Songthela pluma, B & B & Zhang, 2018

B, Hao Yu, B, Fei Li & Zhang, Jianshuang, 2018, A new species of the genus Songthela from Guizhou Province, China (Araneae: Mesothelae: Liphistiidae), Turkish Journal of Zoology 42 (6), pp. 715-721 : 717-721

Songthela pluma sp. nov. ( Figures 1–23 ) Type material. Holotype male (MGEU-LIP-17-01),

China: Guizhou Province, Guiyang City, Wudang

District, Guizhou Education University (26°38′53.138″N,

106°48′15.84″E), 755 m, 19–21-viii-2017, pitfall traps, leg. Qiangzhi Zeng & Haibo Wan. Paratypes: 4 males (MGEU- LIP-17-02–05), same data as for holotype ; 4 males, same locality, 15–30-ix-2016 (MGEU-LIP-16-01~04), pitfall traps, leg. Zhixing Li & Nana Lu ; 3 females (MGEU- LIP-18-01–03), same locality, 12-v-2018, hand-collecting, leg. Fengxiang Liu & Hao Yu.

Etymology. The species epithet is taken from the Latin word “pluma ” and refers to the feathered conductor.

Diagnosis. Male distinguished from all other Songthela spp. , except S. hangzhouensis (Chen, Zhang & Zhu, 1981) and S. goulouensis (Yin, 2001) , by the conductor with two apical spines, by the contrategulum with serrated margin, and by the embolus with a flat opening, but differs from the latter two by the unsmoothed conductor with numerous scale-like tooth ( Figures 11, 12 , 14 , and 16), the distinctly large teeth situated on the basal contrategulum ( Figures 11, 12 , 14 , and 16), and the relatively long paracymbium ( Figures 11–13 ). The female appears to be closely related to S. sapana ( Ono, 2010) ( Ono, 2010: 3, f. 11–16) in having similar receptacle and long receptacular stems, but differs by having eight eyes, instead of only six eyes in S. sapana .

Description. Male (holotype, MGEU-LIP-17-01) ( Figures 7 and 8 ). Carapace brown in alcohol, oval; cervical groove and radial groove distinct, integument smooth and hairless. Opisthosoma light brown and ballshaped, with ten tergites, close to each other, the third largest; seven spinnerets. Sternum narrow, much longer than wide. Chelicerae robust with promargin of cheliceral groove containing 12 denticles of variable size; legs with strong hairs and spines. Measurements: BL 13.19, CL 5.18, CW 4.52, OL 7.19, OW 5.58; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; leg I 16.75 (4.75 + 1.99 + 3.55 + 4.13 + 2.33), leg II 16.98 (4.62 + 1.92 + 3.49 + 4.47 + 2.48), leg III 18.57 (5.00 + 1.67 + 3.65 + 5.28 + 2.96), leg IV 23.16 (5.77 + 2.23 + 4.69 + 7.65 + 2.82).

Palp ( Figures 11–16 ): Paracymbium relatively long and for about four-fifths the length of cymbium, its prolateral side unpigmented and unsclerotized, many setae situated at the tip of paracymbium ( Figures 11–13 ). Contrategulum with a double row of dentate edges, the proximal teeth large and sparse, the distal teeth small and dense ( Figures 11, 12 , 14 , and 16). Tegulum with a wide base and two tegular apophyses, tegular base flat and with a serrated margin, distally directed marginal apophysis with a rugate edge and a fingerlike hump, proximally directed terminal apophysis petal-shaped ( Figures 15 and 16 ). Conductor with a relatively narrow proximal portion and two apical spines (the longer one nearly reaching the embolus edge, the shorter one positioned at the middle part of conductor), its middle portion unsmoothed and with numerous scale-like teeth ( Figures 11, 12 , 14 , and 16). Embolus largely sclerotized, fused with conductor at the basal portion, distal free and with a wide, flat opening ( Figures 11–16 ).

Female (one of the paratypes, MGEU-LIP-18-01). General characters as in male, but slightly larger in size and darker in color ( Figures 5, 6 , 9 , and 10). Measurements: BL 11.53, CL 5.26, CW 3.61, OL 5.54, OW 3.94; PLE> ALE> PME> AME; leg I 8.97 (2.56 + 1.70 + 1.88 + 1.82 + 1.01), leg II 8.85 (2.27 + 1.79 + 1.92 + 1.84 + 1.04), leg III 9.06 (2.35 + 1.87 + 1.83 + 1.95 + 1.07), leg IV 14.48 (3.65 + 2.18 + 2.98 + 3.91 + 1.76).

Epigyne-vulva ( Figures 17–22 ). Epigynal field unremarkable with several spines, posterior margin recessedslowly ( Figures 17 and 18 );twopairsofreceptacular clusters present, each consisting of a tubular stalk and an ovoid receptacle; the middle receptacular clusters with relatively long stalks, extending over the anterior margin of bursa copulatrix; the lateral pair with relatively short stalks, located on the dorsal wall of the bursa copulatrix; the middle pair slight larger than the lateral pair; the four stalks fused together at base ( Figures 19–22 ).

Figures

Figures 1–6. Macrohabitat, retreats, and female habitus of Songthela pluma sp. nov., female paratype (MGEU-LIP-18-01). 1- Macrohabitat of Songthela pluma sp. nov. at the type locality; 2- Trap door, 18 mm wide; 3- Opening part of the retreat; 4- Globular room at the bottom of tubular retreat; 5- Habitus, dorsal ventral view; 6- Habitus, ventral view.

Figures 7–13. Songthela pluma sp. nov., male holotype (MGEU-LIP-17-01) (7–8, 11–13) and female paratype (MGEU-LIP-18-01) (9–10). 7- Habitus, dorsal view; 8- Habitus, ventral view; 9- Habitus, dorsal view; 10- Habitus, ventral view; 11- Left male palp, prolateral view; 12- Left male palp, ventral view; 13- Left male palp, retrolateral view. Scale bar = 5 mm (equal for 7–8, equal for 9–10); 0.5 mm (equal for 11–13).

Figures 14–16. Songthela pluma sp. nov., male holotype (MGEU-LIP-17-01). 14- Left palpal bulb, dorsal-prolateral view; 15- Left palpal bulb, dorsal-retrolateral view; 16- Left palpal bulb, anterior view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm (14–16, equal for 14–15).

Figures 17–22. Songthela pluma sp. nov., female paratype (MGEU-LIP-18-01). 17- Epigyne, uncleared, ventral view; 18- Epigyne, cleared, ventral view; 19- Vulva, cleared and deposited in ethanol, dorsal view; 20- Vulva, cleared and deposited in lactic acid, dorsal view; 21- Vulva, cleared and deposited in ethanol, anterior view; 22- Vulva, cleared and embedded in Arabic gum, dorsal view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm (equal for 17–22).

Figure 23. Locality record of Songthela pluma sp. nov.