Crassignatha Wunderlich, 1995

Li, Ya, Lin, Yucheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2020, A review of Crassignatha (Araneae, Symphytognathidae), ZooKeys 988, pp. 63-128 : 63

Genus Crassignatha Wunderlich, 1995

Crassignatha Wunderlich, 1995: 546

Crassignatha Miller et al., 2009: 68

Type species.

Crassignatha haeneli Wunderlich, 1995 by original designation, from Malaysia.

Diagnosis.

Crassignatha can be distinguished from Anapistula Gertsch, 1941 by having six eyes vs. four or absent in the latter; and from Anapogonia Simon, 1905 by the chelicerae fused near the base vs. unfused. (The latter is tentatively placed in Symphytognathidae (Plantnick and Forster 1989: 76)). Crassignatha differs from Globignatha Balogh & Loksa, 1968 and Symphytognatha Hickman, 1931 by the chelicerae fused only near the base vs. almost fully fused in the latter two ( Balogh and Loksa 1968: fig. 10; Forster and Platnick 1977: fig. 41; Lin 2019: fig. 1H). Crassignatha is most similar to Curimagua Forster & Platnick, 1977 and Patu Marples, 1951 in habitus features and body size but differs from Curimagua by having six eyes in diads and lacking female palps rather than eyes in triads and female palps reduced to remnants but not absent (Fig. 1A, D vs. Forster and Platnick 1977: figs 40, 63); and from Patu by the sculptured carapace (Fig. 16A, D ; Wunderlich 1995: fig. 15; smooth in a few species) and the male abdomen usually with a lateral scutum (Fig. 1C ; absent in a few species).

Description.

Body length 0.50-0.90 in male, 0.60-1.30 in female; six eyes in three diads. Ocular area in male raised more than in female. Carapace sub-rounded or pear shaped, brown or yellow-brown, usually sculptured on surface, but smooth in a few species. Cervical groove distinct. Clypeus concave. Chelicerae usually fused near base, with one or two retromarginal teeth. Labium triangular or semilunar, fused to sternum. Sternum scutellate or heart shaped, slightly plump, surface mostly sculptured, rarely smooth, truncated posteriorly. Legs pale yellow to brown-yellow. Leg formula: I-II-IV-III or I-VI-II-III. Male tibia II usually with two long clasping spurs on ventral-subdistal part (but only one spur in a few species). Abdomen globular or quadrate posteriorly in both sexes, male usually with weakly sclerotized abdominal scutum laterally and posteriorly (absent in few species), with an annular plate around spinnerets. Colulus absent.

Male palps oblate. Cymbium wraps around bulb on the prolateral-ventral surface, with a distal cymbial tooth. Median apophysis present, conductor absent. Embolus sclerotized, usually attached to a transparent embolic membrane at base.

Female genital area weakly sclerotized, internal structure faintly visible through tegument. Majority of species with protruded scape, copulatory opening located at apex of scape. Paired spermathecae globular, separated. Copulatory ducts tortile, usually connected to the posterolateral or dorsal surface of spermathecae. Fertilization ducts usually starting at the posterior or lower inner surface of spermathecae.

Composition.

Crassignatha baihua sp. nov., C. bangbie sp. nov., C. bicorniventris (Lin & Li, 2009), C. changyan sp. nov., C. danaugirangensis Miller et al., 2014, C. dongnai sp. nov., C. ertou Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009, C. gucheng sp. nov., C. gudu Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009, C. haeneli Wunderlich, 1995, C. mengla sp. nov., C. nantou sp. nov., C. nasalis sp. nov., C. pianma Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009, C. quadriventris (Lin & Li, 2009), C. quanqu Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009, C. rostriformis sp. nov., C. shiluensis (Lin & Li, 2009), C. shunani sp. nov., C. si sp. nov., C. thamphra sp. nov., C. xichou sp. nov., C. yamu Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009, and C. yinzhi Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009. Patu bispina Lin, Pham & Li, 2009, and P. kishidai Shinkai, 2009 may also belong in this genus.

Distribution.

Southern China (Guizhou, Yunnan, Hainan, and Taiwan), Central Japan (Honshu, Shikoku), Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia.

Figures

Figure 1. Crassignatha baihua sp. nov. A male habitus, dorsal B male habitus, ventral C male habitus, lateral D female habitus, dorsal E female habitus, ventral F female habitus, lateral. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A-F).

Figure 16. Crassignatha nasalis sp. nov. A male habitus, dorsal B male habitus, ventral C male habitus, lateral D female habitus, dorsal E female habitus, ventral F female habitus, lateral. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A-F).