Gnathopalystes aureolus (He & Hu, 2000) He & Hu, 2000

Ding, Wei, Zhong, Yang & Liu, Jie, 2019, Gnathopalystesaureolus (He & Hu, 2000): new combination for Pseudopodaaureola (Araneae, Sparassidae), with the first description of the female from Hainan Island, China, ZooKeys 817, pp. 95-103 : 95

Gnathopalystes aureolus (He & Hu, 2000) comb. n. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4

Heteropoda aureola He & Hu, 2000: 17, figs 1-2 (holotype male from Jianfengling Mountain, Hainan, China, deposited in MTJ, examined).

Pseudopoda aureola Jäger, 2014: 184 (transferred from Heteropoda ).

Material examined.

1 male (holotype, MTJ), Jianfengling Mountain, Hainan Island, China, 8 April 1980, Shengli Liu leg.; 1 male and 1 female (HBU), Jianfengling Mountain [22°37.93'N, 120°63.29'E, 560 m], Hainan Island, China, 9 June 2013, Fengxiang Liu leg.

Diagnosis.

Females of G. aureolus comb. n. resemble those of G. taiwanensis in eye arrangement (straight posterior row and recurved anterior row, with posterior row wider than anterior, AME smaller than ALE), cheliceral dentition (large denticle field between two anterior and three posterior teeth), and epigyne (with coiled copulatory ducts). They differ by the epigyne with lateral lobes contiguous (separated in G. taiwanensis ), anterior margin of lobal pockets distinct (absent in G. taiwanensis ) and left part of vulva connected to the right part (separated in G. taiwanensis ). The females of G. taiwanensis and G. aureolus comb. n. can be distinguished from other Gnathopalystes species by the three posterior teeth on the retromargin of cheliceral fang furrow (four to five posterior teeth in other Gnathopalystes species). Males can be distinguished by the palp with clavate and straight RTA (RTA broad at base, tapering to apex, and bent in G. kochi (Simon, 1880), the only other known male to date) (Figs 1, 2, 3 C–F).

Description.

Male. Measurements: PL 4.26, PW 3.50, AW 1.37, PH 0.88, OL 4.28, OW 2.20. Eyes: AME 0.15, ALE 0.26, PME 0.18, PLE 0.21, AME–AME 0.20, AME–ALE 0.11, PME–PME 0.38, PME–PLE 0.25, AME–PME 0.45, ALE–PLE 0.30, CHAME 0.24, CHALE 0.12. Leg and palp measurements: Pp 5.15 (1.62, 0.79, 1.31, -, 1.43), I 22.77 (5.86, 1.11, 6.79, 7.08, 1.93), II 24.66 (7.00, 1.41, 6.86, 7.66, 1.73), III 17.49 (5.54, 1.20, 4.94, 4.45, 1.36), IV 21.35 (6.76, 1.22, 5.75, 6.04, 1.58). Leg formula: II-I-IV-III. Spination: Pp 120, 101, 3011; Fe I 223, II 323, III 222, IV 322; Pa I-IV 101; Ti I 2026, II 2025, III-IV 2024; Mt I-IV 2024. Cheliceral furrow with large denticle field extending from proximal teeth to the margin of the non-sclerotized arthrodial membrane, with approximately 18 denticles. Promargin of cheliceral furrow with two teeth, the distal one significantly larger than proximal one, retromargin with three teeth, the two distal ones similar sized, the proximal one significantly larger (Figure 2D). Dorsal shield of prosoma generally yellowish brown without distinct pattern, with a reddish longitudinal line medially, with a heavy reddish fovea and faint brown marks. Eye region slightly darker, eye borders dark. Sternum bright brown. Labium, gnathocoxae and chelicerae bright brown with orange margins. Legs and pedipalps bright brown. Opisthosoma yellowish-brown colored with dorsal pattern of scattered reddish marks (Figure 3A). Palp as in diagnosis. Tibia slightly shorter than cymbium with three prolateral, one dorsal, and one retrolateral spine. Cymbium with dense long hairs. Cymbial scopula distinct, elliptical and located on distal half of cymbium. Tegulum significantly large, almost occupying four-fifths of the alveolus. Subtegulum not visible in ventral view. Sperm duct U-shaped, tapering. Conductor irregular, with sharp tip in prolateral view, arising from tegulum at 11- o’clock-position. RTA simple, unbranched, arising distally from tibia (Figs 2 A–C).

Female. Measurements: PL 3.95, PW 3.93, AW 1.90, PH 0.68, OL 5.24, OW 3.00. Eyes: AME 0.15, ALE 0.23, PME 0.17, PLE 0.2, AME–AME 0.25, AME–ALE 0.11, PME–PME 0.48, PME–PLE 0.27, AME–PME 0.49, ALE–PLE 0.36, CHAME 0.25, CHALE 0.10. Leg and palp measurements: Pp 3.93 (1.05, 0.77, 0.99, -, 1.12), I 20.28 (5.60, 1.72, 6.05, 5.51, 1.40), II 20.10 (5.95, 1.70, 5.81, 5.25, 1.39), III 13.28 (4.32, 0.97, 3.81, 3.17, 1.01), IV 16.37 (4.85, 1.03, 4.18, 5.03, 1.28). Leg formula: I-II-IV-III. Spination: Pp 202, 101, 2121, 2021; Fe I 023, II 010, III-IV 121; Pa I 000, II-IV 000; Ti I III- IV 2014, II 1013; Mt I-IV 2024. Cheliceral furrow as in male, with approximately 23 denticles (Figure 2E). Dorsal shield of prosoma generally pale brown without distinct pattern. Eye region slightly darker, eye borders dark. Sternum, labium, gnathocoxae and legs as in male. Opisthosoma yellowish-brown colored with two small white round marks medially and laterally (Figure 3B). Epigyne as in diagnosis. Anterior bands absent. Lateral lobes fused. Lobal septum wide, significantly short. Copulatory ducts coiled, with two small glandular projections, without integument. Fertilization ducts arising posterolaterally, widely separated (Figs 1, 3 C–D).

Distribution.

China (Hainan) (Fig. 4).