Paratus hamatus, Mu & Zhang, 2018

Mu, Yannan & Zhang, Feng, 2018, Description of two new species of Paratus Simon, 1898 from southern China (Araneae: Liocranidae), Zootaxa 4508 (1), pp. 141-150 : 142-145

Paratus hamatus sp. n.

Figs 1–4

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Yunnan Province: Baoshan City, Tengchong County, Gaoligong Mountains National Nature Reserve (25°16.944'N, 98°43.017'E), 2494 m a.s.l., 20 Oct 2015, Tian Lu leg. Paratypes: 3♀, same data as the holotype .

Etymology. The species name is an adjective and refers to both the RTA and embolus of the male palp that are hook-shaped.

Diagnosis. The male palp is similar to that of P. sinensis in lacking a conductor, but can be distinguished by: 1) the long, curved, hook-shaped RTA (vs straight), 2) embolus strongly curved, hook-shaped, and with a thin apex (vs slightly curved with a broad apex). The epigyne is similar to that of P. perus Sankaran, Malamel, Joseph & Sebastian, 2017 by having a ‘W’-shaped plate, but can be distinguished by: 1) copulatory ducts short, V-shaped (vs long); 2) spermathecae separated (vs adjoining); 3) copulatory openings hidden under epigynal plate (vs not hidden).

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Holotype: total length 3.58, carapace 1.60 long, 1.52 wide, abdomen 1.98 long, 1.42 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.10, PLE 0.10, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.11, PME–PLE 0.15, ALE–PLE contiguous. Clypeus height 0.06, about 0.67 times of AME diameter. Several bent setae originated at the base of fang. Carapace bright yellow, with two pairs of brown bands laterally. Highest point of carapace at fovea. Fovea red-brown, long and straight. Cervical groove indistinct, radial groove distinct. Sternum light yellow, with grey pattern submarginally. Chelicerae darker than carapace, 2 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Abdomen grey, with distinct black patches and irregular white guanine spots. Leg measurements: leg I 6.61 (1.88, 0.65, 2.02, 1.46, 0.60), leg II 6.23 (1.81, 0.46, 1.91, 1.48, 0.57), leg III 5.21 (1.63, 0.49, 1.29, 1.20, 0.60), leg IV 5.81 (1.75, 0.50, 1.34, 1.52, 0.70). Legs coloured as carapace, femora III and IV with two distinct black annuli that divide femora into three almost equal parts. Tibiae I and II with 7 pairs of long ventral spines, metatarsi I and II with 3 pairs of long ventral spines.

Palp ( Figs 3 A–C, 4A–C) as illustrated. Femur (0.79) nearly as long as cymbium (0.78). Patella (0.39) slightly longer than tibia (0.29). Tibia with one prolateral spine, RTA long, curved, hook-shaped. Tegulum rounded, semilucent, with triangular membranous tegular apophysis. Embolus originating at centre of bulb, strongly curved, hook-shaped.

Female ( Fig. 2 ). Total length 3.58–4.03 (n=3). One female with total length 3.58 measured: carapace 1.63 long, 1.95 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.09, PME 0.11, PLE 0.12, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.07, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.14. Clypeus very low, 0.04, about 0.33 times of AME. Leg measurements: leg I 5.23 (1.48, 0.61, 1.58, 1.04, 0.52), leg II 5.12 (1.51, 0.58, 1.40, 1.11, 0.52), leg III 5.40 (1.56, 0.59, 1.33, 1.30, 0.62), leg IV 5.92 (1.62, 0.56, 1.41, 1.63, 0.70). Other characters as for male except the darker colour and slightly larger body size.

Epigyne ( Figs 3 D–E, 4D–E) as illustrated. Epigynal plate weakly sclerotized, with ‘W’-shaped posterior margin, without wrinkles. Copulatory openings hidden under epigynal plate. Copulatory ducts short, V-shaped. Spermathecae spherical, diverging, separated by about 2 times spermatheca diameter. Fertilization ducts curved upward, longer than radius of spermatheca.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Paratus hamatus sp. n., male. A habitus, dorsal view; B same, ventral view; C cephalothorax, frontal view; D chelicerae, ventral view; E habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A–B, E); 0.2 mm (C–D).

FIGURE 2. Paratus hamatus sp. n., female. A habitus, dorsal view; B same, ventral view; C cephalothorax, frontal view; D chelicerae, ventral view; E habitus, lateral view; F right leg, tibia I and metatarsus I, prolateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A–B, E); 0.5 mm (F); 0.2 mm (C–D).

FIGURE 3. Paratus hamatus sp. n. A male left palp, prolateral view; B same, ventral view; C same, retrolateral view; D epigyne, ventral view; E epigyne, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Paratus hamatus sp. n. A male left palp, prolateral view; B same, ventral view; C same, retrolateral view; D epigyne, ventral view; E epigyne, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory opening; E, embolus; FD, fertilization duct; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; S, spermatheca; SD, sperm duct; TA, tegular apophysis. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.