Bathyphantes floralis, Li, 2006

Li, Lihong Tu Shuqiang, 2006, Three New And Four Newly Recorded Species Of Linyphiinae And Micronetinae Spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae) From Northern Vietnam, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54 (1), pp. 103-117 : 104

Bathyphantes floralis , new species

( Fig. 1 )

Type specimens. – Holotype: male, Van Hoa Village , Son Tay Province, Bavi District, Vietnam (131), 23 Dec.2000 . Paratypes: 1 male and 1 female, same data as for holotype ; 1 female, Van Hoa Village , Son Tay Province, Bavi District, Vietnam (142), 23 Dec.2000 ; 1 female, Gao Bao Village , Ha Jiang Province, Vietnam (017), 9 Dec.2000 .

Diagnosis. – The male of Bathyphantes floralis , new species, can be easily distinguished from other Bathyphantes by the shape of the lamella characteristica ( Fig. 1E ), the bifurcate pit-hook on the distal part of suprategulum ( Fig. 1D ) and by the flower-shaped embolic membrane ( Figs. 1 F-G). The female can be identified by the long, conspicuously diverging and spiraling entrance grooves ( Fig. 1J ).

Description of male. – Total length 2.17. Carapace: 0.87 long, 0.67 wide. Abdomen: 1.30 long, 0.57 wide. Carapace pale gray. Eyes with black surroundings, AMEs smallest, others subequal; AER recurved, AME-AME shorter than AMEd, AME-ALE longer; PER straight, PME-PME shorter than PMEd, PME-PLE longer; ALE and PLE juxtaposed. Chelicerae whitish brown, stridulatory ridges absent, fang groove with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth ( Fig. 1A ). Sternum slightly darker than carapace. Abdomen gray, with white and black spots. Lengths of legs: I 3.80 (0.93+1.17+1.00+0.70), II 3.50 (0.93+1.07+0.90+0.60), III 2.54 (0.67+0.77+0.60+0.50), length of leg IV unknown. All tibia with two dorsal spines, Ti I additionally with one prolateral and one retrolateral spine, Ti II with one retrolateral spine. Fe I and II with small spine dorsally. Tm I: 0.28. Tm IV unknown.

Palp ( Figs. 1 B-C). Patella with long dorsal bristle. Tibia unmodified with one prodorsal, two retrodorsal trichobothria. Paracymbium J-shaped, distally narrowing with blunt apex. Sperm duct in tegulum with three turnings in retrolateral view. Pit-hook on distal part of suprategulum bifid, one point, one stout, both strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 1D ). Embolic division ( Fig. 1D ): radix small and simple, somewhat S-shaped; embolus spiraling forwards, spiral axis parallel with that of palp; embolic membrane extending out through the spiraling embolus, flower-shaped, with rotation at stem portion and thread-like projections on prolateral surface of apical portion ( Figs. 1 F-G); two terminal apophyses in ventral view, the outer one membranous, quadrate and slightly convex, its inner side molar-shaped with many dentils, the inner one strongly sclerotized; lamella characteristica ( Figs. 1C, 1E ) large triangular plate-shaped, dorsal projection pointed, anterior projection extending, turning with hooked apex; long thread-like membrane arising from inner surface of lamella characteristica.

Description of female. – Total length: 2.17. Carapace: 0.85 long, 0.57 wide. Abdomen: 1.33 long, 0.90 wide. Carapace grayish brown, with black margin. Abdomen gray, without spots. Lengths of legs: I 3.50 (0.90+1.03+0.97+0.60), II 3.26 (0.83+1.03+0.80+0.60), III 2.47 (0.67+0.80+0.60+0.40), IV 3.25 (0.90+1.07+0.73+0.55). Tm I: 0.17. Tm IV absent. Other somatic characters same as male.

Epigynum ( Figs. 1 H-J). Ventral wall simple and convex, folding at middle. Long, spiraling entrance grooves partly visible through it. Fingerlike scape arising from dorsal wall, visible in ventral view, furnished with pit at distal end.

Etymology. – The specific name comes from Latin floralis (flower-like) and refers to the shape of embolic membrane.

Distribution. – Vietnam (Son Tay, Ha Jiang).

Figures

Fig. 1. Bathyphantes floralis, new species: A, left chelicera, frontal view; B, left male palp, retrolateral view; C, ditto, prolateral view; D, embolic division, ventral view; E, lamella characteristca, prolateral view; F, embolic membrane, retrolateral view; G, ditto, prolateral view; H, epigynum, ventral view; I, ditto, lateral view; J, vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.05 mm.