Spinirta sanxiandian Liu, 2022

Liu, Ke-Ke, Jiang, Zi-Min, Ma, Ning, Li, Wen-Hui & Xiao, Yong-Hong, 2022, Description of two new species of the genus Spinirta Jin & Zhang, 2020 (Araneae, Corinnidae) from southern China, ZooKeys 1136, pp. 57-69 : 57

Spinirta sanxiandian Liu sp. nov.

(三仙殿刺突蛛) Figs 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 8

Material examined.

Holotype: 1 ♂, China: Jiangxi Province, Ji’an City, Qingyuan District, Donggu Town , Dawu Mountain , 26°40'48.69"N, 115°25'7.79"E, 1031 m, 25.X.2020, K. Liu et al. leg. (Cor-04) . Paratype: 2 ♀, 13.XI.2021, K. Liu et al. leg., other data same as holotype (Cor-03 and Cor-05) .

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the type locality, Sanxiandian Temple in Dawu Mountain; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

The male of this new species is similar to that of Spinirta sparsula Jin & Zhang, 2020 (cf. Fig. 2 vs. Jin and Zhang 2020: fig. 12B-F, 13A-D) in having the fork-like tegular apex, but can be distinguished from it by the sperm duct (SD) with a curved posterior part (vs. straight in S. sparsula ) and the ear-shaped retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) without protruded base (vs. digitiform with a kidney shaped protruded base in S. sparsula ). It also resembles S. sishuishan sp. nov. in having a thumb-like ventral tibial apophysis (VTA), a thick horn-like prolateral tibial apophysis (PTA) and a curved sperm duct (SD), but can be separated from it by the ear-shaped retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) (vs. shield-shaped in S. sishuishan sp. nov.), the anterior part of the tegulum with a broad lateral apophysis (vs. absent in S. sishuishan sp. nov.) and the sharp embolic apophysis in retrolateral view (vs. relatively blunt in S. sishuishan sp. nov.) (cf. Fig. 2 vs. Fig. 7 ). The female of the new species resembles S. qizimeiensis Jin & Zhang, 2020 in having inflated and fused copulatory ducts (CD) (cf. Figs 4B, D , 5B vs. Jin and Zhang 2020: fig. 22E, F). It can also be distinguished by the epigynal width/length ratio 0.88 (vs. 1.10 in S. qizimeiensis ), the shield copulatory openings (CO) (vs. round in S. qizimeiensis ), and the copulatory ducts (CD) extending from the anteromedial to the posterolateral part of the epigyne (vs. from anteromedial to postero-medial part of epigyne in S. qizimeiensis ).

Description.

Male. Habitus as in Fig. 1A, B . Total length 10.87. Carapace: 5.32 long, 4.16 wide. Carapace covered with abundant short hairs. Eye sizes and interdistances (Fig. 1C ): AME 0.32, ALE 0.31, PME 0.2, PLE 0.27, AME-AME 0.15, AME-ALE 0.07, PME-PME 0.3, PME-PLE 0.36, AME-PME 0.25, AME-PLE 0.47, ALE-ALE 0.87, PLE-PLE 1.45, ALE-PLE 0.2. MOA 0.74 long, front width 0.77, back width 0.72. Chelicera with three promarginal and five retromarginal teeth (Fig. 1D ). Abdomen: 5.02 long, 3.31 wide. Leg measurements: I 15.48 (4.31, 1.97, 3.7, 3.52, 1.98); II 14.67 (4.25, 1.82, 3.38, 3.36, 1.86); III 12.45 (3.35, 1.62, 2.76, 3.05, 1.67); IV 16.73 (4.52, 1.83, 3.8, 4.83, 1.75); spination (Fig. 1E, F ): I Fe: d2, p1; Ti: v8; Mt: v4; II Fe: d2, p1; Ti: v8; Mt: v4; III Fe: d3, p1, r1; Ti: p2, r2, v4; Mt: d2, p3, r2, v5; IV: Fe: d3, p1, r1; Ti: p2, r2, v4; Mt: d2, p3, r2, v5.

Colouration (Fig. 1 ). Carapace and chelicerae dark brown. Endites and labium reddish brown. Sternum red-brown. Legs: femora I-IV, tibiae and metatarsi IV dark brown to yellow, with dark brown pattern; patellae I-IV, tibiae I-III, metatarsi I-III and tarsi I-III yellow. Palps brown. Abdomen: dorsum brown, medially with a broad, longitudinal, light marking including one broad and three nearly touching transversal dark brown stripes; venter with a pair of sloping yellow stripes submedially and a pair of yellow beaded spots. Spinnerets yellow-brown.

Palp as in Fig. 2 . Tibia with distinct retrolateral groove, ventral apophysis (VTA) thumb-like in ventral view. Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) ear-shaped, nearly as long as tibial length, ventral surface with two lines of short cone-shaped spines (CS). Prolateral tibial apophysis (PTA) thick horn-like, strongly sclerotised, nearly as long as 1/3 of tibia. Tegulum with strongly sclerotized apex. Subtegulum (St) with many wrinkles on posterior surface. Sperm duct (SD) S-shaped in posterior part. Embolus (E) short, with thick base, forming a C-shape with short spine-like embolic apophysis (EA), nearly 3 × longer than embolic apophysis.

