Palpalpaculla phyui Jiang & Li, 2022

Xin, Yafei, Jiang, Tongyao, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2022, Twenty new spider species (Arachnida: Araneae) from Late Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar), Zoological Systematics 47 (1), pp. 1-65 : 52-54

Palpalpaculla phyui Jiang & Li , sp. nov. ( Figs 49–51 )

Holotype. Male (IZCAS-Ar42701Fo). Late Cretaceous amber from Hukawng Valley. Syninclusions include two dipterans.

Etymology. The species name is a popular Burmese boy’s name and means “white”; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The new species resembles P. pulcher (see Wunderlich, 2017: 135, figs 89–91, photos 66–67) by the bulb shape but can be distinguished by the embolus shape ( Figs 49A–B , 51 ). The embolus is tuber-shaped and straight in P. pulcher and the new species, but the embolus of the new species is more complex distally.

Description. Male. Total length 1.96; carapace 0.81 long, 0.52 wide; opisthosoma 1.15 long, 0.65 wide. Left palp: 0.46 (0.16 + 0.09 + 0.21), left leg I: - (- + - + - + 0.42 + 0.32), leg II: - (- + - + - + 0.33 + 0.28), leg III: - (- + - + - + 0.32+ 0.21), leg IV: - (- + - + - + 0.43 + 0.31); right palp: 0.43 (0.15 + 0.09 + 0.19), right leg I: - (0.72 + - + - + 0.41 + 0.33), leg II: - (0.46 + - + - + 0.35 + 0.33), leg III: - (0.41 + - + - + 0.33 + 0.30), leg IV: - (0.54 + - + - + 0.45 + 0.34). Eye sizes: ALE 0.06, AME 0.06, PLE 0.06, eyes interdistances not visible. Habitus as in Figs 50A–B . Carapace ( Fig. 50A ) sclerotized, reticulated, brown; cephalic part moderately raised; six eyes ( Fig. 50A ) almost ovoid, AME = ALE = PLE, ALE and PLE adjacent; clypeus brown; clypeus vertical anteriorly; labium triangular, distally obtuse; sternum marginally rugose, posterior corner protruded. Opisthosoma ( Figs 50A–B ): oval with sclerotized lateral plates, smooth, modified by tiny pits, covered with thin setae; ventral scutum rugose.

Palp ( Figs 49A–B , 51 ). Femur and patella with apophysis; cymbium small; bulb long, strongly swollen distally, bent once; embolus originates from apex of oval palpal bulb; embolus sclerotized, thickened.

Figures

Figure 49. Palpalpaculla phyui Jiang & Li, sp. nov., holotype male (IZCAS-Ar42701Fo). A. Left palp, dorsal view; B. Right palp, dorsal view. Scale bars=0.05mm.

Figure 50. Palpalpaculla phyui Jiang & Li, sp. nov., holotype male (IZCAS-Ar42701Fo), habitus. A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view. Scale bars=0.50mm.

Figure 51. Palpalpaculla phyui Jiang & Li, sp. nov., holotype male (IZCAS-Ar42701Fo), left palp, dorsal view. Scale bar=0.05mm.