Lathys spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang, 2012

Liu, Keke, Meng, Zeyuan, Xiao, Yonghong & Xu, Xiang, 2018, Five new Lathys species (Araneae: Dictynidae) from South China and the first description of the male of Lathys spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang, 2012, Zootaxa 4500 (2), pp. 151-178 : 167-173

Lathys spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang, 2012

Figs 15–19 , 23

Type material. CHINA: Jiangxi Province . 4 males, 11 females,: Ji’an City, Qingyuan District, Jinggangshan University , leaf litter, 27.112°N, 115.024°E, 90 m elevation, 23 March 2014, Keke Liu, Zhiwu Chen leg. ( ASM- JGSU) ; 2 females, 1 male: Ji’an City, Qingyuan District, Jinggangshan University , leaf litter, 27.116°N, 115.021°E, 113 m elevation, 12 April 2014, Xiaoping Huang, Huokai Wang, Yubao Tang, Fengbo Zhang, Jiaorong Liu leg. ( ASM-JGSU) ; 4 females: Ji’an City, Qingyuan District, Jinggangshan University , leaf litter, 27.116°N, 115.021°E, 113 m elevation, 12 April 2014, Xiaoping Huang, Zeyuan Meng, Huokai Wang, Yubao Tang, Fengbo Zhang, Jiaorong Liu leg. ( ASM-JGSU) ; 3 females: Ji’an City, Qingyuan District, Jinggangshan University , leaf litter, 27.114°N, 115.020°E, 101 m elevation, 12 April 2014, Xiaoping Huang, Zeyuan Meng, Huokai Wang, Yubao Tang, Fengbo Zhang, Jiaorong Liu leg. ( ASM-JGSU) ; 2 females, 3 male: Ji’an City, Qingyuan District, Jinggangshan University , leaf litter, 27.112°N, 115.024°E, 110 m elevation, 19 April 2014, Keke Liu, Zeyuan Meng, Xiaoping Huang, Huokai Wang, Yubao Tang, Fengbo Zhang, Jiaorong Liu leg. ( ASM-JGSU) ; 1 female: Ji’an City, Qingyuan District, Jinggangshan University , leaf litter, 27.114°N, 115.024°E, 74 m elevation, 19 April 2014, Keke Liu, Zeyuan Meng, Xiaoping Huang, Huokai Wang, Yubao Tang, Fengbo Zhang, Jiaorong Liu leg. ( ASM-JGSU) ; 2 females: Ji’an City, Qingyuan District, Jinggangshan University , brush, 27.114°N, 115.021°E, 111 m elevation, 25 July 2014, Zeyuan Meng, Huokai Wang, Yubao Tang, Fengbo Zhang, Jiaorong Liu leg. ( ASM- JGSU) ; 1 female: Ji’an City, Jinggangshan County Level City, Longshi Town , Sanchangxian Village , Ninggang Middle School , brush, 26.693°N, 113.952°E, 299 m elevation, 1 May 2015, Keke Liu, Zhiwu Chen, Zeyuan Meng, Sha Wu, Shicong He and Yifan Zhao leg. ( ASM-JGSU) . 1 female: Ji’an City, Jinggangshan County Level City, Longshi Town , Huishi Park , leaf litter, 26.710°N, 113.947°E, 242 m elevation, 2 May 2015, Keke Liu, Zhiwu Chen, Zeyuan Meng, Sha Wu, Shicong He and Yifan Zhao leg. ( ASM-JGSU) .

