Five new species of Phintella Strand, 1906 (Araneae, Salticidae) from the Wuling Mountains, China

Abstract Five new species of Phintella are described from the Wuling Mountains, China: Phintella arcuata sp. n. (male and female), Phintella levii sp. n. (female), Phintella panda sp. n. (female), Phintella pulcherrima sp. n. (male and female), and Phintella wulingensis sp. n. (female). Distribution data, detailed morphological characteristics, and illustrations of body and genital organs are presented.

The Wuling Mountains are located in southern Central China. All the areas are covered with folded mountains, the elevation generally above 1000 meters, the average temperature about 13.4 °C and the average precipitation reach to 1100-1600 millimeters. Vegetation are mainly composed of trees, forest coverage rate reached 80%. Eastwest of the mountains are range with karst geomorphology and stretch across Chongqing, Hunan, Hubei and Guizhou Provinces (Chen and Li 2003). Salticidae species richness in Wuling Mountains, up to now, more than 100 species including 6 known and several new species of Phintella have been collected. The present paper reports five new species of Phintella identified from the collections from Wuling Mountains.

Material and methods
Descriptions were made based on specimens fixed in 75% ethanol. The specimens were examined and measured using an Olympus SZX16 stereomicroscope. The details were studied with an Olympus BX53 compound microscope. Male palp and female genitalia were drawn after they were dissected from the spiders. Photos were taken with a Canon PowerShot G12 digital camera mounted on an Olympus SZX16. Compound focus images were generated using Helicon Focus software.
All measurements are given in millimeters. Leg measurements are giving as total length (femur, patella + tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). Abbreviations used are as follows: AER anterior eye row; AERW anterior eye row width; ALE anterior lateral eyes; AME anterior median eyes; EL eye field length; PER posterior eye row, PERW posterior eye row; PLE posterior lateral eyes. Specimens are deposited in the College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University in Changsha, China. Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin arcuata (curved), referring to the form of yellow area at the middle part of male carapace.

