Corresponding author: Shuqiang Li (
Academic editor: Jeremy Miller
The spider family
Lin Y, Li S (2016) Mysmenidae, a spider family newly recorded from Tibet (Arachnida, Araneae). ZooKeys 549: 51–69. doi:
The eastern Tibet Plateau is one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world (
In a recent collection tour to eastern Tibet Plateau we yield a big number of spiders, including several new species. In this paper we described two new species of the family
According to
Specimens were examined and measured under a Leica M205 C stereomicroscope. Further details were studied under an Olympus BX43 compound microscope. Male palps and female genitalia were examined and photographed after they were dissected and detached from the spiders’ bodies. Vulvae were removed and treated in lactic acid before taking photos. To reveal the course of the spermatic duct, male palps were also treated in lactic acid and mounted in Hoyer’s Solution. All type specimens and preserved in 95% ethanol solution. Photos were taken with a Canon EOS 60D wide zoom digital camera (8.5 megapixels). The images were montaged using Helicon Focus 3.10.3 software (
All measurements are in millimeters, with leg measurements given in the following sequence: total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, and tarsus). The terminology mostly follows – anterior eye row – anterior lateral eye – anterior median eye – posterior eye row – posterior lateral eye – posterior median eye Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
China (Yunnan, Tibet)
The genus
= base of cymbium = conductor = cymbium = cymbial lobe = embolus = paracymbium = spermatic duct = tibia
= base of cymbium = conductor = cymbium = cymbial conductor = cymbial fold = setae on cymbial fold = cymbial groove = cymbial lobe = embolus = embolar apophysis = fundus = paracymbium = tibia
= copulatory duct = fertilization duct = spermathecae = scape
The specific name derived from the Latin word “volutus” = coiled, refers to the coiled embolus in male palp and the spiral fertilization duct in female vulva; adjective.
Male distinguished from
Known only from the type locality (Fig.
According to
Spain, Southern Europe to Azerbaijan, Saint Helena, Japan, Southwest China, Taiwan, Hainan Island, Vietnam, Oceania, islands of South Pacific, Guyana, Trinidad and Canada.
The genus
The specific name derives from the type locality. The epithet is a noun in apposition.
Male distinguished by the cymbial conductor with two distal macrometae (Figs
= conductor = cymbium = cymbial conductor = cymbial distal macroseta = setae on cymbial fold = cymbial groove = embolus = paracymbium = spermatic duct = tibia
= conductor = cymbium = cymbial conductor = cymbial distal macroseta = cymbial fold = setae on cymbial fold = cymbial groove = distal lobe of cymbium = embolus = paracymbium = spermatic duct = tibia
(one of paratypes). Somatic characters see Fig.
= copulatory duct = fertilization duct = spermathecae = scape
= copulatory duct = fertilization duct = spermathecae = scape
Known only from the type locality (Fig.
Records of two new species of
Finding the species
In conclusion, the monophyly and circumscription of the genus
The manuscript benefited greatly from comments by Jeremy Miller (Naturalis Bioversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands), Joerg Wunderlich (Hirschberg, Germany) and one anonymous reviewer. This study was supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (NSFC-30870271, 31000946).