Diagnosis. Males of this species resemble those of L. borealis , L. fibulata Liu spec. nov., L. huangyangjieensis Liu spec. nov., L. humilis , L. subalberta , L. stigmatisata and L. subhumilis ( Lissner 2016; Marusik et al. 2009; Zhang et al. 2012) in having a long TA and some distinct tibial apophyses, but can be clearly distinguished by a long retrolateral HTA (without HTA in L. borealis , L. humilis , L. subalberta , L. stigmatisata and L. subhumilis ), a retrolateral LTA (without LTA in L. fibulata Liu spec. nov. and L. huangyangjieensis Liu spec. nov.), a dorsal FTA and apex of TA strongly bent, dorsad, forming an angle of about 110° with the axis of TA in dorsal view (straight in L. borealis , L. humilis , L. stigmatisata and L. subhumilis ) ( Figs 15E–G , 16C–G , 19A–C ). Female copulatory organ most closely resembles that of L. deltoidea Liu spec. nov., L. humilis , L. humilis meridionalis (Simon, 1874) , L. bin Marusik & Logunov, 1991 and L. subhumilis in having small SP ( Marusik & Logunov 1991; Marusik et al. 2009a; Marusik et al. 2009b; Simon 1914; Zhang et al. 2012), but mainly differs from these species in having a narrow “) (” shaped SEP (relatively broad SEP in L. humilis , L. humilis meridionalis and L. subhumilis ), the relatively long CD with three loops and posterior CD joining median part of SP (one loop L. humilis , L. subhumilis , and L. deltoidea Liu spec. nov.; two loops in L. bin ) ( Figs 17E–F , 19D–E ).

Description: Male. Habitus as in Figs 15A–D . Total length 2.35, carapace ( Fig. 15A ) length 1.01, width 0.87. Eight eyes ( Fig. 15A ), anterior eye row slightly recurved and posterior one procurved; diameters and interdistances: AME 0.04, ALE 0.11, PME 0.09, PLE 0.10, ALE–AME 0.16, ALE–PLE 0.19, PLE–PME 0.20, PLE–PLE 0.41, ALE–ALE 0.35, ALE–PLE 0.19. Carapace ( Fig. 15A ) anteriorly with a row of long setae medially. Cervical groove and radial furrows distinct ( Fig. 15A ). Fovea longitudinal, distinct ( Fig. 15A ). Chelicerae ( Figs 15A, C , 16A–B ) with big fang, 5 promarginal (fourth largest) and 3 retromarginal (the third near the apex of fang) teeth. Gnathocoxae longer than wide, evenly bearing many setae, anteriorly with a single row serrula, anterior margin slightly sclerotized, labium longer than wide, anteriorly with a row of setae, sternum longer than wide, setae sparse, evenly with tubercles on the surface. Opisthosoma ( Figs 15B, D ) oval in dorsal view, length 1.34, width 0.94, with many setae. Leg measurements: I 4.06 (1.13, 0.39, 1.13, 0.93, 0.48); II 2.73 (0.84, 0.29, 0.62, 0.60, 0.38); III 2.24 (0.69, 0.27, 0.45, 0.53, 0.30); IV 2.77 (0.86, 0.30, 0.65, 0.64, 0.32); formula: I, IV, II, III. Metatarsus IV with distinct calamistrum, covering about 1/2 of length of metatarsus, each seta apically bent.

Colouration. Carapace creamy-yellow, anteriorly with dark slender stripes on the surface, posteriorly with distinct dark radiant stripes around fovea. Chelicerae yellow. Gnathocoxae anteriorly yellowish grey, posteriorly yellow. Labium anteriorly yellowish grey, posteriorly yellow brown. Sternum yellow to dark yellow-brown. Palp pale yellow. Legs yellow, with distinct annulations. Opisthosoma dorsally with distinct pattern including many white guanine crystals, irregular dark stripes around medial part; in ventral view with light transverse band, posteriorly with a dark ring around spinnerets. Cribellum and spinnerets yellow.

Palp as in diagnosis ( Figs 15E–G , 16C–G , 19A–C ). Base of TA triangular, extending from ventral to retrolateral edges of tibia. Em strongly sclerotized, arising from the proximal part of bulb, spiraled one loop around tegulum, its apex not visible, but probably embedded the apex of TA.

