Parasteatoda ducta (Zhu, 1998)

Li, Zichang, Agnarsson, Ingi, Peng, Yu & Liu, Jie, 2021, Eight cobweb spider species from China building detritus-based, bell-shaped retreats (Araneae, Theridiidae), ZooKeys 1055, pp. 95-121 : 95

Parasteatoda ducta (Zhu, 1998)

Figs 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16

Achaearanea ducta Zhu, 1998: 107, f. 64A-C (description of female); Song, Zhu and Chen 1999: 90, f. 39E, F (female).

Parasteatoda ducta : Yoshida 2008: 39 (female transferred from Achaearanea ).

Material examined.

China, Hainan Province: 2 ♂, 10 ♀, Lingshui County, Diaoluoshan National Forest Park (18°40'02"N, 109°55'26"E, 80 m), 24 April 2019, F.X. Liu, J. Liu and F.J. Liu leg.

Diagnosis.

Males of P. ducta are similar to Parasteatoda cingulata (Zhu, 1998) and Parasteatoda transipora (Zhu & Zhang, 1992) in having a long and looped embolus (Figs 13D-F , 14 ), but can be distinguished from them by the long and slender conductor with a sharp end (Figs 13D, E , 14 ). Females of P. ducta differ from all other Parasteatoda species by the relatively smaller spermathecae enclosed laterally by the copulatory ducts (Fig. 12D, E ).

Description.

Male: Total length 1.25. Prosoma 0.71 long, 0.56 wide, brownish yellow, with dark brown margin. Sternum 0.41 long, 0.36 wide, yellow, peltate. Opisthosoma 0.59 long, 0.48 wide, oval, dorsum yellow to brown, with long setae and black patches, venter black. Anal tubercle yellow. Spinnerets brown, without colulus (Fig. 13A-C ). Diameters of eyes: AME 0.09, ALE 0.07, PME 0.07, PLE 0.06. Interdistances of eyes: AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.05, PME-PLE 0.04. Clypeus 0.14 high, dark brown. Chelicerae tawny, promargin with 2 teeth. Endites yellow to dark brown. Labium 0.15 long, 0.04 wide, yellow, rectangular, fused with sternum. Measurements of legs: I 2.43 (0.75, 0.21, 0.56, 0.51, 0.40), II 1.77 (0.53, 0.20, 0.37, 0.35, 0.32), III 1.395 (0.44, 0.17, 0.26, 0.26, 0.26), IV 1.79 (0.56, 0.20, 0.37, 0.34, 0.32). Leg formula: I-IV-II-III. Femur white to light yellow, patella, tibia, tarsus and metatarsus yellow, with dark brown ring pattern. Palp: yellowish-brown, tibia scoop-shaped, with long setae at both sides; cymbium small, brownish black, with a row of neat, thick, curved and long setae on the anterior margin; embolus long and bends more than one round, middle part flat, distal part thin; conductor sclerotized and tapering; tegulum large, subtegulum small, both with a groove for embolus (Figs 13D-F , 14 ).

Female: Total length 2.04. Prosoma 0.92 long, 0.78 wide, brownish yellow, with dark brown margin. Sternum 0.49 long, 0.47 wide, yellow and peltate, with sparse setae. Opisthosoma 1.47 long, 1.18 wide, oval, dorsum brownish black, with a discontinuous wavy yellow transverse near the midpoint which contains sporadic white spots, venter brown. Anal tubercle and spinnerets yellow, surrounded with black ring, without colulus (Fig. 12A-C ). Diameters of eyes: AME 0.07, ALE 0.07, PME 0.08, PLE 0.08. Interdistances of eyes: AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.06. Clypeus 0.13 high, yellow. Chelicerae yellow, promargin with 2 teeth. Endites yellow. Labium 0.18 long, 0.06 wide, yellow, rectangular, fused with sternum. Measurements of legs: I 2.92 (0.92, 0.27, 0.60, 0.67, 0.46), II 2.11 (0.64, 0.25, 0.39, 0.45, 0.38), III 1.78 (0.53, 0.23, 0.32, 0.37, 0.33), IV 2.68 (0.83, 0.29, 0.55, 0.59, 0.42). Leg formula: I-IV-II-III. Femur white to light yellow, patella, tibia, metatarsus and tarsus orange yellow with dark brown ring. Epigynum: atrium big, depression and oval, its width is only a little narrower than epigynum’s; copulatory pores located on the anterior margin of atrium; copulatory ducts long, winding, surround spermathecae, and connected with spermathecae from the posterior part; spermathecae small, spherical; fertilization ducts long and thin (Fig. 12D-G ).

Distribution.

China (Hainan) (Fig. 16 ).

Figures

Figure 12. Parasteatoda ducta (Zhu, 1998) A-C female habitus (A dorsal view B ventral view C lateral view) D-G female epigynum (D ventral view, cleared E dorsal view, cleared F ventral view, cleared and embedded in Arabic gum G dorsal view, cleared and embedded in Arabic gum). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A-C); 0.1 mm (D-G).

Figure 13. Parasteatoda ducta (Zhu, 1998) A-C male habitus (A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view) D-F male left palp (D prolateral view E ventral view F retrolateral view). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A-C); 0.1 mm (D-F).

Figure 14. Parasteatoda ducta (Zhu, 1998) male left palp (ventral view, embolus broken). Imaged by field emission scanning electron microscope: FE-SEM JSM 7100 F, JEOL, JP. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 15. Field photographs A, B C. volubilis sp. nov. (A web and bell-shaped retreat B female in the web C, D P. ducta (C male outside retreat, female with egg sac in retreat D male on leaf) E retreat of C. ferrumequina F, G retreat of C. campanulata. Photograph by Zichang Li.

Figure 16. Collection localities. C. anguilliformis sp. nov. (1); C. campanulata (2 - 15); C. falciformis sp. nov. (2 - 5, 16); C. ferrumequina (1, 11); C. heteroidea sp. nov. (17); C. tauricornis sp. nov. (18); C. volubilis sp. nov. (19); P. ducta (20).