Luthela schensiensis ( Schenkel, 1953 ) Xu & Yu & Liu & Li, 2022

Xu, Xin, Yu, Li, Liu, Fengxiang & Li, Daiqin, 2022, Delimitation of the segmented trapdoor spider genus Luthela gen. nov., with comments on the genus Sinothela from northern China (Araneae, Mesothelae, Liphistiidae), Zootaxa 5091 (1), pp. 131-154 : 145-148

Luthela schensiensis ( Schenkel, 1953) , comb. nov.

( Figs 10A–K , 11A–P )

Liphistius sinensis schensiensis Schenkel,1953: 1 (the subspecies was described based on one female collected from Tongyuanfang, Gaoling, Shaanxi Province, 8 October 1916, deposited at Museum Hoangho-Peiho in Tientsin [corresponding to Huanghebaihe in Tianjin and Yellow River-Haihe River in Tianjin, in Chinese and English, respectively], lost).

Liphistius schensiensis: Gertsch, 1967: 115 .

Heptathela sinensis schensiensis: Haupt, 1983: 285 .

Heptathela xianensis: Zhu & Wang, 1983: 131 ; Wang & Zhu, 1984: 403.

Heptathela schensiensis: Platnick & Sedgwick, 1984: 4 ; Song & Haupt, 1984: 447; Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 33.

Liphistius heyangensis Zhu & Wang, 1984: 251 (holotype: female, from Heyang, Shaanxi Province, 30 June 1982, deposited at Bethune Medical University, now College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, type presumed to be lost). Syn. nov.

Abcathela schensiensis: Ono, 2000: 150 .

Sinothela heyangensi s : Haupt, 2003: 71.

Sinothela schensiensis: Haupt, 2003: 71 ; Xu et al., 2015a: 139.

Heptathela heyangensis: Platnick, 1989: 57 .

Abcathela heyangensis: Ono, 2000: 150 .

Material examined. 3 males (XUX-2011-241/242/247, matured on 10 July 2012 at CBEE) and 7 females (XUX- 2011-243/245/248/249/251/253/254), Kangjiapo Village , Heyang County, Shaanxi Province, China, 35.242°N, 110.155E, 730 m, collected on 1 December, 2011 ; 3 males (XUX-2011-255/264 matured on 10 July 2012, XUX- 2011-263 matured on 13 June 2013, at CBEE) and 10 females (XUX-2011-256–262/265/266/269), Quyang Village , Tongyuan, Gaoling County, Shaanxi Province, China, 35.546°N, 109.040E, 390 m, collected on 2 December, 2011 ; 1 male (XUX-2011-273, matured on 10 July 2012 at CBEE), 34.493°N, 108.806E, 374 m, and 1 female (XUX- 2011-270), 34.498°N, 108.786E, 359 m, Taiping village , Jingyang County, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, China, collected on 3 December, 2011, by H.Z. Li, F.X. Liu, X.Y. Wang, and X. Xu. All in CBEE .

Diagnosis. Males of L. schensiensis resemble those of L. yiyuan sp. nov. and L. yuncheng sp. nov., but can be distinguished from those of L. yiyuan sp. nov. by the tegulum having a slightly smaller terminal apophysis ( Fig. 10F, 10G ), and the embolus with more longitudinal ribs retrolaterally ( Fig. 10G, 10K ); from those of L. yuncheng sp. nov. by the marginal apophysis and the dorsal extension of the terminal apophysis of the tegulum with irregular serrations ( Fig. 10G, 10K ); from those of L. dengfeng sp. nov. by the conductor with a longer lower spine ( Fig. 10G, 10K ); from those of L. handan sp. nov. by the contrategulum margin with slightly smaller teeth, and the dorsal extension of the terminal apophysis of the tegulum with irregular serrations ( Fig. 10G, 10K ); and from those of L. badong sp. n and L. taian sp. nov. by the conductor with small middle spines ( Fig. 10A–E, 10H, 10K ). Females of L. schensiensis differ from those of L. badong sp. nov. by the middle pair of receptacular clusters with slightly thicker and shorter stalks; from those of L. yiyuan sp. nov. by the middle pair of receptacular clusters with slightly longer stalks ( Fig. 11A–D, 11I–L ); from those of L. handan sp. nov., by the middle pair of receptacular clusters with slightly thicker stalks ( Fig. 11A–D ); from those of the other Luthela species by the bases of the middle stalks being close to each other ( Fig. 11A–D ).

Redescription. Male (XUX-2011-273). Carapace reddish brown; opisthosoma brown, with dark brown tergites; sternum narrow, much longer than wide; few long pointed hairs running over ocular mound in longitudinal row; chelicerae robust with promargin of groove with 11 denticles of variable size; legs with strong hairs and spines; opisthosoma with 12 tergites, second to fifth larger than others and the others small; 8 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 14.95, CL 7.05, CW 6.60, OL 7.15, OW 4.90; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; leg I 20.65 (6.05 + 2.75 + 4.15 + 5.05 + 2.65), leg II 20.85 (5.95 + 2.65 + 3.95 + 5.25 + 3.05), leg III 21.30 (5.65 + 2.55 + 3.75 + 6.40 + 2.95), leg IV 29.00 (7.20 + 2.95 + 5.35 + 8.95 + 4.55).

