Nandicius shihaitaoi, Wang & Li, 2023

Wang, Cheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2023, Notes on twelve species of jumping spiders from Hainan Island, China (Araneae, Salticidae), ZooKeys 1167, pp. 159-197 : 159

Nandicius shihaitaoi sp. nov.

Figs 13 , 14

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (IZCAS-Ar44524), China: Hainan: Baisha County, Yinggeling National Nature Reserve (19°03.05′N, 109°33.78′E, ca. 680 m), 21.viii.2010, G. Zheng leg. Paratypes 1♂1♀ (IZCAS-Ar44525-44526), same data as holotype; 1♀ (IZCAS-Ar44527), Lingshui County, Diaoluoshan National Nature Reserve, Plank Road (18°43.60′N, 109°51.99′E, ca. 950 m), 8.viii.2010, G. Zheng leg.; 1♀ (IZCAS-Ar44528), Jianfengling National Nature Reserve, Mingfeng Valley (18°44.65′N, 108°50.44′E, ca 1000 m), 18.viii.2010, G. Zheng Leg.

Etymology.

The specific name is after Prof. Haitao Shi, a leading scientist in turtle conservation; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

The male of Nandicius shihaitaoi sp. nov. resembles that of N. proszynskii Wang & Li, 2021 in having very similar habitus and palpal structure, but it can be easily distinguished by the presence of bRTA (Fig. 13B, C ), vs. bRTA absent in N. proszynskii ( Wang and Li 2021: fig. 10B, C). The female closely resembles that of Tasa koreana ( Wesołowska, 1981) in having very similar epigyne, but it can be easily distinguished by the presence of a basal epigynal plate, and the C-shaped copulatory openings (Fig. 14A ), vs. the absence of basal epigynal plate and oval copulatory opeings in T. koreana ( Suguro and Yahata 2014: fig. 29). The female also resembles that of Madhyattus jabalpurensis Prószyński, 1992 in having a very similar epigyne, but it can be easily distinguished by the distance between the copulatory openings, which is more than half the epigynal width (Fig. 14A ), vs. ~ 1/3 the epigynal width in M. jabalpurensis ( Prószyński 1992: fig. 77).

Description.

Male (Figs 13 , 14C, D, F, G ). Total length 2.87. Carapace 1.34 long, 0.92 wide. Abdomen 1.55 long, 0.81 wide. Clypeus 0.09 high. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.22, ALE 0.12, PLE 0.12, AERW 0.77, PERW 0.77, EFL 0.58. Legs: I 1.91 (0.58, 0.38, 0.45, 0.30, 0.20), II 1.46 (0.45, 0.30, 0.28, 0.25, 0.18), III 1.55 (0.48, 0.23, 0.33, 0.28, 0.23), IV 2.11 (0.73, 0.25, 0.50, 0.38, 0.25). Carapace yellow except the lateral sides of eye field black, covered with white and brown setae, with cluster of white setae at the median of anterior margin, pair of white stripes of setae laterally on cephalic region, and pair of elongate-oval dark spots medially on eye field; fovea indistinct. Chelicerae dark yellow, each with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Endites longer than wide, widened distally, bearing dense setae distally on inner margins. Labium tapered, almost linguiform. Sternum ~ 1.5 × longer than wide, with straight anterior margin. Legs pale to dark yellow, with green-brown stripes on the lateral of femora, patellae, and metatarsi II, III, IV; leg I strongest, with slightly enlarged femora and tibiae. Abdomen elongated, dorsum with several transverse chevron patterns medio-posteriorly; venter pale. Palp (Fig. 13A-C ). Tibia wider than long, with three apophyses, including the retrolateral one curved inwards distally and blunt apically, the dorsal one almost triangular, and the broad baso-retrolateral one with several small apophyses; cymbium ~ 1.5 × longer than wide, with tuberous proximal apophysis; bulb elongated, swollen medio-posteriorly, with antero-retrolateral bump; embolus originates from the antero-prolateral portion of bulb, short and straight, tapered to the rather pointed tip directed towards ~ 2 o’clock position.

Female (Fig. 14A, B, E ). Total length 3.18. Carapace 1.22 long, 0.80 wide. Abdomen 1.90 long, 1.02 wide. Clypeus 0.10 high. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.23, ALE 0.13, PLE 0.12, AERW 0.72, PERW 0.75, EFL 0.54. Legs: I 1.54 (0.48, 0.30, 0.33, 0.25, 0.18), II 1.34 (0.43, 0.25, 0.28, 0.20, 0.18), III 1.52 (0.48, 0.23, 0.30, 0.28, 0.23), IV 2.11 (0.70, 0.28, 0.50, 0.38, 0.25). Habitus (Fig. 14E ) similar to that of male except without the cluster of setae on the median of the anterior margin of carapace. Epigyne (Fig. 14A, B ). Slightly wider than long, with arc-shaped base plate; copulatory openings posteriorly located, C-shaped, and separated from each other ca. half the epigynal width; copulatory ducts thickest proximally, curved into S-shape, with curved, bar-shaped, terminal accessory glands; spermathecae elongated, curved into C-shape.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in Hainan Island, China.

Comments.

The new species is placed into the genus provisionally because it shares a very similar habitus and palpal structure with the known congener, Nandicius proszynskii Wang & Li, 2021. However, it is inconsistent with other congeners in the epigynal structure and body shape, which indicates its generic position needs further confirmation.

Figures

Figure 13. Male palp of Nandicius shihaitaoi sp. nov., holotype A prolateral B ventral C retrolateral. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 14. Nandicius shihaitaoi sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype A epigyne, ventral B vulva, dorsal C holotype habitus, dorsal D ditto, ventral E female paratype habitus, dorsal F holotype carapace, frontal G holotype chelicera, posterior. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A, B, G); 0.2 mm (F); 0.5 mm (C-E).