Heliophanoides Prószyński, 1992

Wang, Cheng, Mi, Xiao-Qi, Wang, Wei-Hang, Gan, Jia-Hui, Irfan, Muhammad, Zhong, Yang & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2023, Notes on twenty-nine species of jumping spiders from South China (Araneae: Salticidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 902, pp. 1-91 : 4-6

Genus Heliophanoides Prószyński, 1992

Heliophanoides Prószyński, 1992: 177 .

Type species

Heliophanoides epigynalis Prószyński, 1992 from India by original designation.

Diagnosis

Heliophanoides closely resembles Heliophanus C.L. Koch, 1833 in habitus, but it can be easily distinguished by the absence of femoral and patellar apophyses of male palp, the unmodified bulb similar to that of many chrysillines, the median located, oval or round atrium, the reduced copulatory ducts, and much larger spermathecae ( Figs 2 , 3A–B ; Prószyński 1992: figs 50–51, 55; Lei & Peng 2013: figs 4a–b, 8a–b, d–g), whereas often the presence of femoral and patellar apophyses of male palp, the protruding bulb, varied atria, much longer copulatory ducts, and much smaller spermathecae in Heliophanus ( Wesołowska 1986; Metzner 2023). The genus also somewhat resembles Phintella Strand, 1906 , but it can be easily distinguished by the male palp having two tibial apophyses ( Fig. 2 ; Lei & Peng 2013: figs 4a–b, 8a–b), and by the female having a medially located, oval or round atrium ( Fig. 3A ; Prószyński 1992: figs 49, 53–54; Lei & Peng 2013: fig. 8d–e), whereas only one tibial apophysis, and without similarity-shaped atrium in Phintella ( Żabka 1985: figs 403–441; Peng 2020: figs 208, 209b–c, 212 c–e, g–h; Metzner 2023).

Description

HABITUS. Medium-sized spiders. Carapace red-brown to dark, covered with colorful scale-like setae, devoid of pattern or with radial stripes on thorax. Clypeus low. Chelicerae with one retromarginal tooth and two promarginal teeth. Endites broadened at distal half, bearing dense setae on distal end of inner margins. Labium almost linguiform. Sternum sub-oval. Legs I stronger and with slightly enlarged femora in males. Abdomen elongated or sub-oval, dorsum dotted, with faint traces of diagonal lighter bands or arc-shaped dotted lines or irregular arc-shaped stripes.

PALP. Tibia with two apophyses, retrolateral one longer, straight or curved, pointed apically; dorsal one platelike or paliform; cymbium longer than wide; tegular bump medio-retrolaterally located; embolus short, strongly sclerotized, originates from apical edge of bulb, curved retrolaterally.

EPIGYNE. Wider than long, with square or sub-linguiform basal plate, and a pair of lateral concave structures (absent in H. proszynskii ); atrium oval or round, difference in size among species; copulatory openings beneath lateral sides of atrium; copulatory ducts reduced, broadened at proximal portions mostly; spermathecae spherical or sub-spherical; fertilization ducts originate from anterior edges of inner sides of spermathecae, sheet-shaped.

Composition

The genus currently includes seven species:

Heliophanoides bhutanicus Prószyński, 1992

Heliophanoides epigynalis Prószyński, 1992

Heliophanoides longlingensis ( Lei & Peng 2013) comb. nov. from Phintella Heliophanoides moi Wang & Li, 2023

Heliophanoides proszynskii Wang, Mi & Peng sp. nov.

Heliophanoides spermathecalis Prószyński, 1992

Heliophanoides tengchongensis ( Lei & Peng 2013) comb. nov. from Phintella

Distribution

China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Hainan), Bhutan and India.

Comments

Phintella tengchongensis Lei & Peng 2013 is consistent with the generotype of Heliophanoides ( H. epigynalis Prószyński, 1992 ) in the habitus and epigynal structure, hence it is transferred to Heliophanoides . Phintella longlingensis Lei & Peng 2013 (only known from single holotype) is also transferred because it shares a similar habitus and palpal structure with P. tengchongensis . Moreover, species of Heliophanoides possess a tegular bump, which is characteristic of the tribe Chrysillini ( Maddison 2015) . And so, the genus could be assigned to the tribe Chrysillini .

Figures

Fig. 2. Male palp of Heliophanoides proszynskii Wang, Mi & Peng sp. nov., holotype (TRU-JS 0057). A. Prolateral view. B. Retrolateral view. C. Ventral view. D. Dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 3. Heliophanoides proszynskii Wang, Mi & Peng sp. nov. A–B, D. Paratype, ♀ (TRU-JS 0058). C, E–G. Holotype, ♂ (TRU-JS 0057). A. Epigyne, ventral view. B. Vulva, dorsal view. C–E. Habitus. C. Dorsal view. D. Dorsal view. E. Ventral view. F. Carapace, frontal view. G. Chelicera, posterior view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: A–B, G = 0.1 mm; C–F = 0.5 mm.