Talaus niger, Tang, Guo, Yin, Chang-Min, Ubick, Darrell & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2008

Tang, Guo, Yin, Chang-Min, Ubick, Darrell & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2008, Two new species of the crab spider genus Ta l a u s (Araneae: Thomisidae) from Yunnan Province, China, Zootaxa 1815, pp. 62-68 : 65-66

Talaus niger sp. nov.

Figs 13–24

Type material: Holotype: male, Xinhua Township, Longjing Village, Shanqing [N24.48243°, E98.31454°, Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, China], 1880 m, 27 May 2006, Chang-Min Yin, Jia-Fang Hu and Xiao- Hua Yang (HNU-YHY1302).

Paratypes: CHINA: Yunnan Province, Tengchong County: 2 Ψ, Wuhe Township, Tongjiazhuang Village, Longchuanjiang River (Longjiang Bridge) [N24.89284º, E98.67439º], 1210 m, 24 May 2005, Heng-Mei Yan and Ke-Ji Guo (GKJ2002: 1 Ψ, HNU; 1 Ψ, CaAS).

Etymology. The specific name refers the black body of the new species.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to the new species: T. dulongjiang sp. nov.; the differences between the two species are discussed in the diagnosis of T. dulongjiang .

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 1.90, dorsal shield of prosoma 0.90 long, 0.80 wide; opisthosoma 1.00 long, 1.10 wide. Prosoma dorsally black with some bent long setae. Prosoma tent-shaped. PER more strongly recurved than AER. Lateral eyes on large tubercles. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.10, PLE 0.08, AME 0.06, PME 0.04; AME-AME 0.12, AME-ALE 0.19, PME-PME 0.22, PME-PLE 0.18, MOA long 0.20 with front width 0.24 and back width 0.32. Sternum cordiform, blackish brown. Chelicerae, gnathocoxae and labium blackish brown. Femora I, II black; patellae and tibiae I, II blackish brown; metatarsi and tarsi I, II brown. Femora, metatarsi and tarsi III, IV brown, distal of femora, patellae and tibiae III, IV blackish brown. Tibiae and metatarsi I, II with 2 pairs of ventral spines. Leg measurements: I 2.58 (0.80, 0.90, 0.50, 0.38), II 2.70 (0.80, 0.95, 0.55, 0.40), III 2.00 (0.70, 0.70, 0.33, 0.27), IV 2.10 (0.70, 0.75, 0.35, 0.30); formula 2, 1, 4, 3. Opisthosoma oviform with many hairs, cardiac pattern and 2 pairs of muscular depressions visible; dorsum black, venter grayish black.

Palp ( Figs 16–18 , 21 ). VTA digitiform, the distal end with a small hook; RTA spatula-shaped and strongly sclerotized, basally elbowed; bulb flat, embolus filiform.

Female (one of the paratypes, HNU-GKJ2002): Total length 2.60, dorsal shield of prosoma 1.00 long, 1.00 wide; opisthosoma 1.70 long, 1.90 wide. Body color slightly darker than in male. Prosoma nearly rectangular, carapace densely setose. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.14, PLE 0.08, AME 0.07, PME 0.04, AME-AME 0.10, AME-ALE 0.23, PME-PME 0.27, PME-PLE 0.24; MOA length 0.22, front width 0.25, hind width 0.35. Leg measurements: I 3.40 (1.00, 1.10, 0.70, 0.6), II 3.70 (1.10, 1.20, 0.75, 0.65), III 2.70 (0.90, 0.90, 0.50, 0.40), IV 2.90 (0.90, 1.00, 0.60, 0.40); leg formula 2, 1, 4, 3. Opisthosoma wider than long, dorsum black and densely setose. Venter black.

Epigyne-vulva ( Figs 19–20 , 22–23 ). Epigyne with a small posterior hood, copulatory openings anterior; copulatory ducts twisted and folded; spermathecae small, convoluted.

Variation. Total length of females 2.40–2.60 (n = 2). The prosoma varies from brown to blackish brown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan Province).

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 20. Talaus niger sp. nov. 13 Male; 14 – 15 Female; 16 – 18 Left male palp (16 prolateral, 17 ventral, 18 retrolateral); 19 Epigyne; 20 Vulva. Scale bars: 13 – 15 1.0 mm, 16 – 20 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 21 – 23. Talaus niger sp. nov. 21 Left male palp, ventral view; 22 Epigyne; 23 Vulva. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 24. Distribution of 2 Talaus spiders from Yunnan Province, China.