Taxonomy
Diagnosis. The male of this new species is very similar to P. aequipeiformis Zabka, 1985, especially in retrolateral view of male palp, but can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) the terminal sperm duct angle (TSDA) almost 60° ( Opisthosoma 2.05 long, 1.30 wide. Clypeus 0.14 high. Carapace (Fig. 1A) blackish-brown, inflated, covered with white and brown long hair. Bilateral of eye field and posterior sides of carapace with white curved stripes covered by white hair, anterior of thorax with a curved yellowish area behind eye field. Eye bases and margins of carapace black. Fovea reddish-brown, longitudinal, cervical and radial grooves indistinct. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.50, ALE 0.31, PLE 0.28, AERW 1.35, PERW 1.40, EL 1.03. Chelicerae (Figs 1B, 3C) dark brown, with 2 promarginal teeth and 1 retromarginal. Endites broader at base, anterior margin with bristles. Labium dark brown, with brown thin hair. Sternum colored as labium, anteriorly straight and posteriorly subacute, with thin hair. Leg trochanters, coxae and tarsi yellowish-brown, others dark brown. Leg spinnation: tibiae I and II with three pairs, metatarsi I and II with two pairs of long spines. Measurements of legs: I 7.16 (2.05, 3.01, 1.55, 0.55), II 5.55 (1.70,2.10,1.20,0.55),III 5.70 (1.75,1.95,1.45,0.55),IV 5.80 (1.80,2.00,1.45,0.55). Leg formula: 1432. Dorsum of opisthosoma ( Fig. 1A) long oval, anterior area with two pairs of white stripes, median area with two pairs of muscle impressions and three transverse white stripes, posterior end with one cambered white stripes, covered with light dots. Venter pale brown, with four longitudinal lines formed by light dots at middle part.
Palp (Figs 1C-D, 3A-B): tibia slightly longer than wide, retrolateral apophysis thin, with a swollen base and slightly curved tip. Posterior lobe large, curved at terminal end and slightly sharp at the tip. Tegulum bump situated posteriorly, almost   about equal to spermathecal width. Basal plate arched, with wave-like protruding parts. Copulatory ducts slightly thick, curved at middle part. Spermathecae pyriform, close to each other, separated by less than one-tenth of their width.
Distribution. China (Hunan). Diagnosis. This new species is similar to P. nigirica Proszyn'ski, 1992 in having copulatory ducts originated from spermathecal base and the terminal part inflated, but can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) epigyne almost round (Figs 4B, 5A) versus triangular in P. nigirica; 2) the distance between atrium margins wider than half of spermathecal width in ventral view (Figs 4B, 5A) versus distinctly narrower than half of spermathecal width in P. nigirica; 3) copulatory ducts about half length of epigyne in ventral view (Figs 4B, 5A) versus distinctly longer than half length of epigyne in P. nigirica; 4) epigyne with poriform structure situated at the area between bases of two spermathecae (Figs 4B, 5A) versus absent in P. nigirica; 5) spermathecae pyriform (Figs 4C, 5B) versus scutiform in P. nigirica; 6) dorsum of opisthosoma with yellow stripes and brown stripes alternately arranged (Fig. 4A) versus with two dark submarginal streaks with brown scales along edges in P. nigirica.
Description. Female: Total length 4.04. Prosoma 1.61 long, 1.11 wide. Opisthosoma 2.35 long, 1.71 wide. Clypeus 0.15 high. Carapace (Fig. 4A) blackish-brown, covered with long brown and white hair. Bilateral of eye field and posterior sides of carapace with white curved stripes covered by white hair, middle part of carapace with one a W-shaped yellowish brown area. Margin of carapace and eye bases black. Fovea reddish-brown, longitudinal, cervical and radial grooves indistinct. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.46, ALE 0.22, PLE 0.24, AERW 1.11, PERW 1.05, EL 0.88. Chelicerae yellowish-brown, with 2 promarginal teeth and 1 retromarginal. Endites dark brown, with narrower base, anterior margin with bristles. Labium colored as endites, broader at base, covered with black hair at terminal. Sternum dark brown, anteriorly straight and posteriorly subacute, covered with thin hair. Terminal part of femur, anterior and terminal parts of patella with dark annuli, others yellow. Leg spinnation: tibiae I and II with two pairs, metatarsi I and II also with two pairs of long spines.   Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin panda (panda), referring to the form of markings between the posterior lateral eyes, which is similar to the markings of the pandas' eyes..
Epigyne (Figs 6B-C, 7A-B) slightly longer than wide. Atrium margins slit-like, longitudinal, situated anteriorly. Basal plate arched, with two protruding parts below epigastric furrow. Copulatory ducts long and thick, originated from the middle part of outer margin of spermathecae, slightly snaky. Spermathecae pyriform, touching each other in the middle section.
Male: unknown. Distribution. China (Hunan). Diagnosis. This new species is very similar to P. linea (Karsch, 1879) in having similar palps and epigynes, but the males can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) tibia slender relatively, longer than wide (Figs 8B, 10A) versus dumpy, wider than long in P. linea; 2) the posterior lobe only extending to tibial terminal in ventral view (Figs 8B, 10A) versus extending to tibial base in P. linea; 3) the distal end of retrolateral tibial apophysis curved in ventral view (Figs 8B, 10A) versus straight in P. linea; 4) dorsum of opisthosoma with several white round markings and covered with light dots (Fig.  8A) versus with dark brown pattern composed of longitudinal and diagonal stripes in P. linea. The females can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) spermathecae almost spherical (Figs 9C, 10D) versus pyriform in P. linea; 2) the distance between copulatory openings narrower than spermathecal width in ventral view (Figs 9B, 10C) versus almost equal to spermathecal width in P. linea; 3) epigyne with a broad, band-shaped basal plate (Figs 9B, 10C) versus the basal plate divided into three parts in P. linea; 4) markings on dorsum of opisthosoma (Fig. 9A) also different.