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 3A, B . As in male, except as noted. Total length 10.71. Carapace: 4.84 long, 3.89 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances (Fig. 3C ): AME 0.28, ALE 0.26, PME 0.19, PLE 0.24, AME-AME 0.16, AME-ALE 0.08, PME-PME 0.27, PME-PLE 0.31, AME-PME 0.26, AME-PLE 0.4, ALE-ALE 0.83, PLE-PLE 1.3, ALE-PLE 0.18. MOA 0.72 long, front width 0.66, back width 0.66. Abdomen: 5.55 long, 3.85 wide. Leg measurements: I 13.57 (3.96, 1.75, 3.19, 3.01, 1.66); II 12.5 (3.36, 1.7, 2.92, 2.92, 1.6); III 11.2 (3.09, 1.5, 2.54, 2.69, 1.38); IV 14.77 (3.92, 1.7, 3.48, 4.11, 1.56); spination (Fig. 3E, F ): I Fe: d3, p1; Ti: v8; Mt: v4; II Fe: d3, p1; Ti: v8; Mt: v4; III Fe: d4, p1; Ti: p2, r2, v4; Mt: p2, r2, v5; IV: Fe: d4, r1; Ti: p2, r2, v4; Mt: p3, r2, v5.

Colouration (Fig. 3 ). Abdomen dark brown, medially with a broad pale mark including a broad and a thin pale chevron markings and three transversal yellow stripes.

Epigyne as in Figs 4A, B , 5 . Atrium (At) large, shield, covers equal or less than half of epigynal plate, anteromedially located. Copulatory openings (CO) very large, oval, located at anterolateral atrium. Copulatory ducts (CD) very broad, anteriorly touching, posteriorly slightly separated. Glandular appendages (GA) short, located at dorsal part of copulatory ducts, extending beyond medial part of copulatory ducts, directed anteriorly. Spermathecae (Sp) relatively broad, separated by 1/2 width of copulatory ducts. Fertilisation ducts (FD) directed anteriorly, shorter than spermathecal width.

Variability.

The female specimens of this new species occur exactly in the same sites explored by the authors. They are identified as the same species based on appearance and epigyne. Variability was observed in the epigyne (Fig. 4 ), which may either have a shield/oval atrium, club-shaped or cap-like glandular appendages, and/or the anterior part of copulatory ducts closely touching or fused. The epigynal variability observed across the distribution of Spinirta sanxiandian sp. nov. may be the result of the influence of their development factors.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality, Jiangxi Province, China (Fig. 8 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Spinirta sanxiandian Liu sp. nov., male holotype A habitus, dorsal view B same, ventral view C eyes, dorsal view D chelicerae, endites and labium, ventral view E leg I, ventral view F leg II, ventral view. Scale bars: 2 mm (A, B); 0.5 mm (C); 0.2 mm (D); 1 mm (E, F).

Figure 2. Spinirta sanxiandian Liu sp. nov., palp of male holotype A prolateral view B ventral view, white arrow shows the lateral apophysis located on anterolateral tegulum C retrolateral view D detail of PTA, dorso-prolateral view E detail of RTA, ventral view F detail of tegulum, white arrow shows the lateral apophysis located on anterolateral tegulum, ventral view G same, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: CS - cone-shaped spines, E - embolus, EA - embolic apophysis, PTA - prolateral tibial apophysis, RTA - retrolateral tibial apophysis, St - subtegulum, VTA - ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A-C); 0.1 (D-G).

Figure 3. Spinirta sanxiandian Liu sp. nov., female paratype A habitus, dorsal view B same, ventral view C eyes, dorsal view D chelicerae, endites and labium, ventral view E leg I, ventral view F leg II, ventral view. Scale bars: 2 mm (A, B); 0.5 mm (C); 0.2 mm (D); 1 mm (E, F).

Figure 4. Spinirta sanxiandian Liu sp. nov., epigyne of female paratypes A, C ventral view B, D dorsal view. Abbreviations: At - atrium, CD - copulatory duct, CO - copulatory opening, FD - fertilization duct, GA - glandular appendage, Sp - spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 5. Spinirta sanxiandian Liu sp. nov., epigyne of female paratype A ventral view B dorsal view. Abbreviations: At - atrium, CD - copulatory duct, CO - copulatory opening, FD - fertilization duct, GA - glandular appendage, Sp - spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 7. Spinirta sishuishan Liu sp. nov., palp of male holotype A prolateral view B ventral view C retro-ventral view D dorsal view E detail of VTA and RTA, ventral view F same, ventral view, slightly retrolateral G detail of tegulum, ventral view H same, retro-ventral view. Abbreviations: CS - cone-shaped spines, E - embolus, EA - embolic apophysis, PTA - prolateral tibial apophysis, RTA - retrolateral tibial apophysis, St - subtegulum, VTA - ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 8. Records of Spinirta sanxiandian sp. nov. (circle) and S. sishuishan sp. nov. (triangle) from Jiangxi Province, China.