Palp: Prolateral paracymbium unpigmented and unsclerotized, numerous setae and spines at tip of paracymbium ( Fig. 10A–C ). Contrategulum with 7–10 teeth along margin, and distal tooth serrated ( Fig. 10A, 10D, 10H, 10J ). Tegulum with an irregular dentate marginal apophysis and an irregular dorsal extension of terminal apophysis, as well as smooth terminal apophysis ( Fig. 10C, 10F, 10G, 10I–K ). Conductor situated ventro-proximally on embolus, with two long spines, upper one parallel to the furrow of embolus distally, lower one pointed to contrategulum, and one or two small teeth situated at between two long spines ( Fig. 10A–C, 10D, 10H, 10K ). Embolus largely sclerotized, with a flat opening and several longitudinal ribs retrolaterally ( Fig. 10H, 10K ).

Female (XUX-2011-243). Carapace and opisthosoma similar to male; chelicerae robust with promargin of groove with 10 strong denticles of variable size; legs with strong hairs and spines; opisthosoma with 12 tergites, similar to male; 8 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 25.25, CL 10.35, CW 9.25, OL 14.75, OW 12.75; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; palp 16.30 (5.70 + 2.75 + 3.35 + 4.50), leg I 17.45 (4.85 + 3.05 + 3.55 + 3.75 + 2.25), leg II 19.15 (6.15 + 3.05 + 3.55 + 3.95 + 2.45), leg III 19.85 (6.05 + 3.15 + 3.45 + 4.45 + 2.75), leg IV 28.80 (7.65 + 3.75 + 5.35 + 8.00 + 4.05).

Genitalia: Posterior margin of genital sternite slightly incurved, two pairs of receptacular clusters, middle ones slightly smaller than lateral ones with stalks, close to each other, situated at anterior margin of bursa copulatrix, lateral ones situated at slightly dorsolateral position of bursa copulatrix with inconspicuous stalks ( Fig. 11A–P ).

Distribution. Shaanxi Province (Heyang, Gaoling, Jingyang)

Remarks. Males and females vary in body size: males (N = 7): BL 14.95–18.55, CL 6.75–7.85, CW 6.25–7.30, OL 7.15–10.45, OW 4.90–7.55; females (N = 18): BL 17.85–25.65, CL 7.55–10.25, CW 6.90–9.10, OL 9.05–16.65, OW 5.90–13.25.

There is intraspecific variation in male and female genital morphology and molecular markers. Specifically, for the male genitalia, there was considerable intraspecific variation in the number of the small middle spines of the conductor, either one ( Fig. 10A ) or two spines ( Fig. 10D, 10K ); in the position of the small spine, either close to the upper spine ( Fig. 10K ), close to the lower spine ( Fig. 10D ), or located at the middle of two long spines ( Fig. 10A ); in the tip shape of lower spine of the conductor, bifurcated ( Fig. 10D–F ) or not ( Fig. 10A, 10H ). Intraspecific variation was noted in the number of teeth (7–10) along the contrategulum margin, and the different shape of the serrated distal tooth ( Fig. 10A, 10D, 10H, 10J ).

For intraspecific variation in female genitalia, the posterior margin of the genital sternite may be incurved ( Fig. 11C, 11D, 11I–K ) or straight ( Fig. 11A, 11L ), the middle receptacular clusters were situated at the anterior margin of the bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 11A–J, 11L ), or at slightly dorsal part of the bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 11K, 11O ).

Intraspecific genetic distance ranges from 0% to 1.8% based on the K2P substitution model and COI nucleotide sequences (N = 18).

We treated L. heyangensis as a junior synonym of L. schensiensis for several reasons. First, L. heyangensis was diagnosed and described based exclusively on one female ( Zhu & Wang 1984). As liphistiid females exhibit considerable intraspecific variation in female genitalia ( Xu et al. 2017, 2019), it is difficult to diagnose the species based exclusively on female characters of a single specimen. Second, we collected intensively from the type localities of both L. heyangensis and L. schensiensis , and we examined and compared the newly collected males and females with the original descriptions and illustrations of both L. heyangensis and L. schensiensis ( Schenkel 1953; Song & Haupt 1984; Zhu & Wang 1984). All lines of evidence support the type female of L. heyangensis belonging to L. schensiensis . Third, there is very low genetic variation (1.8%) among the newly collected specimens from the type localities of both L. heyangensis and L. schensiensis . Thus, the specimens collected from Heyang County, Shaanxi Province should be considered the same species as those collected from both Gaoling and Jingyang Counties, Shaanxi Province. The GenBank accession code of XUX-2011-273 is MH172701 .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Male genital anatomy of Luthela schensiensis (Schenkel, 1953) comb. nov. A, D, H, palp prolateral view. B, E, I, palp ventral view. C, F, J, palp retrolateral view. G, K, palp distal view.A–C, XUX-2011-241 (holotype). D–G, XUX-2011-263. H–K, XUX-2011-264. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 11. Female genital anatomy of Luthela schensiensis (Schenkel, 1953) comb. nov. A–D, I–L, vulva dorsal view. E–H, M–P, vulva ventral view. A, E, XUX-2011-243. B, F, XUX-2011-256. C, G, XUX-2011-253. D, H, XUX-2011-254A. I, M, XUX-2011-248. J, N, XUX-2011-249. K, O, XUX-2011-269. L, P, XUX-2011-270. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.