Acanoides beijingensis sp. n.

Two species, Acanoides beijingensis sp. n. and Acanoides hengshanensis (Chen & Yin, 2000) comb. n.

The males of Acanoides gen. n. can be distinct from Acanthoneta by the sharp embolus proper, the slender lamella characteristica unbranched, and by the Fickert’s gland located in the membranous area outside the radix (Figs 2D, 3D). The females can be distinguished by the ventrally folded extensible epigynal basal part (Figs 2F, 3F).

Male total length 2.34–2.73; female total length 2.10–2.42. Carapace yellowish-brown. Male carapace unmodified. AMEs smallest, others subequal; from the dorsal view AER recurved, PER straight, eyes separated by AMEd, ALE and PLE juxtaposed. Chelicerae medium-sized, with strong stridulatory ridges, female fang groove with three promarginal and three retromarginal teeth in Acanoides beijingensis sp. n., and two promarginal and two retromarginal teeth in Acanoides hengshanensis. Chaetotaxy: Ti I–IV: 2-2-2-2; Mt I–IV: 1-1-1-1; Mt I of males with two rows of ventral bristles, one prolateral, one retrolateral (Fig. 1C, 1D); Tm I about 0.25, Tm IV absent. Both species have a haplotracheate system.

Male palp (Figs 2A–E, 3A–E, 4A–B, 5A–B). Cymbium with proximal apophysis. Paracymbium medium to large-sized, with one tooth on lateral margin. Distal suprategular apophysis not modified as pit hook, or absent. Embolic division: radix long and narrow, Fickert’s gland located in the membranous area connecting radix and embolus; embolus wide and strongly sclerotized with serrated area, embolus proper sharp with a thumb and an apex at each side; lamella characteristica unbranched, long and narrow with sharp sclerotized apex, almost parallel to radix; terminal apophysis with distal membrane.

Epigynum (Figs 2F–H, 3F–G, 4G–H, 5G–H). Protruding, with deeply wrinkled basal part, extensible and ventrally folded in constricted state. Epigynum well sclerotized, epigynal cavity present (in Acanoides beijingensis sp. n.) or absent (in Acanoides hengshanensis), both scape and stretcher absent.

The genus name, Acanoides, is a combination of the first four letters of “Acanthoneta” and the last five letters of “Wubanoides”. “-oides” itself in Latin means “similar to”, masculine in gender.

Due to limitations of the current dataset the monophyly of Acanoides could not be tested explicitly in our phylogenetic analyses, however it is supported by the following four putative synapomorphies: sharp embolus proper, slender and unbranched lamella characteristica, outside radix located Fickert’s gland and ventrally folded extensible epigynal basal part.

China (Beijing, Hunan, Hebei) (Fig. 7).

The males of Acanoides gen. n. have the palp of a “micronetine” type: presence of the Fickert’s gland, the boat-shaped radix, the trunk-like embolus with a pointed proper and a thumb, as well as the well developed terminal apophysis and lamella characteristica (Saaristo and Tanasevitch 1996). However, these sclerites in Acanoides (Fig. 2D) have some features different from the normal “micronetine” type (Fig. 6F, Saaristo and Tanasevitch 1996): Fickert’s gland is not embedded within the radix, but located in the membranous area connecting the radix and the embolus; and the embolus has a wide, strongly sclerotized body, with a longer and sharper embolus proper, whereas in most “micronetines” the embolus is usually trunk-like with a pointed embolus proper. The male palp of both Acanoides and Acanthoneta, have a long and slender lamella characteristica parallel to the long radix, but with an additional long and thin branch in Acanthoneta (Fig. 6F), unbranched in Acanoides (Figs 2D, 3D). The epigynum of Acanthoneta is in a normal “micronetine” type, with a sigmoid scape surrounded by an epigynal cavity (Fig. 6H), but with an extensible basal part in Acanoides.

The result of phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data indicates that Ipainae is not a monophyletic group as the movable epigynum independently evolved in Acanoides and Solenysa (Appendix - Fig. S1). This is also supported by the tracheal characters: haplotracheate type in Acanoides, but intermediate type in Solenysa, with the median pair extending into the prosoma (Tu and Hormiga 2011). We infer that the extensible basal part of the epigynum may have also evolved convergently with that in other ipaines. In Acanoides it differs by being ventrally folded, while it forms a solenoid in Solenysa (Tu & Hormiga, 2011), and folds inwards in other ipaines, e.g. Ipa (Saaristo 2007: fig. 29), Wubanoides and Epibellowia (Tanasevitch 1996: figs 7–9). Furthermore, the male palp of typical ipaines has filiform embolus proper (Saaristo 2007: fig. 7; Tanasevitch 1996: figs 1, 4) much longer than that of Acanoides (Fig. 2D).

China, Beijing: Mt. Yangtaishan, 39°20.15'N, 115°34.52'E, alt. ca 320m, 15 Oct. 2007, L. Tu leg.

