Utivarachna subfabaria Liu, Xu & Haddad, 2020

Liu, Keke, Yin, Haiqiang, Haddad, Charles R., Xu, Xiang & Ma, Zhining, 2020, Two new species of Utivarachna Kishida, 1940 from southern China, with an updated key to the Chinese species (Araneae: Trachelidae), Zootaxa 4803 (1), pp. 87-102 : 90-97

Utivarachna subfabaria Liu, Xu & Haddad sp. nov.

Figs 1 A−E, 2A−L, 3A−G, 4A−F, 5A−J, 6A−F urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6749410A-430C-4383-A428-1BEF9AF57340

Type material. Holotype: ♂: CHINA: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: Chongzuo City , Longzhou County, Nonggang National Nature Reserve , Sanlian Station , Longhu , 22°31’27.35”N, 106°50’51.30”E, 344 m, 31.X.2017, leg. A.L. He et al . Paratypes: 5♀, with same data as holotype ; 1 ♂, Sanlian Station , Longdan, 22°32’04.93”N, 106°50’13.07”E, 307 m, 31.X.2017, leg. A.L. He et al .; 2♀, Nonggang National Nature Reserve , Nonggang Station, 22°27’50.94”N, 106°55’56.58”E, 228 m, 26.X.2017, leg. A.L. He et al .; 1♂, 2♀, Nonggang National Nature Re- serve, Nonggang Station, Longjiang Security Posts, 22°28’39.70”N, 106°54’33.15”E, 204 m, 28.X.2017, leg. A.L. He et al .; 1♀, Nonggang National Nature Reserve , Xiangshui Station, 18th boundary monument, 22°26’08.38”N, 107°01’26.37”E, 262 m, 1.XI.2017, leg. A.L. He et al .; 1♂, Nonggang National Nature Reserve , Longrui Station, 22°14’33.06”N, 107°03’46.14”E, 200 m, 4.XI.2017, leg. A.L. He et al .

Etymology. The specific name reflects its similarity to U. fabaria ; adjective.

Diagnosis. U. subfabaria sp. nov. belongs to the kinabaluensis -group, but differs from it by having 5 promarginal teeth on chelicera vs. 3. Males are very similar to those of U. fabaria in the shape of the retrolateral tibial apophysis, tegulum and subtegulum, but can be recognized by the U-shaped sperm ducts extending to the base of the tegulum ( Fig. 2J ), while separated from the base by nearly double the width of the sperm duct in U. fabaria ( Jin et al. 2015: fig. 5D). Females of U. subfabaria sp. nov. have the copulatory openings located in the middle of the epigyne, dorsally near the posterior margin of the bursae, almost parallel copulatory ducts, and spermathecae that are parallel to the body axis, while in U. fabaria the copulatory openings are close to the midpoint of the bursae, the copulatory ducts curve anterolaterally, and the spermathecae are clearly oblique relative to the body axis (compare Fig. 2I, J with Zhao & Peng 2014: fig. 5B, C).

Description. Male. Habitus ( Fig. 1A, B ). Total length 6.10. Carapace ( Fig. 1A ) very dark, almost black, broadly oval, pars cephalica strongly domed in cephalic region, narrowed anteriorly to 0.6 times its maximum width, with densely granulated trichopores and abundant straight white setae, posteriorly with indistinct cervical groove and distinct fovea, length 3.33, width 2.78. Eyes ( Fig. 1C ): AME, ALE and PLE circular, PME slightly oval; diameters: AME 0.17, ALE 0.17, PME 0.14, PLE 0.15; interdistances: AME–AME 0.09, AME−ALE 0.18, ALE−ALE 0.60, PME–PME 0.22, PME−PLE 0.36, PLE−PLE 1.03, ALE−PLE 0.36, AME−PME 0.09. MOA 0.39 long, front width 0.37, back width 0.47; eye area occupying most of anterior cephalic region. Mouthparts ( Fig. 1B, D ): chelicerae very dark, red-brown in furrow, straight, robust, with abundant setae along promargin; 3 promarginal (2 nd largest) and 5 retromarginal (3 rd largest, proximal smallest) teeth; maxillae dark brown, straight laterally; labium pentagonal, slightly longer than wide. Sternum ( Fig. 1E ) very dark, very slightly longer than wide, with notch anteromedially; abundant setae and numerous trichopores; lateral margins strongly rebordered, fused to intercoxal sclerites. Pedicel cylindrical, sclerotized, relatively short, red brown. Abdomen ( Fig. 1A, B ) ovoid, 2.56 long, 2.45 wide, orange scutum covering entire dorsum, with dense dark grey mottling; two pairs of orange dorsal sigilla, first at 1/4 abdomen length and second at midpoint; venter with abundant pale dots, distinct sperm pores in epigastric region. Legs yellow-brown ( Figs 2 A−D, 3A, B), with abundant setae on each segment; legs III and IV distinctly thinner than I and II, all femora widest in basal third; femora, patellae, tibiae and tarsi I longer than others, metatarsus IV longer than metatarsi I–III; all tarsi with dorsal notch at their base, tarsal claws with five small teeth each; all legs without spines, anterior legs without ventral cusps. Leg measurements: I 7.56 (2.24, 0.97, 1.96, 1.43, 0.96); II 6.97 (1.99, 0.94, 1.73, 1.42, 0.89); III 5.79 (1.62, 0.83, 1.32, 1.31, 0.71); IV 7.43 (2.10, 0.81, 1.69, 1.95, 0.79). Palp ( Figs 2 E−H, 3C−E, 5A−D): yellow-brown; tibia shorter than cymbium; cymbium ovoid, dorsally with denser setae in distal third, ventrally with thickened setae beyond tegulum; RTA broad at base, strongly narrowed distally, tip forming weak, dorsally-directed hook; tegulum approximately 1.5 times as long as its maximum width in ventral view; subtegulum sclerotized, retrolateral margin especially strongly sclerotized; sperm duct U-shaped in ventral view, with proximal bend at proximal margin of tegulum; embolus rotated in anticlockwise direction, distal end sharp, pointing towards 12 o’clock.

