Talaus niger Tang, Yin, Ubick & Peng, 2008

Li, Cong-zheng, Yao, Yan-bin, Xiao, Yong-hong, Xu, Xiang & Liu, Ke-ke, 2024, Notes on species of Talaus Simon, 1886 (Araneae, Thomisidae) from China, with descriptions of two new species, ZooKeys 1190, pp. 195-212 : 195

Talaus niger Tang, Yin, Ubick & Peng, 2008

Fig. 3

Talaus niger Tang et al., 2008 c: 65, figs 13-23.

Type material examined.

Paratype. 2 ♀ (GKJ020): CHINA, Yunnan Province, Tengchong County, Wuhe Township, Tongjiazhuang Village, Longchuanjiang River (Longjiang Bridge), along river, 24.89284°N, 98.67439°E, 1210 m, 24 May 2005, Heng-mei Yan & Ke-ji Guo leg. (Tho-202). Holotype not examined.

Diagnosis.

The female can easily be recognized by the S-shaped copulatory ducts with a swollen median part (Fig. 3D ).

Description.

Female habitus as in Fig. 3A, B , epigyne in Fig. 3C, D . Epigyne: copulatory openings relatively large, antero-medially located, with sclerotized and round margins; epigynal hood posteriorly located, thumb-like; copulatory ducts S-shaped, anterior part relative narrow, L-shaped, medial and posterior part swollen, extending transversally; spermathecae triangular, widely separated by approximately half of their width; fertilization ducts located posteriorly, directed anteriorly.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in Yunnan Province, China (Fig. 12 ).

Remarks.

According to Tang et al. (2008: 65), the original materials consisted of a male and two females, one female deposited in HNU and one female in CAS. However, two females and no male holotype were found in HNU and there are no labels designating the paratypes. Based on the locality information and the original illustration given in their paper, these specimens can be confirmed as the paratypes of T. niger and have been labelled as such. They are somewhat shriveled after alcohol evaporated during storage, but their epigynes still can be clearly recognized after pancreatin digestion and are now placed on labelled slides.

Figures

Figure 3. Talaus niger Tang, Yin, Ubick & Peng, 2008, female A habitus, dorsal view B habitus, ventral view C epigyne, ventral view D epigyne, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD - copulatory duct, CO - copulatory opening, EH - epigynal hood, FD - fertilization duct, Spe - spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, B); 0.05 mm (C, D).

Figure 12. Distributional records of Talaus dulongjiang Tang, Yin, Ubick & Peng, 2008 (yellow circles), T. niger Tang, Yin, Ubick & Peng, 2008 (black circle), T. sulcus Tang & Li, 2010 (red triangles), T. triangulifer Simon, 1886 (green circles), T. yuyang sp. nov. (blue circles) and T. zhangjiangkou sp. nov. (red square) from China.