Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1896

Zhang, Feng, 2017, Four new species of the genus Trachelas L. Koch, 1872 and the first record of T. vulcani Simon, 1896 from South-West China (Araneae: Trachelidae), Zootaxa 4324 (1), pp. 23-49 : 29-31

Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1896

Figs 5–8 , 9A–B

Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1896: 412 .

Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1897: 179 , fig. 177.

Trachelas vulcani Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: 394 , figs 623–627.

Material examined. CHINA: Guangxi Province, Chongzuo City: 1♂, Zuozhou Township , Guanghe Village, Nongtan (22°34.044′N, 107°25.237′E), 212m a.s.l., 14 June 2016, leg. Chi Jin ; 2♀, Fusui County, Quli Township, Daling Village , Nongyintun (22°33.675′N, 107°41.191′E), 149m a.s.l., 17 June 2016, leg. Chi Jin and Jingchao He ; 1♀, Banli Township (22°13.886′N, 107°31.758′E), 227m a.s.l., 21 August 2004, leg. Mingsheng Zhu ; 1♀, Pingxiang City, Youyi Township, Yingyang Village (22°08.134′N, 106°41.907′E), 209m a.s.l., 23 August 2004, leg. Mingsheng Zhu. All specimens are deposited in MHBU .

Diagnosis. Trachelas vulcani fits well with the diagnostic characters of the minor group that are presented in the Discussion, so it clearly belongs to this group. Among the congeners, the male of T. vulcani resembles T. canariensis in having a similar long, coiled embolus and a long, apically oriented RPA, but can be distinguished from it by: 1) the more slender embolus, coiled in a larger circle, partly around the dorsal side of the tegulum, whereas relatively thick and coiled a small circle distally on the tegulum in T. canariensis ; 2) smaller size and heavily granulated carapace. The female is similar to T. minor in having similar small copulatory openings situated anteriorly and close together, but can be distinguished from it by: 1) the copulatory ducts long, coiled three times before entering the ST2, whereas short and straight in T. minor ; 2) ST2 very small and oval, whereas larger and spherical in the latter species; 3) ST1 pear-shaped, whereas dumbbell-shaped in T. minor .

Description. Male ( Figs 5 , 7A–D , 8 ): body 2.04 long; carapace 0.96 long, 0.85 wide; abdomen 1.08 long, 0.87 wide. Carapace ( Fig. 5A ) yellow-brown, ovoid in dorsal view, covered with short pale erect setae arising from pronounced granulations. CRW 0.51, 0.6 times carapace width. Fovea brown, distinct. Eyes ringed with black. AER and PER slightly recurved in dorsal view ( Fig. 5C ). Eye diameters: AME 0.13, ALE 0.14, PME 0.13, PLE 0.11. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.13, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.05. MOA 0.26 long, anterior width 0.31, posterior width 0.36. PERW 0.60, 0.71 times CRW. Clypeus height 0.10, slightly narrower than diameter of AME.

Chilum absent ( Fig. 5E ). Chelicerae ( Fig. 5D ) yellow-brown, granulated as carapace, cheliceral boss pronounced, with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium ( Fig. 5B ) light yellow; endites without oblique depression; labium wider than long. Sternum ( Fig. 5B ) light yellow, shield-shaped, granulated as carapace, with precoxal triangles and intercoxal sclerites.

Legs light yellowish-brown, without cusps ( Figs 5F–I ). Measurements of legs: I 2.37 (0.70, 0.32, 0.58, 0.42, 0.35), II 2.19 (0.64, 0.30, 0.51, 0.41, 0.33), III 1.81 (0.51, 0.26, 0.37, 0.39, 0.28), IV 2.68 (0.76, 0.30, 0.66, 0.63, 0.33). Leg formula: 4123. Abdomen oval, pale yellowish, light grey laterally and along dorsal midline; dorsal scutum absent, with two pairs of sigilla ( Fig. 5A ). Venter cream-grey, with two narrow lines of tiny sclerites, barely visible ( Fig. 5B ).

Palp as illustrated ( Figs 7A–D , 8 ). Femur with large, shallow ventral terminal groove and small triangular dorsal terminal apophysis; RPA thick, long triangular, with pointed end, oriented apically; tibial apophysis absent. Tegulum almost as wide as cymbium, distally rounded, inverted pear-shaped, curved sperm duct partly discernable through translucent cuticle. Embolus filiform, extremely long, originating apically on small membranous portion of tegulum, originating on prolateral side, curving around dorsal side, extending over retrolateral side of tegulum, coiled one circle, with distally-directed tip. Tegular apophysis short, finger-shaped, apically inserted, pointed retrolaterally.

Female ( Figs 6 , 7E–F , 9A–B ). Total length 2.48–2.76 (n = 4). One female: body 2.48 long; carapace 0.97 long, 0.89 wide; abdomen 1.51 long, 1.10 wide. CRW 0.53, 0.6 times carapace width. Eye diameters: AME 0.09, ALE 0.09, PME 0.10, PLE 0.08. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.09, PME–PLE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.04. MOA 0.18 long, anterior width 0.21, posterior width 0.26. PERW 0.42, 0.79 times CRW. Clypeus height 0.08, slightly narrower than diameter of AME. Leg measurements: I 2.50 (0.76, 0.34, 0.58, 0.45, 0.37); II 2.34 (0.69, 0.32, 0.53, 0.43, 0.37); III 1.89 (0.53, 0.28, 0.38, 0.43, 0.27); IV 2.83 (0.82, 0.32, 0.68, 0.70, 0.35). Leg formula: 4123. Legs without cusps. Other characters as in male.

Epigyne ( Figs 7E , 9A ): poorly sclerotized, spermathecae and coiled ducts visible through translucent cuticle; copulatory openings small, situated anteriorly; hood absent. Vulva ( Figs 7F , 9B ): copulatory ducts long, coiled three times around the anterior of connecting ducts, attached to ST2; ST2 small and oval; connecting ducts Ushaped, coiling around the copulatory openings; ST1 pear-shaped, connected to short, weakly sclerotized FD.

Distribution. Malaysia (Java, Moluccas), China (Guangxi) ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1896, male, A. habitUs, dorsal view; B. same, ventral view; C. ocUlar area, dorsal view; D. cephalothorax, frontal view; E. same, frontal-ventral view; F. right leg I, retrolateral view; G. right metatarsUs and tarsUs II, retrolateral view; H. right metatarsUs and tarsUs III, retrolateral view; I. right metatarsUs and tarsUs IV, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A – B); 0.1 mm (C – E); 0.2 mm (F – I).

FIGURE 6. Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1896, female, A. habitUs, dorsal view; B. same, ventral view; C. ocUlar area, dorsal view; D. cephalothorax, frontal view; E. same, frontal-ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A – B); 0.1 mm (C – E).

FIGURE 7. Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1896, A. male left palp, prolateral view; B. same, ventral view; C. femUr of male left palp, ventral view, showing the VFG; D. male left palp, retrolateral view; E. epigyne, ventral view; F. vUlva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A – F).

FIGURE 8. Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1896, A. male left palp, prolateral view; B. same, ventral view; C. same, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.25 mm (A – C).

FIGURE 9. A – B, Trachelas vulcani Simon, 1896, C – D, Trachelas brachialis sp. n., A. epigyne, ventral view; B. vUlva, dorsal view; C. epigyne, ventral view; D. vUlva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.25 mm (A – D).

FIGURE 19. DistribUtion of new species and T. vulcani Simon, 1896 from SoUthwest China.