Xantharia galea, Zhang, Feng, Zhang, Chao & Fu, Jianying, 2010

Zhang, Feng, Zhang, Chao & Fu, Jianying, 2010, A new species of the genus Xantharia from China (Araneae: Clubionidae), Zootaxa 2617, pp. 66-68 : 66-68

Xantharia galea sp. nov.

( Figs 1–11 )

Type material. Holotype: male, CHINA: Hainan Province: Changjiang County, Mt. Bawangling [19.31°N, 109.10°E], 24 May 2009, Chao Zhang leg. ( MHBU, Ar09HN007).

Paratypes: 1 male, same data as holotype, Guangxin Han leg. ( MHBU, Ar09HN011); 1 female, CHINA: Hainan Province: Ledong County, Mt. Jianfengling [18.61°N, 108.93°E], 12 December 2003, Mingsheng Zhu leg. ( MHBU, Ar03HN126).

Diagnosis. This new species resembles Xantharia floreni (as illustrated in Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001) in the shape of the palpal bulb and epigynum, but can easily be distinguished from the latter by: (1) bulb with distinct membranous conductor (while almost not seen in the latter); (2) in retrolateral view, the tip of the tibial apophysis curved forward (in the latter without a curved tip in retrolateral view); (3) the epigynal hood distinctly larger than the latter’s; (4) the anterior margin of epigynal hood visually well separated from the bursae (while the anterior margin of epigynal hood visually close to the bursae in the latter); (5) the spermathecae and the bursae are in a common horizontal plane (while clearly in separate planes in the latter).

Etymology. The specific name is due to the shape of the hood in the epigyne which resembles a helmet. The word ‘galea’ means helmet in Latin. Noun in apposition.

Description. Male (holotype): Total body length 5.04: cephalothorax 2.34 long, 1.49 wide; abdomen 2.70 long, 1.40 wide. Carapace ( Fig. 1 ) short and round, light yellow, darker in eye area; fovea longitudinal and distinct, occupying over one seventh of carapace length. Eye group width more than two thirds of carapace width. From dorsal view, AER slightly recurved, and PER procurved and longer than AER ( Fig. 3 ). Eye diameters: AME 0.17, ALE 0.16, PME 0.16, PLE 0.16; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.24, PME–PLE 0.16, ALE–PLE 0.09; MOA 0.52 long, anterior width 0.41, posterior width 0.50. Clypeal height 0.18. Chelicerae moderately long ( Fig. 2 ), brown, with three promarginal teeth, median one largest, and two widely spaced retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium yellowishbrown. Endites longer than wide ( Fig. 4 ), widest anteriorly, concave laterally, with a tuft of setae prolaterally, and with a transverse fold or depression in the endites. Labium longer than wide ( Fig. 4 ); tip truncated and slightly concave centrally, and with several setae; invaginated near postero-lateral corners. Sternum light brown, shield-shaped ( Fig. 4 ), being strongly narrowing in front, with sclerotized pointed extensions reaching towards each coxa and between coxae I and II, II and III, III and IV; anterior margin truncate and posterior margin not extending between coxae IV. Legs uniform light brown, but leg I darker and stouter; tarsi with two dentate claws as in Fig. 5 , and without claw tufts and scopulae; trochanters with shallow notch. Measurements of legs: I 5.31 (1.42+0.58+1.31+1.13+0.87), II 4.98 (1.37+0.57+1.25 +0.98+0.81), III 4.49 (1.13+0.55+1.09+0.95+0.77), IV 6.59 (1.90+0.61+1.45+1.65+0.98). Leg formula: 4123.Leg spination: femora: I d1-1-0; II d1-1-0; III d2-2-0; IV d2-2-0; tibiae: III p1-1-1, r0-1-0; IV p1-0-0, v2-2 -0; metatarsi: III p0-1-1, r0-1-0, v1-1 -0; IV v2-2 -2.

Abdomen long ovoid ( Fig. 1 ), brownish-grey, covered with sparsely long and dark setae. Venter of abdomen light brown. ALS ( Fig. 6 ) cylindrical, slightly tapering, separated by almost their radius. PMS thin and conical, slightly shorter than PLS; PLS with distal segment shorter than basal segment, tapering; and basal segment of PLS with similar length as ALS. Tracheal spiracle located just anterior to the spinnerets.

Male palp relatively simple ( Figs. 9–11 ), retrolateral tibial apophysis small and simple, with beak-shaped tip from retrolateral view. Tegulum rounded at base; sperm duct distinctive, an encircling long loop, originating from upper part of tegulum. Spiniform embolus originating from apico-prolateral tegulum, with relatively large embolar base, the tip reaching beyond tip of tegulum. Membranous conductor situated apically. Median apophysis absent.

Female (paratype): Carapace colour, eye arrangement, abdominal coloration as for male. Total length 4.95: cephalothorax 1.98 long, 1.49 wide; abdomen 2.97 long, 1.40 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.15, ALE 0.14, PME 0.13, PLE 0.14; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.07, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.20, PME–PLE 0.15, ALE–PLE 0.08; MOA 0.44 long, anterior width 0.38, posterior width 0.45. Clypeal height 0.15. Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Sternum more narrow in front than in the male, endites and labium as for male holotype. Measurements of legs: I 5.11 (1.40+0.57+1.30+0.99+0.85), II 4.89 (1.35+0.56+1.23+0.95+0.80), III 4.41 (1.12+0.54+1.08+0.92 +0.75), IV 6.31 (1.85+0.50+1.35+1.62+0.90). Leg spination: femora: I d1-1-0; II d1-1-0; III d1- 1-0; IV d1-1-0; tibiae: III v2-2 -2; IV v2-2 -2; metatarsi: III p0-1-1, v2-2 -2; IV v2-2 -2, r0-1-0. Leg formula: 4123.

Epigynal plate with a helmet-shaped anterior hood ( Fig. 7 ); two copulatory openings located at the center of epigynal plate. Bursae situated laterally to the copulatory openings ( Fig. 8 ), large sac-shaped, and in a common horizontal plane with the spermathecae; spermathecae semi-globular ( Fig. 8 ), distinctly smaller than bursae; fertilization ducts short, arising from the inner margins of the spermathecae.

Distribution. Presently known only from the type locality, Hainan Island, China.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. Xantharia galea sp. nov. 1 Male body, dorsal view; 2 Left chelicera of male, posterior view; 3 Eye region of male, dorsal view; 4 Endites, labium and sternum of male, ventral view; 5 Tarsus and tip of metatarsus IV of male, lateral view; 6 Male spinnerets, ventral view; 7 Epigynum, ventral view; 8 Vulva, dorsal view; 9 – 11 Left male palp (9 prolateral, 10 ventral, 11 retrolateral view). BU—bursa; C—conductor; CO—copulatory opening; E—embolus; FDfertilization duct; H—hood; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; SP—spermatheca; SD—sperm duct; ST—subtegulum; T—tegulum; Scale bars: 1 mm (1, 5), 0.4 mm (2, 3, 9 – 11), 0.3 mm (4, 6). 0.2 mm (7 – 8).