Qianleptoneta lycotropa, Chen & Jia & Wang, 2010

Chen, Hui-Ming, Jia, Qiang & Wang, Shi-Jie, 2010, A revision of the genus Qianleptoneta (Araneae: Leptonetidae), Journal of Natural History 44 (47 - 48), pp. 2873-2915 : 2889-2892

Qianleptoneta lycotropa sp. nov.

( Figures 10 , 11 , 25D )

Material

Holotype male. From Shenxian Cave (25 ◦ 37 ′ N, 104 ◦ 45 ′ E, 1677 m asl), Zhudong town, Panxian county , Guizhou Province, 12 January 2008.

Paratype. Three males and five females, same data as holotype .

Diagnosis

The new species is similar to Q. triangula but can be distinguished by the horseshoeshaped prolateral lobe (triangular in Q. triangula , Figure 10A ), the transverse, serrate edges median apophysis (erect in Q. triangula , Figure 25D ) in male.

Description

Male holotype. Total length 2.30. Carapace smooth, 0.97 long, 0.87 wide, height at fovea 0.82 times carapace width, yellowish; thoracic fovea brown, needle-shaped ( Figure 11B ). Clypeus 0.23 high, yellowish. Chelicerae 0.54 long, yellowish, with six teeth and two denticles on promargin and five denticles on retromargin; 10 short setae on base ( Figure 10C ). Eyeless, only ALEMs remain on ocular area, two setae behind ocular area ( Figure 11B ). Sternum 0.67 long, 0.62 wide, haired; labium 0.08 long, 0.17 wide, yellowish.

Leg formula: 1423. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total): I: 2.19 + 0.36 + 2.55 + 2.09 + 1.53 = 8.72; II: 2.14 + 0.36 + 2.14 + 1.78 + 1.22 = 7.65; III: 1.84 + 0.36 + 1.78 + 1.58 + 1.02 = 6.58; IV: 2.24 + 0.36 + 2.30 + 2.04 + 1.28 = 8.21. Leg yellowish, tibia I and II with rows of fine hairs on ventral surface; preening comb occurs ventroapically on the metatarsus of leg II and III.

Palpal coxae 0.49 long, 0.25 wide. Palpal measurements (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total): 0.51 + 0.21 + 0.34 + 0.37 = 1.43; the length of tibia 1.38 times that of patella. Palpal tibia with three dorsal trichobothria ( Figure 10A,B ), five ventral spines at TBS forked at apex, and a gracile spine near the TBS ( Figure 10B ). Tarsus dwindle distally, with relatively broad AC in middle part, RA in adjacent apical part in retrolateral view; retrolateral side with row of short setae on RA and at base part of tarsus; a group of long setae at apical part ( Figures 10A,B ). Bulb suboval, PL horseshoe-shaped ( Figure 10A ); M transverse ( Figure 25D ); PF transparent, dirkshaped ( Figure 10A,B ). Abdomen creamy yellow, without markings, haired, 1.38 long, 0.92 wide.

Female paratype. Total length 1.99. Carapace smooth, 0.87 long, 0.71 wide, height at fovea 0.80 times carapace width, yellowish; thoracic fovea brown, needle-shaped. Clypeus 0.18 high, yellowish. Chelicerae 0.48 long, yellowish, with six teeth and two denticles on promargin of fang furrow and six denticles on retromargin; nine short setae on base ( Figure 10D ). Eyeless, only ALEMs remain on ocular area, two setae behind ocular area. Sternum 0.55 long, 0.58 wide, haired ( Figure 11D ); labium 0.08 long, 0.17 wide, yellowish.

Leg formula: 1423. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total): I: 1.99 + 0.36 + 2.04 + 1.68 + 1.28 = 7.34; II: 1.73 + 0.36 + 1.68 + 1.38 + 1.07 = 6.22; III: 1.53 + 0.32 + 1.43 + 1.22 + 0.87 = 5.37; IV: 1.94 + 0.36 + 1.89 + 1.58 + 1.12 = 6.89. Leg yellowish, preening comb occurs ventroapically on the metatarsus of leg II and III.

Palpal coxae 0.43 long, 0.23 wide. Palpal measurements (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total): 0.57 + 0.19 + 1.53 + 0.58 = 2.87.

Abdomen creamy yellow, without markings, haired, 1.17 long, 1.02 wide. Epigynal plate broadly rhombic ( Figure 10E ); internal genitalia with a pair of spermathecae, coiled sperm duct, pair of shoe-shaped atria ( Figure 10F ).

Distribution

The species is known only from the type locality ( Figure 2 ).

Etymology

The specific name comes from Latin “ lycotropa ” meaning “horseshoe-shaped”, referring to the prolateral lobe in the shape of a horseshoe.

Level of cave adaptation

This species lives entirely in the dark parts of caves and has no functioning eyes and no pigmentation. Troglobitic species.

Natural history

Small spider generally restricted to karst caves. The web is a rectangular, woven sheet about 10 cm in diameter along cave walls or base plate. Spiders were found from the completely dark and constant-temperature zone, about 6 m from the entrance, of a moist cave about 1.2 m high and 50 m long.

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution of Qianleptoneta.

Figure 10. Qianleptoneta lycotropa sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: (A) male left palp, prolateral view; (B) male left palp, retrolateral view; (C) male left chelicerae, ventral view; (D) female left chelicerae, ventral view; (E) female genitalia, ventral view; (F) female genitalia, dorsal view.

Figure 11. Qianleptoneta lycotropa sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: (A) male habitus, lateral view; (B) male habitus, dorsal view; (C) female habitus, lateral view; (D) female habitus, ventral view.

Figure 25. Qianleptoneta species, M and C of left palpal bulb in ventral view: (A) Q. quinquespinata Chen and Zhu, 2008; (B) Q. triangula sp. nov; (C) Q. identica sp. nov; (D) Q. lycotropa sp. nov; (E) Q. multiseta sp. nov; (F) Q. robustispina sp. nov; (G) Q. palmata sp. nov; (H) Q. sublunata sp. nov; (I) Q. megaloda sp. nov.