Poeciloneta ancora, Zhai, Hui & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2008

Zhai, Hui & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2008, Two new species of the spider genus Poeciloneta Kulczyn'ski, 1894 (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from China, Zootaxa 1850, pp. 61-64 : 63

Poeciloneta ancora n. sp. ( Figs. 8–14 )

Types. Holotype male, 2 female paratypes, China: Xizang, Lang County (3655 m, 29°39'N, 91°07'E), 20 Aug. 2002 (MHBU). The specimens were collected by Ming-Sheng Zhu.

Etymology. The specific name is from Latin ancora and refers to the anchor-shape pseudoscape.

Diagnosis. The new species is close to P. variegata (Blackwall, 1841) . The male can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the bifid proximal cymbium apophysis and the lamella characteristica with three long and narrow apical branches, one of them membranous. The female can be diagnosed by the anchor-shaped pseudoscape; the long and narrow stretcher.

Description. Male holotype ( Figs. 12–14 ). Total length 2.18. Carapace 0.98 long, 0.80 wide; abdomen 1.23 long, 0.73 wide. Carapace grayish-brown, fovea distinct. Eyes surrounded by black pigment; AMEs smallest (0.05), others subequal (0.08); AER and PER procurved, AME-AME (0.03) shorter than AME-ALE (0.05), PME-PME (0.05) longer than PME-PLE (0.03), MOA front shorter than back (0.13: 0.18). ALE and PLE juxtaposed. Clypeus height 0.13. Endite parallel, long and wide subequal (0.18). Labium yellowish. Chelicerae brown, with stridulatory ridges, fang groove with three big promarginal and four small retromarginal teeth. Sternum cordiform, slightly darker than carapace. Legs light yellow. Tibia dorsal spines: 2-2-2-2. Tm I 0.83. Measurements of legs: I 4.59 (1.13 + 1.48 + 1.20 + 0.78), II 4.01 (1.08 + 1.23 + 1.00 + 0.70), III 3.12 (0.93 + 0.93 + 0.78 + 0.48), Leg IV absent. Abdomen brown, dorsal with black and white spots. Spinnerets black.

Male palp ( Figs.12–14 ): The tibia with a long dorsal spine. Cymbium proximally with a bifurcate apophysis. Paracymbium large, the apical part V-shaped. Radix long and narrow. Lamella characteristica long, almost parallel with radix, with three apical branches; one apex of the branch membranous and the other two turned abruptly. Embolus hooked, embolus proper sharply turning.

Female paratype ( Figs.8–11 ). Total length 2.33. Carapace 0.93 long, 0.73 wide, abdomen 1.33 long, 0.93 wide. Clypeus height 0.10. Tibia dorsal spines: 2-2-2-2. Tm I 0.84. Measurements of legs: I 4.06 (1.13 + 1.23 + 1.00 + 0.70), II 3.56 (0.95 + 1.10 + 0.88 + 0.63), III 2.84 (0.78 + 0.85 + 0.73 + 0.48), IV 3.71 (1.08 + 1.13 + 0.90 + 0.60).Tm IV absent.

Epigynum( Figs.9–11 ): Pseudoscape anchor-shaped, the distal part compacted. Stretcher long, merged with lateral lobes. Posterior median plate heart-shaped.

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 14. Poeciloneta ancora n. sp., 8 – 11, female paratypes. 8, Body, dorsal; 9, epigynum, ventral; 10, epigynum, lateral; 11. epigynum, dorsal. 12 – 14, male holotype and left palp. 12, prolateral; 13, ventral; 14, retrolateral. Scale = 0.1 mm.