Holotype, ♂ (CNU), China, Beijing, Mt. Yangtaishan, 39°20.15'N, 115°34.52'E, alt. ca 320 m, 15 Oct. 2007, L. Tu leg. Paratypes, 2 ♂♂ and 3 ♀♀ (CNU), same data as holotype.

1 ♂ and 2 ♀♀ (CNU), China, Hebei Province, Mt. Wulingshan, 40°33.61'N, 117°29.69'E, alt. ca 1100 m, 12 Aug. 2009, L. Tu leg.

The male of Acanoides beijingensis sp. n. can be distinguished from Acanoides hengshanensis by the spine-shaped lamella characteristica (Figs 2D, 4C), ribbon-like in the latter (Figs 3D, 5C); by the hook-shaped terminal apophysis (Fig. 4C), straight in the latter (Fig. 5D); and by the presence of a distal suprategular apophysis (Fig. 4A), absent in the latter. The female is distinct by having the epigynum two times longer than wide (Fig. 2F), shorter than wide in Acanoides hengshanensis (Fig. 3F); and by the presence of a remnant epigynal cavity (Fig. 2G), totally absent in Acanoides hengshanensis (Fig. 3G).

Male holotype (Fig. 1A, C): Total length 2.69. Carapace 1.22 long, 1.01 wide. Abdomen 1.39 long, 0.88 wide. Lengths of legs: I 3.88 (1.05 + 1.18 + 0.99 + 0.66); II 3.02 (1.03 + 0.73 + 0.69 + 0.57); III 2.66 (0.87 + 0.88 + 0.51 + 0.40); IV 3.78 (1.12 + 1.09 + 0.93 + 0.64). Female (Fig. 1B): Total length 2.12. Carapace 0.93 long, 0.78 wide. Abdomen 1.25 long, 0.83 wide. Lengths of legs: I 6.10 (1.68 + 2.04 + 1.43 + 0.95); II 5.43 (1.56 + 1.74 + 1.24 + 0.89); III 4.39 (1.24 + 1.13 + 1.10 + 0.75); IV 5.88 (1.79 + 1.78 + 1.46 + 0.83). Tm I: 0.20. For other somatic features see description of the genus.

Male palp (Figs 2A–C, 4A–B). Cymbium with proximal apophysis. Paracymbium narrow, half rounded lateral tooth strongly sclerotized. Distal suprategular apophysis blunt, not modified as pit hook. Embolic division: radix long and narrow; Fickert’s gland located in the membranous area connecting radix and embolus; embolus main body short and wide, strongly sclerotized, with serrated area on ventral surface; embolus proper sharp with pointed thumb and tail-like apex at each side; unbranched lamella characteristica long and slender, with sharp and strongly sclerotized apex; terminal apophysis hook-shaped with distal membrane.

Epigynum (Figs 2F–H, 4G–H). Two times longer than wide, wrinkled basal part extensible and ventrally folded in constricted state. Median plate and epigynal cavity present, without scape and stretcher. Copulatory openings opened dorsally.

The species name refers to the type locality.

Males (n = 3). Total length 2.61–2.73. Carapace: 1.13–1.27 long, 0.95–1.05 wide. Abdomen 1.34–1.45 long, 0.71–0.99 wide.

Females (n = 3). Total length 2.10–2.23. Carapace: 0.90–0.96 long, 0.74–0.78 wide. Abdomen: 1.10–1.38 long, 0.79–0.88 wide.

China (Beijing, Hebei) (Fig. 7).

Although Acanoides beijingensis sp. n. looks quite different from Acanoides hengshanensis in the shape of the male paracymbium and in terms of female epigynal morphology, the strongly sclerotized embolus main body and the sharp embolus proper, the location of Fickert’s gland, the presence of a ventrally folded extensive area of the epigynal basal part and the absence of a scape and stretcher, shared by the two species suggest they are closely related. A close relationship between the two species is additionally supported by the phylogenetic analysis (Appendix - Fig. S1).

Holotype of Lepthyphantes hengshanensis Chen & Yin, 2000, ♂ (HNU), China, Hunan Province, Mt. Hengshan, 27°18'N, 112°42'E, 1–7 Aug. 1995, C. Yin leg. (examined).

3 ♂♂ and 4 ♀♀, China, Beijing, Mt. Yangtaishan, Dajue Temple, 40°03.06'N, 116°05.97'E, alt. 50 m, 15 Oct. 2007, L. Tu leg.

See diagnosis for Acanoides beijingensis sp. n.

Male (Fig. 1D–E): Total length 2.39. Carapace 1.02 long, 0.78 wide. Abdomen 1.37 long, 0.78 wide. Lengths of legs: I 5.03 (1.37 + 1.56 + 1.32 + 0.78), II 3.33 (0.98 + 0.98 + 0.83 + 0.54), III 3.47 (0.98 + 1.07 + 0.88 + 0.54), IV 4.63 (1.27 + 1.41 + 1.22 + 0.73). Tm I: 0.24. Female (Fig. 1F): Total length 2.42. Carapace 0.96 long, 0.78 wide. Abdomen 1.80 long, 1.25 wide. Lengths of legs: I 4.21 (1.18+ 1.42 + 0.96 + 0.65), II 3.19 (0.98 + 1.06 + 0.66 + 0.49), III 2.81 (0.84 + 0.85 + 0.68 + 0.44), IV 3.70 (1.08 + 1.19 + 0.89 + 0.54). Tm I: 0.23. For other somatic characters see description of the genus.

