Mysmena bizi Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009

Miller, Jeremy, Griswold, Charles & Yin, Chang, 2009, The symphytognathoid spiders of the Gaoligongshan, Yunnan, China (Araneae: Araneoidea): Systematics and diversity of micro-orbweavers, ZooKeys 11 (11), pp. 9-195 : 37-39

Mysmena bizi Miller, Griswold & Yin , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:70B6D158-6E66-478B-8A57-F9C428BA3574

Figs 21D-E, 22-25, 26A, 96

Material Examined. Holotype: CHINA: Yunnan: Lushui Co., Pianma Township, Chang Yan He , 9.3 km ESE Pianma, 25.99363°N, 98.66651°E, 2470 m, 13-15 May

2005, mixed broadleaf deciduous and evergreen forest, dusting small webs near ground in forest understory, C. Griswold, CGY104 (CASENT 9029310, HNU), 1 ♁.

Paratypes: [same data as holotype] (CASENT 9022371, CAS), 2 ♁, 28 ♀ ; [same data as holotype] (CASENT 9022347, HNU), 1 ♁, 29 ♀ ; [same data as holotype] (CASENT 9029338, CAS), 1 ♀ ; [same data as holotype] (CASENT 9029337, CAS), 1 ♀ ; Lushui Co., Pianma Township , Chang Yan He, 9.3 km ESE Pianma, 25.99363°N, 98.66651°E, 2470 m, 12-21 May 2005, mixed broadleaf deciduous and evergreen forest, pitfall traps, C. Griswold, D. Kavanaugh, K. Guo, CGY103 (CASENT 9023101, HNU), 2 ♁; Lushui Co., Pianma Township , Chang Yan He, 9.3 km ESE Pianma, 25.99363°N, 98.66651°E, 2470 m, 12 May 2005, mixed broadleaf deciduous and evergreen forest, winkler extraction of sifted leaf litter, C. Griswold, D. Kavanaugh, K. Guo, CGY102 (CASENT 9022326, CAS), 2 ♀ ; Lushui Co., Feng Xue Yakou , 100 m S of Pianma Road, 25.97288°N, 98.68336°E, 3150 m, 11-21 May 2005, Rhododendron /bamboo thicket, 25 pitfall traps, C. Griswold, D. Kavanaugh, K. Guo, CGY101 (CASENT 9022098, CAS), 1 ♀ ; Nujiang Prefecture , native forest in Gaoligongshan at 9.5 road km ESE Pianma, 25.98333°N, 98.66667°E, 2500 m, 15-18 October 1998, C. Griswold, D. Kavanaugh, C.L. Long (CASENT 9029319, CAS), 2 ♁, 10 ♀, 11 juvs; (CASENT 9029320, HNU) , 1 ♁, 10 ♀, 11 juvs; (CASENT 9023958, CAS) , 1 ♀.

Etymology. Formed from the Chinese word for nose (bí zi), referring to the process on the male clypeus.

Diagnosis. Male distinguished by the distinctive clypeal process ( Fig. 24E ). Further distinguished by the undivided cymbial tip ( Fig. 24C ), the prolaterally curved basal apophysis of the cymbium ( Fig. 24C ), and the lack of a tegular furrow. Female distinguished from other Chinese mysmenids by the fleshy triangular scape with a small posterior-directed process (Figs 21D, 25F).

Description. Carapace tan, darker in head region, male with prominent sulci near the ALE ( Fig. 24E ) and clypeus with down turned process. Sternum dark brown with light median stripe. Legs yellow, darker on distal part of tibia. Femoral spots on legs I and II, indistinct in male. Abdomen brown with numerous tan spots, with two large and up to six small dorsal white spots, and pair of unjoined longitudinal white lines laterally, region between white stripes tan with dark brown chevrons; posterior tubercle absent ( Fig. 22 ).

Male palp: Embolus spiral ( Figs 23B , 24D ). Tegular furrow absent. Cymbial base with distally curved apophysis ( Fig. 24C ). Cymbial groove with angled striations meeting centrally ( Figs 23 , 24B ). Cymbial tip a single piece with groove that interacts with distal part of embolus ( Fig. 24D ).

Vulva: Epigynum a triangular scape, thick basally evenly narrowed distally (Fig. 21D), tip with small posteriorly-directed process ( Fig. 25F ). Sclerotized portion of spermatheca/copulatory duct complexes separated by about 1.5 times their width (Fig. 21E).

Male (CASENT 9022371): Total length 0.79, carapace 0.35 long, 0.35 wide, clypeus 0.10, sternum 0.23 long, 0.25 wide, coxa IV separated by 2.00 times their width. Sulcus just below anterior lateral eye. Macrosetae: Leg I: patella d1, tibia d1, metatarsus p1; Leg II: patella d1, tibia d1, v3; Leg III: patella d1, tibia d1; Leg IV: patella d1, tibia d1. Metatarsal macrosetae weakly sinuous, not kinked ( Fig. 24F ). Metatarsal trichobothria: TmI: 0.33; TmII: 0.35; TmIII: 0.48. Leg measurements: see Appendix A. Epiandrous gland spigots in two widely spaced clusters of two spigots each. Spinnerets ( Fig. 25 A-D); posterior lateral spinnerets with flagelliform and aggregate gland spigots reduced to nubbins ( Fig. 25D ).

Female (CASENT 9022371): Total length 0.98, carapace 0.34 long, 0.38 wide, clypeus 0.06, sternum 0.27 long, 0.26 wide, coxa IV separated by 1.64 times their width. Macrosetae: Leg I: patella d1, tibia d1; Leg II: patella d1, tibia d1; Leg III: patella d1, tibia d1; Leg IV: patella d1, tibia d1. Metatarsal trichobothria: TmI: 0.38; TmII: 0.36; TmIII: 0.37. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Natural History. This species builds a three-dimensional spherical web typical of the Mysmenidae ( Fig. 26A ).

Figures

Figure 22. Mysmena bizi sp. n. from Chang Yan He. A, male; B-E, female. A, B, lateral; C, dorsal; D, ventral; E, posterior.

Figure 23. Mysmena bizi sp. n. from Chang Yan He, male palp. A, prolateral; B, retrolateral. B: base of cymbium; CB: cymbium; E: embolus; G: cymbial groove; T: tegulum.

Figure 24. Mysmena bizi sp. n. from Chang Yan He, SEM of male. A, male palp, prolateral; B, male palp, retrolateral; C, male palp, dorsal; D, male palp, apical; E, prosoma, anterior lateral; F, metatarsus I. B: base of cymbium; CB: cymbium; E: embolus; G: cymbial groove; T: tegulum.

Figure 25. Mysmena bizi sp. n. from Chang Yan He, SEM. A-E, male; F, female. A, spinnerets; B, PLS; C, PMS; D, PLS, arrow indicates modified PLS seta; E, epiandrous gland spigots; F, epigynum. AC: aciniform gland spigot; AGn: aggregate gland spigot nubbin; ALS: anterior lateral spinneret; FLn: flagelliform gland spigot nubbin; MAP: major ampullate gland spigot; mAP: minor ampullate gland spigot; PI: piriform gland spigot; PLS: posterior lateral spinneret; PMS: posterior median spinneret; t: tartipore; arrow indicates modified PLS seta.

Figure 26. Webs of mysmenid spiders. A, Mysmena bizi sp. n. from Pianma, female; B, Gaoligonga changya sp. n. from QiQi He, female with eggs; C, D, Gaoligonga changya sp. n. from Guocai He at Fucai, female with eggs.