Meotipa tortuosa, Liang & Yin & Xu, 2024

Liang, Yun, Yin, Haiqiang & Xu, Xiang, 2024, Three new species of the spider genus Meotipa Simon, 1895 from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China (Araneae: Theridiidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 968, pp. 156-173 : 166-170

Meotipa tortuosa sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7EC551E7-6F53-4FC3-9EF3-309181D45FE5

Figs 7–11 , Tables 1–3

Diagnosis

The female of this new species is similar to that of M. capacifaba Li et al., 2020 in having a deep, membranous atrium and large, sclerotized S (compare Figs 7 D−F, 8 with Li et al. 2020: figs 2a, 3a), but can be distinguished from the latter by having an oval abdomen in lateral view, a horse hoof-shaped atrium with equal-width margin, and visible CO; whereas the abdomen is near trapezoidal in lateral view, atrium ring-shaped with widened area that is strongly sclerotized but abruptly becoming slender as well as indistinct CO hidden by anterior margin of atrium in M. capacifaba (compare Figs 7 D−F, 8 with Li et al. 2020: figs 1c, 2a–b). The male of this new species is similar to that of M. pulcherrima ( Mello-Leitão, 1917) in having a broad, large and sclerotized C (compare Figs 9E , 10E with Yoshida 2003: fig. 213), but can be distinguished from the latter by an extremely twisted E hidden by C in ventral view and C distinctly extending beyond cymbium; whereas E is straight, short, and uncovered in ventral view as well as C slightly extending beyond cymbium in M. pulcherrima (compare Figs 9 D−F, 10 with Yoshida 2003: fig. 213).

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the Latin word ‘ tortuosa ’, meaning ‘twisted ’, referring to the shape of the embolus, and is an adjective, feminine.

Type material

Holotype CHINA • ♀; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongzuo City, Jiangzhou District , Zuozhou Town , Guanghe Village ; 22°34′ N, 107º25′ E; alt. 281 m; 6 Sep. 2015; B. Zhou, W. Liu, J. Liu, Q. Cai, X. Huang and D. Li leg.; HNU813 .

Paratypes CHINA • 2 ♂♂; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongzuo City, Nongang Nature Reserve , Nonggang Station ; 22° 27′ N, 106° 55′ E; alt. 188 m; 25 Oct. 2017; A. He, K. Liu, J. Liu, Q. Cai, J. Liu and Z. Huang leg.; HNU814–815 .

Description

Female (holotype HNU813)

Total length 2.9, carapace 1.06 long, 0.87 wide, 0.41 height, abdomen 1,84 long, 1.13 wide, 1.29 height. Carapace yellowish, with a pale gray longitudinal stripe, and round fovea, indistinct radial furrow ( Fig. 7A ). Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.08, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.02, PME–PME 0.07, PME–PLE 0.05. Clypeus height 0.24. Clypeus bulged outwards. Chelicerae yellowish, three promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Pedipalp yellowish, patellae and tibiae with one black flattened spine each. STL 0.62, STW 0.53. Sternum yellowish, shield-shaped. Labium nearly rectangular. Legs yellowish, long and slender, patellae and tibiae have one or two black flattened spines. Leg measurements: I 10.15 (2.96, 0.69, 2.31, 3.20, 0.99); II 6.18 (2.01, 0.43, 1.27, 1.76, 0.71); III 3.85 (1.27, 0.35, 0.65, 1.03, 0.55); IV 7.2 (2.45, 0.46, 1.57, 2.05, 0.67). Leg formula I IV II III. Abdomen oval, yellowish, with snowy patches and six transverse black stripes. Caudal region and region above spinnerets with black flattened spines ( Fig. 7C ). Venter of abdomen yellowish ( Fig. 7B ).

EPIGYNE ( Figs 7 D−F, 8). Atrium membranous, divided into two parts by ES, each part resembling a horse hoof. Margin of atrium and ES strongly sclerotized. CO distinct. CD sclerotized, width approximately ½ width of S, and terminal portion fused with S. S sclerotized, adjacent to each other, and extending horizontally. FD relatively long, comma-shaped, with sclerotized basal portion and membranous distal portion, arising from posterior margin of S.

Male (paratype HNU814)

Total length 2.33, carapace 1.01 long, 0.93 wide, 0.51 height, abdomen 1.32 long, 0.74 wide, 0.80 height. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.07, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.03, PME–PME 0.08, PME–PLE 0.05. Clypeus height 0.29. STL 0.56, STW 0.52. Leg measurements: I 6.75 (1.97, 0.30, 1.41, 1.84, 1.23); II 4.21 (1.50, 0.20, 0.84, 1.24, 0.43); III 2.6 (0.89, 0.16, 0.49, 0.81, 0.25); IV 4.57 (1.54, 0.23, 1.02, 1.34, 0.44). Leg formula I IV II III. Black flattened spines present on dorsum of abdomen, and between caudal region and region above spinnerets. Body size of male much smaller than that of female, and color patterns paler than those of female. Other characteristics similar to those of female.

PEDIPALPUS ( Figs 9 D−F, 10). Metatarsus with long hairs along distal margin. Cymbium pod-shaped. T broad, sclerotized, joining with C. St relatively large, sclerotized, located on lower of bulb. C robust, well-developed, approximately ⅔ size of bulb. C mostly sclerotized but basal ⅔ membranous in retrolateral view. E long, wide, and flat, exhibiting ribbon-like twist, situated between C and E, originating in position of 6 o’clock and terminating in position of 12 o’clock. MA triangular, situated between C and cymbium.

Remarks

It should be noted that M. tortuosa sp. nov. includes one female and two male specimens found in this study, but female and male specimens were not collected in the same locality, nor at the same time. The distance between the two locations is less than 100 kilometers and the time span was nearly two months. In addition, both sexes are similar in appearance. We assumed that the male and female specimens were of the same species, and conducted a molecular analysis using the H3 gene mark to verify our hypothesis. Detailed information about the specimens used for DNA barcoding is shown in Table 1 .

Distribution

Known only from the type locality, China (Guangxi) ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

Fig. 7. Meotipa tortuosa sp. nov., ♀, holotype (HNU813). A–C. Habitus. A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Lateral view. D–E. Epigyne, ventral view. F. Vulva, dorsal view (E–F, after digestion with pancreatin). Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: A–C = 0.5 mm; D–F = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 8. Meotipa tortuosa sp. nov., ♀, holotype (HNU813). A. Epigyne, ventral view. B. Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 9. Meotipa tortuosa sp. nov., ♂, paratype (HNU814). A–C. Habitus. A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Lateral view. D–E. Left palp. D. Prolateral view. E. Ventral view. F. Retrolateral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: A–C = 1 mm; D–F = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 10. Meotipa tortuosa sp. nov., ♂, paratype (HNU814). A–C. Left palp. A. Prolateral view. B. Ventral view. C. Retrolateral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 11. Collection localities for three new species of Meotipa Simon, 1895 in China.