Male palp (Figs 3A–C; 5A–B). Cymbium with distinct proximal apophysis pointing backwards. Paracymbium wide and U-shaped, with triangular tooth on posterolateral margin. Distal suprategular apophysis absent. Embolic division: radix long and narrow; Fickert’s gland located in the membranous area connecting radix and embolus; embolus main body large and strongly sclerotized with serrated area; embolus proper sharp with large thumb and pointed apex; lamella characteristica long and slender with bifurcated ends, one sharp and sclerotized, one membranous; terminal apophysis straight, with distal membrane.

Epigynum (Figs 3F–G, 5G–H). Short and wide, box-shaped, strongly sclerotized; wrinkled basal part extensible and ventrally folded in constricted state. Neither median plate nor epigynal cavity present. Copulatory openings located on ventral surface, slits of epigynal grooves extending laterally, passing from ventral to dorsal surface, then convergent mesally. No scape, no stretcher.

Males (n = 3). Total length 2.34–2.41. Carapace: 1.09–1.12 long, 0.72–0.93 wide. Abdomen 1.14–1.42 long, 0.68–0.83 wide.

Females (n = 4). Total length 2.32–2.42. Carapace: 0.87–1.01 long, 0.75–0.81 wide. Abdomen: 1.63–1.82 long, 0.76–1.22 wide.

China (Beijing, Hunan) (Fig. 7).

Poeciloneta aggressus (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1943).

Three species: Acanthoneta aggressa Chamberlin & Ivie, 1943 (Nearctic), Acanthoneta dokutchaevi Eskov & Marusik, 1993 (Far East Asia) and Acanthoneta furcata Emerton, 1913 (Nearctic).

Originally Acanthoneta was described as a subgenus of Poeciloneta, including two species: Poeciloneta (Acanthoneta) aggressa and Poeciloneta (Acanthoneta) furcata. One additional species Acanthoneta dokutchaevi was assigned to the subgenus by Eskov and Marusik (1993). Saaristo and Tanasevitch (1996) raised Acanthoneta to genus status without any argumentations and hence the new status was not accepted by Platnick (2014). Here we provide a diagnosis for Acanthoneta and a comparison with Poeciloneta.

Males of Acanthoneta differ from Poeciloneta by the long radix almost parallel with the long lamella characteristica (Fig. 6F), in the latter the radix is normal boat-shaped, lamella characteristica large and ribbon-like (Saaristo and Tanasevitch 2000: fig. 11). Females of the two genera differ by the epigynum in Acanthoneta having a sigmoid scape surrounded by an epigynal cavity, the lateral wall of which is posteriorly extended (Fig. 6H), whereas in Poeciloneta the scape is exposed, enlarged and strongly sclerotized (Saaristo and Tanasevitch 2000: fig. 18).

No material examined, epigynum pictures were provided by Don Buckle (Saskatoon, Canada): 1 ♀, Canada, Alberta, Chinook Lake, under log in spruce or fir woods, 49°40'N, 114°30'W, 25 Jul. 1988, D. J. Buckle leg.

Epigynum (Fig. 6H–J). Slightly protruding, without extensible area at basal part. Epigynal cavity, with posteriorly extended lateral wall, surrounding sigmoid folded scape; scape long and narrow, with well developed lateral lobes hosting copulatory openings and distal stretcher.

Across North America from Washington State to Québec (Buckle et al. 2001; Paquin and Dupérré 2003).

1 ♂, China, Jilin Province, Mt. Changbaishan, Ski. 42°01.54'N, 128°04.25'E, alt. ca 1260 m, 31 July 1971.

Male (Fig. 6A–B). Chelicera long, with strong stridulatory ridges. Chaetotaxy: Ti I–IV: 2-2-2-2; Mt I–IV: 1-0-0-1; Tm I about 0.80, Tm IV present. For other somatic characters see description by Eskov and Marusik (1993).

Male palp (Fig. 6C–E). Cymbium with proximal apophysis erected. Paracymbium wide, with two pointed teeth on lateral margin. Distal suprategular apophysis modified as pit hook. Embolic division: radix long and narrow; Fickert’s gland located within radix; embolus main body trunk-like with serrated area, pointed embolus proper and well developed thumb; lamella characteristica fork-like branched, long and slender, almost parallel to radix; terminal apophysis with distal membrane and two strongly sclerotized teeth on ventral side.

Female. Unknown.

The male of this species is similar to the type species Acanthoneta aggressa. It differs only by the shape of the paracymbium. For a detailed comparison see Eskov and Marusik (1993).

Far East Asia: Magadan Area (Eskov and Marusik 1993) and China (Fig. 7) (new record).