Lepeonetela digitata, Lin & Li, 2010

Lin, Yucheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2010, Leptonetid spiders from caves of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China (Araneae: Leptonetidae) 2587, Zootaxa 2587 (1), pp. 1-93 : 24-27

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2587.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5312082
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A76E6115-FF95-FFDC-FF49-82D2A5CFFECD
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Lepeonetela digitata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lepeonetela digitata sp. nov.

Figs 13–14 View FIGURE 13 View FIGURE 14 , 61 View FIGURE 61

Type material: Holotype: male ( IZCAS), Xiniu Cave , Anhe Village , Dushan Town, Anlong County [25°17´N, 105°34´E, Guizhou, China], 8 May 2006, Y.C. Lin and Y.F. Tong leg. GoogleMaps Paratypes: 14 males and 19 females, same data as holotype ( IZCAS) GoogleMaps .

Other material examined. CHINA: Guizhou: 9 males and 12 females, Zhulin Cave ; 13 males and 16 females, Jiangjia Cave ; 13 males and 25 females, Heidong Cave , all locality data same as holotype, 9–10 May 2006, Y.C. Lin and Y.F. Tong leg. ( IZCAS) GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The name of new species is derived from the Latin adjective “ digitatus ” (= like a finger), in reference to the digitiform median apophysis of pedipalpal bulb in male.

Diagnosis. Leptonetela digitata sp. nov. is similar to L. jinsha sp. nov., but may be distinguished from the latter by the fingerlike median apophysis, the presence of 4 trichobothria on pedipalpal tibia, the asymmetrically furcated spur I, spurs IV and V crossed on pedipalpal tibia distally.

Description. Holotype male. Total length 1.96. Prosoma 0.87 long, 0.71 wide. Sternum 0.63 long, 0.60 wide. Opisthosoma 1.08 long, 0.84 wide. Dorsal of prosoma yellow, with short setae on clypeal margin anteriorly, two long setae at anterolateral area of PME. Thoracic median groove fuscous, needle-shaped, nearby with a pair of setae. Cervical groove and radial furrows indistinct. Clypeus 0.16 high, slightly sloped anteriorly. Ocular area reduced, only two white eye-spots. Eye sizes: ALE 0.03, AER 0.07. Chelicerae pale brown, fang furrow with 8 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Endites, labium, sternum and legs yellow. Leg measurements: I 6.10 (1.69, 0.25, 1.92, 1.47, 0.77); II 4.56 (1.31, 0.25, 1.29, 1.06, 0.65); III 3.85 (1.08, 0.24, 1.00, 0.95, 0.58); IV 5.32 (1.48, 0.25, 1.63, 1.28, 0.68). Leg formula: I-IV-II-III. Several setae on femora I–IV respectively. Tibias I and II bears a row of retrolaterally slender hairs. Each tibia with 4 trichobothria, lacking spines. A finely serrated hairs-comb on ventral base of metatarsi II and III respectively. Each metatarsus with only one trichobothrium. Opisthosoma pale yellow, ovoid, lacking pigmental spots, covered with hairs.

Pedipalpal femur covered with thin long hairs, spineless. One dorsal spine on patella distally. Four trichobothria and 5 strong spurs modified pedipalpal tibia. Tibial spur I largest, asymmetrical furcated. Retrolateral paired spurs crossed on pedipalpal tibia distally. Pedipalpal tarsus attaching an earlobe-shaped process mesially, and distinctly contracted and crinkled, with long spines distally. Pedipalpal bulb ovoid, attaching two pieces of translucent membrane, embolus broad and smooth, conductor narrow and rugose. Median apophysis fingerlike, distinctly sclerotized.

Female. Similar to male in coloration and general features, but body size larger and legs shorter. Total length 2.16. Prosoma 0.81 long, 0.70 wide. Sternum 0.64 long, 0.60 wide. Opisthosoma 1.24 long, 1.02 wide. Clypeus 0.14 high. Two vestigial eye-spots, white. Leg measurements: I 5.03 (1.43, 0.25, 1.51, 1.18, 0.66); II 3.93 (1.13, 0.25, 1.09, 0.87, 0.59); III 3.36 (0.97, 0.24, 0.86, 0.78, 0.51); IV 4.69 (1.37, 0.24, 1.40, 1.07, 0.61). The chaetotaxy of each leg similar to male, but spines lesser than in male.

Genital area covered with densely plumose long hairs. Internal genitalia consisting of paired spermathecae and sperm ducts, distinctly twisted, stronger sclerotized at distally than at proximally. Spermathecae aparted from a distance. The atrium broad and smooth, triangular, slightly projecting at middle of anterior margin, lacking modified short hairs.

Distribution. Known only from type locality.