Phintella pulcherrima
Description. Male: Total length 4.63. Prosoma 2.37 long, 1.78 wide. Opisthosoma 2.26 long, 1.42 wide. Clypeus 0.15 high. Carapace (Fig. 8A) reddish-brown, widest at coxae II and III. Posterior margins of carapace with yellow curved stripes covered with whiter hair, anterior median of thorax with a quadrangular yellowish area covered by white hair. Eye field with black patches medially, white hair posterior-bilaterally   situated, covered with sparse brown hair, denser in eye bases. Fovea reddish-brown, longitudinal, cervical and radial grooves indistinct. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.51, ALE 0.29, PLE 0.29, AERW 1.55, PERW 1.43, EL 1.21. Chelicerae reddishbrown, with 2 promarginal teeth and 1 retromarginal. Endites yellowish-brown, with broader bases, anterior margin with bristles. Labium dark brown, covered with brown thin hair, denser in anterior part. Sternum yellow, anteriorly straight and posteriorly curved. Legs I and II dark brown except middle of patella, metatarsi and tarsus yellow; Legs III and IV yellow except terminal of femur, middle of tibia and terminal of metatarsi dark brown. Leg spinnation: tibiae I and II with three pairs, metatarsi I and II with two pairs of long spines. Measurements of legs: I 7. 35 (2.15,3.05,1.55,0.60),II 5.85 (1.80,2.25,1.25,0.55), III 6.05 (1.85,2.10,1.55,0.55),IV 6.45 (1.95,2.15,1.75,0.60). Leg formula: 1432. Dorsum of opisthosoma (Fig. 8A) long oval, anteriorbilateral area with one pair of round white markings, median area with two pairs of muscle impressions and three white markings, posterior end with two white markings separated by a black spot, covered with light dots. Venter pale brown, with four longitudinal lines formed by light dots at middle part.
Palp (Figs 8B-C, 10A-B): tibia longer than wide distinctly, retrolateral apophysis thin, with a swollen base and slightly curved tip in ventral view, broad base and sharp tip in retrolateral view. Poster lobe big, terminal curved and the tip blunt. Tegulum bump situated posteriorly, almost at same level with the tip of retrolateral tibial apophysis in ventral view, almost triangular in retrolateral view. Embolus thin, short, originated from top of bulb, the tip about pointed to the position of 1:00 o'clock. Lamellar process small relatively, almost crescent. Sperm ducts visible, running submarginally along retrolateral margin of tegulum in ventral view.
Female: Total length 4.45. Prosoma 2.04 long, 1.48 wide. Opisthosoma 2.31 long, 1.59 wide. Clypeus 0.15 high. Carapace (Fig. 9A) yellowish-brown, darker in cephalic region. Sparse brown bristles on eye field, denser in vicinity of eyes. Posterior bilateral of eye field with white hair and big brown spots between PLE bases. Fovea, cervical and radial grooves indistinct. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.49, ALE 0.28, PLE 0. Epigyne (Figs 9B-C, 10C-D) slightly wider than long. Atrium margins curved, the distance between them less than spermathecal width. Basal plate band-shaped, slightly curved. Copulatory ducts short, curved at middle part and most parts covered by spermathecae and fertilization ducts. Spermathecae almost spherical, close to each other, separated by less than one-twelfth of their width.
Distribution. China (Guizhou). Diagnosis. This new species is somewhat similar to P. panda sp. n. in having a similar appearance and epigyne with an arched basal plate, but can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) atrium margins diagonal (Figs 11B, 12A) versus longitudinal in P. panda; 2) copulatory openings round (Figs 11B, 12A) versus invisible in P. panda; 3) situation of atrium margins close to the top of spermathecae (Figs 11B, 12A) versus far from the top of spermathecae in P. panda; 4) copulatory ducts thinner, narrower  than one-tenth of spermathecal width (Figs 11C, 12B) versus about two-seventh of spermathecal width in P. panda; 5) spermathecae almost spherical (Figs 11C, 12B) versus pyriform in P. panda; 6) carapace without markings (Fig. 11A) versus with one pair of black markings between PER bases in P. panda.