Female. Habitus as in Figs 17A–D . As in male except as noted. Total length 2.06. Carapace length 0.81 ( Fig. 17A ), width 0.62. Eyes ( Fig. 17A ) diameters and interdistances: AME 0.04, ALE 0.08, PME 0.07, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.10, ALE–AME 0.13, ALE–PLE 0.15, PME–PME 0.18, PLE–PME 0.16, PLE–PLE 0.33, AME smallest, ALE as large as PLE. Chelicerae with 5 promarginal (almost equal size) and 5 retromarginal (fourth largest, the fifth near the apex of fang) teeth ( Figs 18 ). Sternum ( Fig. 17C ) with many setae. Opisthosoma ( Figs 17B, D ) length 1.40, width 1.10. Leg ( Figs 17A, C ) measurements: I 2.37 (0.72, 0.26, 0.60, 0.49, 0.30); II 1.93 (0.59, 0.26, 0.40, 0.38, 0.30); III 1.68 (0.55, 0.22, 0.33, 0.34, 0.24); IV 2.18 (0.69, 0.26, 0.50, 0.48, 0.26).

Colouration. Females darker than males.

Epigyne as in diagnosis ( Figs 17E–F , 19D–E ), with round CO, margins of the latter slightly sclerotized. Vulva with CD anteriorly spiraled around CO, forming one open loop, posteriorly spiraled around the anterior margin of SP and joining median part of SP. SP spherical, relatively large. FD short, distally laterad. Distribution. Known from Chongqing, Jiangxi and Shaanxi Provinces ( Fig. 23 ).

Figures

FIGURES 15A–G. Lathys spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang 2012, male. A. Prosoma, dorsal view. B. Opisthosoma, dorsal view. C. Prosoma, ventral view. D. Opisthosoma, ventral view. E. Left palp, ventral view. F. Same, posterior view, slightly retrolateral. G. Same, dorsolateral view. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 16A–G. Lathys spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang 2012, male, SEMs. A Left chelicera, ventrolateral. B Same, promarginal teeth, posterior. C Left palp, ventral. D Same, retrolateral. E Same, showing details of TA and tibial apophyses, retrolateral. F Left palp, dorsal. G Same, showing detail of TA and tibial apophyses, dorsal. Abbreviations: Em—embolus, FTA—finger-shaped tibial apophysis, HTA—hook-shaped tibial apophysis, LTA—lamellar tibia apophysis, TA—tegular apophysis. Scale bars: A 30 µm; B, G 10 µm; C, E 20 µm; D, F 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 17A–F. Lathys spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang 2012, female. A Prosoma, dorsal. B Opisthosoma, dorsal. C Prosoma, ventral. D Opisthosoma, ventral. E Epigyne, ventral. F Vulva, dorsal. Scale bars: A–D 0.25 mm; E, F 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 18A–C. Lathys spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang 2012, female, left chelicera, SEMs (A frontal, B retromarginal teeth, frontal, C promarginal teeth, posterior). Scale bars: A 20 µm; B, C 10 µm.

FIGURES 19A–E. Lathys spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang 2012, copulatory organs. A Left palp, ventral. B Same, ventrolateral. C Same, dorsolateral. D Epigyne, ventral. E Vulva, dorsal. Abbreviations: CD—copulatory duct, CO—copulatory opening, Em— embolus, FD—fertilization duct, FTA—finger-shaped tibial apophysis, HTA—hook-shaped tibial apophysis, LTA—lamellar tibia apophysis, SEP—septum, SP—spermathecae, TA—tegular apophysis. Scale bars: A–C 0.25 mm; D, E 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 23. Collection localities for Lathys adunca Liu spec. nov., L. deltoidea Liu spec. nov., L. fibulata Liu spec. nov., L. huangyangjieensis Liu spec. nov. and L. zhanfengi Liu spec. nov. in Jinggangshan National Natural Reserve, Jiangxi Province and distribution of L. spiralis Zhang, Hu & Zhang, 2012 in China.