Walckenaeria circulara, Irfan & Zhang & Peng, 2022

Irfan, Muhammad, Zhang, Zhi-Sheng & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2022, Survey of Linyphiidae (Arachnida: Araneae) spiders from Yunnan, China, Megataxa 8 (1), pp. 1-292 : 283-287

Walckenaeria circulara sp. nov. (ƬḦȆƦ)

Figures 325–328

Types. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Yunnan, Lushui County, Pianma Township, Chanyan He , 9.3 km ESE Pianma, 25.99363°N, 98.66651°E, alt. 2470m, mixed broadleaf deciduous and evergreen forest; beating understory vegetation, 14 May 2005, Charles Griswold leg. ( CGY107 ) . Paratypes: 1♀, same data as holotype male ( CGY107 ); 1♂, Tengchong County, Mingguang Township , Zizhi Village, 25.79808°N, 98.62406°E, alt. 2756m, 19 May 2006, Chang-min Yin, Jia-fang Hu and Ming-wei Yang leg. ( YHY06 ); 1 ♂ 3♀, Longyang County, Mangkuan Dinggan , 25.20360ºN, 98.25654ºE, 727m, 12 October 2007, Xian-jin Peng leg. (20071015) .

Etymology. This epithet derives from the Latin adjective “ circularis ”, meaning “circular”, referring to the circular embolus in male palp.

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by the male palpal tibia with three apophyses, dorsal tibial apophysis ventrally with three big sclerotized teeth, with finger-shaped rough tip, end blunt; retrolateral and ventral tibial apophyses thumb-shaped; protegulum longer than wide, protruding above the apex of cymbium; spermathecae L-shaped with globular head present ventro-mesally; copulatory ducts dorsally with V-shaped folds in epigyne ( Figs 325A–D , 326A–C ).

Description. Male (holotype, Fig. 327A, B ): Total length: 1.60. Carapace 0.75 long, 0.61 wide, yellow; cephalic region slightly elevated; cephalic pits present behind the posterior lateral eyes; fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.19 high. Sternum longer than wide, cordiform,yellow.Labium wider than long.Maxillae long, distal end broad with scopulae. Chelicerae with two promarginal and four retromarginal teeth. Eye region narrow, AER recurved, PER procurved, slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.04, ALE 0.06, PME 0.05, PLE 0.04, AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.05 AME–ALE, 0.04, PME–PLE 0.05, AME–PME 0.08, ALE–ALE 0.27, PLE–PLE 0.29, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 2.39 (0.73, 0.75, 0.55, 0.36), II 2.31 (0.70, 0.73, 0.54, 0.34), III 1.79 (0.56, 0.56, 0.38, 0.29), IV 2.32 (0.69, 0.72, 0.57, 0.34). Leg formula I-IV-II-III. Tm I 0.26 and Tm IV 0.17. Tibial spine formula: 2-2-1-1. Abdomen 0.92 long, 0.77 wide, oval, grayish black, with two pairs of sigillae.

Palp ( Fig. 325A–D ): Patella shorter than tibia, mesally slightly curved; tibia with a retrolateral trichobothria and three apophyses; ventral and retrolateral tibial apophyses thumb-shaped with blunt end; dorsal tibial apophysis ventrally with three sclerotized teeth, tip finger-shaped with rough surface; paracymbium C-shaped, distal arm with hook-shaped tip; distal suprategular apophysis sinuous with blunt end; tegulum with long protegulum, extending forward. Embolic division: Radix and column distinct; tailpiece sclerotized, strongly curved with blunt end pointing towards the tibia; embolic membrane running parallel with embolus; embolus sclerotized, forming one and half circular rings.

Female (one of paratypes, Fig. 327C, D ): Total length: 1.49. Carapace 0.63 long, 0.49 wide, yellow; cephalic region slightly elevated; cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.18 high. Sternum longer than wide, cordiform, yellow, sparsely covered with microsetae. Labium wider than long. Maxillae long, distal end broad with scopulae. Chelicerae with four promarginal and five retromarginal teeth. Eye region narrow, AER recurved, PER procurved, slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.04, ALE 0.05, PME 0.04, PLE 0.04, AME–AME 0.01, PME–PME 0.03, AME–ALE, 0.02, PME–PLE 0.03, AME–PME 0.04, ALE–ALE 0.22, PLE–PLE 0.24, ALE–PLE 0.01. Length of legs: I 1.96 (0.67, 0.59, 0.38, 0.32), II 1.84 (0.57, 0.58, 0.38, 0.31), III 1.5 (0.49, 0.44, 0.29, 0.28), IV 1.86 (0.56, 0.58, 0.40, 0.32). Leg formula I-IV-II-III. Tm I 0.17 and Tm IV 0.13. Tibial spine formula: 2-2-1-1. Abdomen 0.98 long, 0.64 wide, oval, grey, with two pairs of sigillae.

Epigyne ( Fig. 326A–C ): Ventral plate wider than long, sclerotized, with arch-shaped collar posteriorly; dorsal plate partly visible; copulatory openings present posteriorly at the junction of ventral and dorsal plate. Vulva: Copulatory ducts dorsally with V-shaped folds; spermathecae L-shaped, ventro-mesally with globular head; fertilization ducts small, covered by the copulatory ducts.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 328 ).

Figures

FIGURE 325. Walckenaeria circulara sp. nov., male palp of holotype. A prolateral view B retrolateral view C dorsal view D ventral view.

FIGURE 326. Walckenaeria circulara sp. nov., female (one of paratypes). A, B Epigyne, ventral view. C Vulva, dorsal view.

FIGURE 327. Walckenaeria circulara sp. nov., male (holotype, A, B), female (one of paratyes, C, D). A, C Habitus, dorsal view B, D Habitus, ventral view.

FIGURE 328. Distribution of Walckenaeria circulara sp. nov..