Cheiracanthium jiuquan, Zhang, 2023

Li, Zhaoyi & Zhang, Feng, 2023, Five new species of the long-legged sac spider genus Cheiracanthium C. L. Koch, 1839 (Araneae: Cheiracanthiidae) from China, European Journal of Taxonomy 900, pp. 81-105 : 95-99

Cheiracanthium jiuquan sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:959D1454-8D58-4869-A336-6B33AB60F21D

Figs 7–8 , 11 , Table 1

Diagnosis

The male of this new species ( Fig. 8C–D ) is similar to Cheiracanthium daofeng Yu & Li, 2020 ( Zhang et al. 2020: 56, figs 1a–c, 2a–d) by having the conductor and embolar tip extending to the apex of the cymbium, but can be distinguished by the longer cymbial furrow and the 12 o’clock embolus’s origination (vs. 1 o’clock position in C. daofeng ). The female ( Fig. 8A–B ) is similar to C. exquestitum Zhang & Zhu 1993 (Zhang & Zhu 1993: 5, figs 1–2), C. taiwanicum Chen, Huang, Chen & Wang, 2006 ( Zhang et al. 2018: 41, fig. 3a–b) and C. falcatum Chen, Huang, Chen & Wang, 2006 ( Chen et al. 2006: 12, fig. 2a–e) in having globular spermathecae and coiled copulatory ducts, but can be distinguished by the presence of 9 spiral coils of copulatory ducts (vs. 3 in C. falcatum , 4 in C. exquestitum , and about 5 coils in C. taiwanicum ).

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from the Chinese pinyin ‘ jiǔ quān ’, which means ‘nine loops’, and refers to the coiled copulatory ducts, forming nine entwined coils; noun in apposition.

Type material

Holotype CHINA • ♂; Guangxi Province, Qinzhou City, Guitai Town, Bazhaigou ; 22°04′ N; 108°15′ E; alt. 330 m; 16 Aug. 2018; Z.Y. Li leg.; voucher code: ZYL090, Genbank: OQ866244 ; MHBU-ARA-1009 .

Paratypes CHINA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; voucher code: ZYL091, Genbank: OQ866242 ; MHBU-ARA-1010 • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Bazhaigou ; 22°11′ N; 108°15′ E; alt. 65 m; 15 Aug. 2018; Z.Y. Li leg.; voucher code: ZYL092, Genbank: OQ866245 ; MHBU-ARA-1011 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Nanning City , Luobo Town, Ban’ou Village; 23°28′ N; 108°23′ E; alt. 266 m; 10 Aug. 2018; Y. Chen leg.; MHBU-ARA-1012 .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.95. Carapace 2.03 long, 1.55 wide; abdomen 2.92 long, 1.22 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.10, PME 0.14, PLE 0.12; AME–AME 0.11, AME–ALE 0.12, PME–PME 0.17, PME–PLE 0.16. MOA 0.35 long, front width 0.36, back width 0.42. Clypeus height 0.08. Sternum 1.05 long, 0.84 wide. Leg measurements: I 20.51 (4.93, 0.83, 5.83, 6.67, 2.25), II 9.06 (2.00, 0.68, 2.62, 2.88, 0.88), III 7.02 (2.03, 0.25, 1.69, 2.28, 0.77), IV 9.36 (2.14, 0.52, 3.08, 2.68, 0.94).

BODY ( Fig. 7A–B ). Prosoma with distinct radial striae, cephalic region yellow, thoracic region yellowish brown. All eyes with black rings, AER slightly recurved in frontal view; PER slightly wider than AER, almost straight in dorsal view. Chelicerae with 2 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth. Sternum yellow. Labium and endites yellowish brown. Legs yellow, without distinct markings. Leg spines: I 0-1p-0, 1p1v-1p-1p, 1v-1p1v-1p2v; II 1p1r-1p-0, 1p1v-1p1v-1p, 1p1r1v-1p1r1d1v-1p1r1v; III 1p1r-1p1r-0, 1p1r-0-1p1r1v, 2p2r1d-2p1d-1p2r1v; IV 1p1r-1p1r-0, 1p1r-0-1r1v, 2p1r1v-1p2r-1p1r. Opisthosoma lanceolate, dorsally yellow, with two pairs of muscular impression and numerous indistinct markings; venter greyish. Spinneret coniform, ALS larger and closed each other; PMS smallest; and PLS with two segments, length of basal segment shorter than distal segment.