Female. Habitus ( Fig. 4A, B ). As in male except as noted. Total length 5.94. Carapace length 2.92, width 2.51, broadly oval (CL = 1.16 CW), narrowed anteriorly to 0.6 times its maximum width. Eye ( Fig. 4C ) diameters: AME 0.13, ALE 0.13, PME 0.13, PLE 0.13; interdistances:AME–AME 0.07, ALE−AME 0.11, ALE−ALE 0.50, PME–PME 0.18, PLE−PME 0.25, PLE−PLE 0.88, AME−PME 0.12, ALE−PLE 0.05. MOA 0.37 long, front width 0.31, back width 0.42. Abdomen ( Fig. 4A, B ): length 3.03, width 2.62 (AL = 1.15 AW), without dorsal scutum, grey dorsally, with five indistinct cream chevrons in posterior half; two pairs of orange sigilla, first at one-quarter abdomen length and second just anterior to midpoint. Leg measurements ( Fig. 5 A−H): I 6.25 (1.85, 0.80, 1.56, 1.25, 0.79); II 6.58 (1.91, 0.90, 1.69, 1.24, 0.83); III 5.40 (1.55, 0.79, 1.14, 1.33, 0.59); IV 7.04 (1.95, 0.76, 1.65, 1.87, 0.81). Leg formula: 4213.

Epigyne ( Figs 5I, J , 6E, F ): epigyne plate oval; atrium oval, located in posterior half; copulatory openings located mesally at anterior of atrium, semilunar-shaped, slightly separated, with inner margins sclerotized, connected to bursa copulatrix by thin, slightly diverging copulatory ducts; bursae globe-shaped, 0.5 to 0.7 times of epigyne length, with posterior margins touching anterior margins of comma-shaped spermathecae; bursae with cluster of granulate glands on posterolateral margin; connecting ducts about 3/4 the length of bursae, mesally positioned, straight and parallel, entering spermathecae along anterior margin; fertilization ducts small, separated from each other by width of atrium.

Habitat. It was collected from leaf litter in areas of rainforest in karst physiognomy.

Distribution. Known only from a few localities in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.

Figures

FIGURE 1A–E. Utivarachna subfabaria sp. nov., male holotype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Eyes, dorsal view. D. Chelicera, retrolateral view. E. Maxillae, labium and sternum, ventral view. Scale bars: A, B, E = 0.5 mm; C, D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 2A–G. Utivarachna subfabaria sp. nov., male holotype, legs and palp. A. Tarsus, metatarsus and tibia I, retrolateral view. B. Patella and femur I, retrolateral view. C. Tarsus, metatarsus and tibia II, retrolateral view. D. Patella and femur II, retrolateral view. E. Tarsus and metatarsus III, retrolateral view. F. Tibia, patella and femur III, retrolateral view. G. Tarsus, metatarsus and tibia IV, retrolateral view. H. Patella and femur IV, retrolateral view. I. Palp, prolateral view. J. Same, ventral view. K. Same, retrolateral view. L. Same, dorsolateral view. Scale bars: A–H = 0.5 mm; I–L = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 4A–E. Utivarachna subfabaria sp. nov., female paratype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Eyes, dorsal view. D. Chelicera, retrolateral view. E. Maxillae, labium and sternum, ventral view. Scale bars: A, B, E = 0.5 mm; C, D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 5A–J. Utivarachna subfabaria sp. nov., female paratype, legs and genitalia.A. Tarsus, metatarsus and tibia I, retrolateral view. B. Patella and femur I, retrolateral view. C. Tarsus, metatarsus and tibia II, retrolateral view. D. Patella and femur II, retrolateral view. E. Tarsus and metatarsus III, retrolateral view. F. Tibia, patella and femur III, retrolateral view. G. Tarsus and metatarsus IV, retrolateral view. H. Tibia, patella and femur IV, retrolateral view. I. Epigyne, ventral view. J. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–H = 0.5 mm; I, J = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 6A–F. Utivarachna subfabaria sp. nov. male palp and female genitalia. A. Male palp, prolateral view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Same, retrolateral view. D. Same, dorsolateral view. E. Epigyne, ventral view. F. Vulva, dorsal view.Abbreviations: A, atrium; B, Bulb; BU, bursae; CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory openings; E, embolus; FD, fertilization duct; GP, glandular particles; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; SD, sperm duct; SP, spermathecae; ST, subtegulum; T, tegulum. Scale bars: A–F = 0.1 mm.