: 183, f. 102.5; Chikuni, 1989: 128, f. 28; Paik, 1991: 201, f. 12–23; Chen & Zhang, 1991: 253, f. 265.1–3; Song, Chen & Zhu, 1997: 1727, f. 33a–b; Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 429, f. 255S–T; Song, Zhu & Chen, 2001: 324, f. 209A–H; Kim & Lee, 2008: 1872, f. 2A–I, 3A–J, 6F–O.

Trachelas japonica Yaginuma 1960: 114, f. 92.5–6; Chen & Zhang, 1982: 36, f. 8–9; Hu, 1984: 305, f. 319.3–4; Chen & Gao, 1990: 156, f. 199.

Trachelas japonius Feng, 1990: 170, f. 145.

Diagnosis. Among its close Trachelas relatives in China, this species is very similar to Trachelas sinensis Chen, Peng et Zhao, 1995, can be distinguished from the latter only by: (1) bursa globose, while club-shaped in the latter; (2) the shape of the tibial apophysis; (3) the pattern of the abdomen.

Redescription. Male. Total body length 3.10–3.73. A male was measured (Mt. Damao), total length 3.23: cephalothorax 1.28 long, 1.13 wide; abdomen 1.95 long, 1.48 wide. Carapace red brown (Fig. 23), ovoid in dorsal view, truncate at posterior margin, highest at fovea, covered with short pale erect setae arising from minute granulations. Cephalic groove and radial furrow brown. Fovea dark brown, club-shaped, distinct, located on posterior slope of carapace. Eye diameters: AME 0.06, ALE 0.09, PME 0.07, PLE 0.07; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PME 0.07, PME–PLE 0.07; MOA 0.17 long, anterior width 0.13, posterior width 0.25. Clypeal height 0.10; clypeal margin straight and usually without chilum. Chelicerae (Fig. 24) moderately long, red-brown, covered with numerous granulations, and with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium (Fig. 25) dark brown; endites widest anteriorly, with longitudinal depression on inner part, a maxillar hair tuft prolaterally; labium slightly wider than long, tip rounded and with several setae. Sternum (Fig. 25) light brown, shield-shaped, with regular brown markings and sclerotized intercoxal sclerites. Legs light brown, without spines and cusps (Figs. 26, 27). Leg formula: 1423 (Table 7).

Abdomen yellow brown, with two pairs of sigilla medially and several pairs of white irregular markings on both sides on its dorsal surface. Venter of abdomen light brown.

Male palp as illustrated (Figs 33–35). Femur largely concave on the distal part ventrally; patella with long finger-shaped apophysis ventrally and a small distal apophysis dorsally; tibia from retrolateral view with a rectangular central apophysis and a triangular distal apophysis (Fig. 35). Cymbium round at base, long and slender, bent ventrally on distal part and without cymbial furrow; tegulum rounded at base, twisted sperm duct from embolus to upper part of tegulum. Embolus broad, curved, flattened and relatively long (Fig. 33), originating prolaterally, with broad tip composed of membranous and sclerotised parts. Tegulum with a hookshaped thickened anteroventral rim (Fig. 34). Conductor large and long, elongate oval, situated prolaterally distally.

Variation. A male specimen collected from Mt. Baishi, Laiyuan County, Hebei Province, right metatarsus II (Fig. 28), and metatarsus and tarsus I (Fig. 29), all with cusps. Clypeal margin (Fig. 30) straight, with a triangular chilum.

Female. Carapace colour, eye arrangement, abdominal colouration as for male. Total body length 3.67– 4.50. A female specimen was measured (Mt. Damao), total length 3.89; cephalothorax 1.62 long, 1.30 wide; abdomen 2.07 long, 1.44 wide. Clypeus 0.10. Eye diameters: AME 0.07, ALE 0.10, PME 0.08, PLE 0.08; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PME 0.08, PME–PLE 0.08; MOA 0.18 long, anterior width 0.15, posterior width 0.27. Legs without spines and cusps. Leg formula: 1423 (Table 8).

Epigynum as illustrated (Figs 31–32). Atrial hood of epigynum oval, situated anteriorly; copulatory openings concave, long, expanded to oval atrial hood on the anterior part. Bursa (= spermatheca 2) oval, situated laterally of copulatory openings. Spermathecae small, globose, smaller than bursa, situated in the posterior part of epigynum, connecting with the copulatory ducts through thinner and longer ducts. Fertilization ducts short, arising from the posterolateral ends of the spermathecae.

Material examined. CHINA: Hebei, Tang County, Mt. Damao, 2Ƥ, 23, 4 May 2007, F. Zhang and L. M. Zhu leg; 1Ƥ, 5 June 2001, Y. J. Yang and J. X. Zhang leg. (MHBU). Laiyuan County, Mt. Baishi, 5Ƥ, 23, 2 May 2008, F. Zhang and L. M. Zhu leg. (MHBU). Zhuolu County, Xiaowutai Natural Reserve, Village Yangjiaping, 1Ƥ, 4 July 2004, F. Zhang leg. (MHBU). Hunan, Yanling County, Village Zhong, 1Ƥ, 19 May 2002, Y. J. Yang leg. (MHBU). Liaoning, Kuandian County, Mt. Huangyi, 2 Ƥ, 5 July 2003, F. Zhang leg. (MHBU).

Distribution. China (Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Hunan); Japan; Korea.