Asceua torquata (Simon, 1909)

Zhang, Bao-Shi, Zhang, Feng & Jia, Xiao-Mei, 2012, Two new species of the ant spider genus Asceua Thorell, 1887 (Araneae: Zodariidae) from China, Zootaxa 3307, pp. 62-68 : 66

Asceua torquata (Simon, 1909)

( Figs 12–18 )

Storena torquata Simon, 1909: 79 .

Asceua torquata Ono, 2004: 68 , f. 6–7

Material examined. CHINA, Hainan Province: 13, Jianfengling Mountain, 9 Nov. 2008, G.X. Han leg.; Guangxi Province: 1Ƥ, Wuming County (23°10ʹN, 108°12ʹE), Nanning City, 1 May 2006, Z.S. Guan leg.; Hunan Province: 3Ƥ, Dao County (25°32ʹN, 110°36ʹE), 26 May 2002, Z.S. Zhang leg.

Diagnosis. Males can be distinguished from other Asceua species by the wide retrolateral prong of tibial apophysis. It differs from A. japonica and A. expugnatrix Jocqué, 1995 by the shape of retrolateral prong of tibial apophysis and the dorsal pattern on the opisthosoma ( Figs 12, 15 ). Females can be distinguished from other Asceua species by the dorsal pattern on the opisthosoma and the details of genitalia ( Figs 16–18 ).

Description. Male (from Jianfengling Mountain). Total length 3.38: prosoma 1.58 long, 1.13 wide; opisthosoma 1.62 long, 1.13 wide.

Color. Carapace ( Fig. 12 ) brown, elevated; median furrow black; radial furrow dark brown. Clypeus brown. Each eye ringed with black. Chelicerae, endites and labium brown, apices of endites and labium yellow. Sternum brown, lateral margin slightly dark. Legs brown. Dorsum of opisthosoma black, median with a brown band, lateral part with a pair of white patches followed by two white median patches, the first white median patch with a small black median patch; venter yellowish. Spinnerets yellowish.

Prosoma ( Fig. 12 ). Carapace longer than wide, thorax swell, tegument smooth and shiny. Both the eye rows procurved in dorsal view. Diameters of eyes: AME 0.10, ALE 0.10, PME 0.08, PLE 0.13. Interdistances of eyes: AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.51, PME–PME 0.09, PME–PLE 0.12, PLE–PLE 0.61, ALE– PLE 0.03. MOA 0.35 long, front width 0.27, back width 0.30. Clypeal height 0.41. Fangs of chelicerae short. Labium triangular, 0.27 long, 0.23 wide. Sternum 0.77 long, 0.68 wide and furnished with sparse black setae.

Legs. Each femur with a dorsal spine. Measurements of legs: I: 4.11 (1.04, 0.41, 0.90, 1.08, 0.68), II: 3.79 (0.99, 0.45, 0.77, 0.95, 0.63), III: 3.82 (0.99, 0.45, 0.81, 0.95, 0.62), IV: 4.56 (1.17, 0.50, 1.04, 1.26, 0.59). Leg formula: 4132.

Opisthosoma ( Fig. 12 ). Oval, longer than wide, covered with short, black hairs.

Male palp ( Figs 11 , 13–15 ). Retrolateral prong of tibial apophysis wide, ventrolateral prong thin; cymbium narrowed, with typical huge lateral fold, and with a projection near the apex of cymbium; bulb with a sharply process pointing retrolateraliy; membranous conductor large; embolus threadlike.

Female (from Wuming County). Total length 3.47: prosoma 1.53 long, 1.22 wide; opisthosoma 1.89 long, 1.26 wide.

Prosoma. Both the eye rows slightly procurved in dorsal view. Diameters of eyes: AME 0.10, ALE 0.12, PME 0.10, PLE 0.12. Interdistances of eyes: AME–AME 0.03, AME–ALE 0.04, ALE–ALE 0.53, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.13, PLE–PLE 0.66, ALE–PLE 0.04. MOA 0.36 long, front width 0.23, back width 0.30. Clypeal height 0.32. Labium 0.36 long, 0.36 wide. Sternum 0.81 long, 0.72 wide.

Legs. Each femur with one dorsal spine. Measurements of legs: I: 4.10 (0.99, 0.45, 0.95, 0.99, 0.72), II: 3.65 (0.95, 0.45, 0.81, 0.90, 0.54), III. 3.61 (0.95, 0.45, 0.72, 0.99, 0.50), IV: 4.23 (1.08, 0.45, 1.08, 0.99, 0.63). Leg formula: 4123.

Female genitalia ( Figs 16–18 ). Copulatory openings situated in anterior part of epigynum; long and winding copulatory ducts visible through integument; spermathecae almost spherical, situated posteriorly and near each other.

Distribution. China (Hainan, Guangxi, Hunan); Vietnam.

Remark. While examining the Asceua specimens collected from southern China, we found some Asceua females captured from Guangxi and Hunan provinces, recognized them as A. torquata which described originally from Vietnam. In 2008, we also collected one Asceua male from Hainan Province, and with the same habitus and dorsal pattern on the opisthosoma as the females of A. torquata . In addition, Hunan, Guangxi and Hainan are near in geographical distribution, We therefore identified it as the male of A. torquata and describe it here.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 18 Asceua torquata (Simon, 1909), 12 – 15, male. 12, habitus, dorsal view; 13, left male palp, prolateral view; 14, same, ventral view; 15, same, retrolateral view; 16 – 18, female. 16, epigyne, ventral view; 17, internal genitalia, dorsal view; 18, schematic course of internal duct system (circle: copulatory opening; T: globose hunch; arrow: copulatory duct in direction of uterus externu). Scale bars: 12, 1 mm; 13 – 17, 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 8 – 11. Asceua anding sp. nov., 8 – 11, female holotype. 8, habitus, dorsal view; 9, epigyne, ventral view; 10, internal genitalia, dorsal view; 11, schematic course of internal duct system (circle: copulatory opening; arrow: copulatory duct in direction of uterus externu). Scale bars: 8, 1 mm; 9 – 10, 0.5 mm.