PALP ( Fig. 8C–E ). Tibia short, ca ⅓ of cymbium’ s length; RTA long, ca ½ of tibia’s length, thornshaped; DTA tiny, with sharp apex; cymbium almost 2–2 longer than wide; distal cymbium long, ca ⅓ of cymbium’s length; cymbial furrow strongly developed in ventral and retrolateral views, about ⅔ of cymbium’s length; cymbial spur as long as RTA; tegulum oval, ca 1.5 × as long as wide; median apophysis long, membranous, more than ½ of tegulum’s length, hook-shaped distally in ventral view; embolus arising on distal tegular, at about 12 o’clock position, extending clockwise along tegular margin to distal conductor and cymbium; conductor large, membranous, base wide, gradually tapering toward apex; sperm duct semicircular.

Female (paratype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 5.28. Carapace 2.40 long, 1.76 wide; abdomen 2.88 long, 2.07 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.08, PME 0.14, PLE 0.09; AME–AME 0.16, AME–ALE 0.18, PME–PME 0.25, PME–PLE 0.23. MOA 0.41 long, front width 0.41, back width 0.50. Clypeus height 0.05. Sternum 1.28 long, 0.98 wide. Leg measurements: I 14.73 (3.60, 0.68, 3.60, 4.89, 1.96), II 7.90 (2.17, 0.65, 1.95, 2.31, 0.82), III 5.17 (1.57, 0.35, 0.87, 1.68, 0.70), IV 8.68 (2.61, 0.51, 1.91, 2.77, 0.88).

BODY ( Fig. 7C–D ). Prosoma pale reddish brown, with a pair of brown lateral bands extending from behind PLE, extending almost to posterior half of carapace and then merging and forming a U-shaped patch. Legs yellow. Leg spines: I 0-2p-0, 1p-1p1r-1p, 1v-1p1r-1p; II 1p-1p-0, 1p-1v-1p, 1v-1p2v-2v; III 1p1r-1p-0, 1r-0-1p, 2p2r1v-1d-1p1v; IV 1r-1p-0, 1r-0-1r, 2p1r1d2v-1p1r-1p1r. Opisthosoma oval, dorsally grey, with sparse black hairs.

EPIGYNE ( Fig. 8A–B ). Atrium large, slightly wider than long, anterior margin eyebrow-shaped and heavily sclerotized; two copulatory openings conjoined, located at posterior epigynal plate; copulatory duct and spermathecae partial visible in ventral view; spermathecae large, globular, separated by almost their diameters; copulatory ducts extend to 9 entwined loops (including 5 ascending and 4 descending coils).

Variation

The total length in male specimens examined ranges from 4.01 to 7.74 (n = 5), in female specimens from 4.56 to 7.02 (n = 3).

Distribution

China, Guangxi (localities in Fig. 11 ).

Figures

Fig. 7. Cheiracanthium jiuquan sp. nov. A–B. ♂, holotype (MHBU-ARA-1009). C–D. ♀, paratype (MHBU-ARA-1010). A, C. Habitus, dorsal view. B, D. Habitus, ventral view.

Fig. 8. Cheiracanthium jiuquan sp. nov. A–B. ♀, paratype (MHBU-ARA-1010). C–E. ♂, holotype (MHBU-ARA-1009). A. Epigyne, ventral view. B. Vulva, dorsal view. C. Left palp, prolateral view. D. Same, ventral view. E. Same, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods.

Fig. 11. Distribution records of the five new species of Cheiracanthium in China.