Corresponding author: Shuqiang Li (
Academic editor: Yuri Marusik
Eight new species, seven
Li S, Zonstein S (2015) Eight new species of the spider genera
The
While sorting and identifying nemesiid material in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, eight new species belonging to
To permit reliable identification and stimulate further studies in this area, all new descriptions are illustrated and keys to the studied genera and species are added.
Specimens were examined and measured with a LEICA M205 C stereomicroscope and details were studied with an Olympus BX51 compound microscope. Illustrations were made using a camera lucida attached to the Olympus BX51 microscope and inked with an ink jet plotter. Male palps and female genitalia were examined and illustrated after they were dissected from the spiders. Vulvae were treated in a warm solution of 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH). The left palp and left legs I and II of male spiders were illustrated, unless otherwise indicated. Specimens were preserved in a 75% ethanol solution. Photos were taken with an Olympus C7070 wide zoom digital camera (7.1 megapixels) mounted on an Olympus SZX12 stereomicroscope. The images were assembled using Helicon image stacking software. All measurements are given in millimetres unless otherwise noted. Leg measurements are given as: total length (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus). Leg segments were measured on the dorsal side.
The following abbreviations are used: – abdomen length – anterior lateral eye(s) – anterior median eye(s) – abdomen width – carapace length – carapace width – posterior lateral eye(s) – posterior lateral spinneret(s) – posterior median eye(s) – posterior median spinneret(s) – total length (including chelicerae, but not spinnerets)
All specimens used in this study are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Only two genera of the family occur with some degree of certainty in eastern Asia. Judging from the original description,
The distribution of
1 | Thoracic fovea short, U-shaped; posterior sternal sigilla distinctly larger and farther from sternal margin than other sigilla, in many cases subcentral or confluent; paired tarsal claws either with two more or less distinctly juxtaposed teeth rows (females) or with one S-shaped row (males); |
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– | Thoracic fovea short, straight or pit-like; posterior sternal sigilla submarginal; paired tarsal claws with two similar teeth rows on promargin and retromargin in males and females; |
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2 | Posterior sternal sigilla submarginal to subcentral but not confluent (Raven 1985: fig. 53; |
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– | Posterior sternal sigilla confluent; (Raven 1985: fig. 59) | |
3 | Metatarsal preening combs absent on legs III and IV; female tarsus IV with scopula | |
– | Metatarsal preening combs present on legs III and IV; female tarsus IV without scopula | |
3 | Carapace hirsute and with finely granular texture; hairs on legs I–IV long and non-uniform; tarsal scopula more or less dense and long; male intercheliceral tumescence reduced if present | |
– | Carapace with only a few bristles; hairs on legs I–IV more or less uniformly short; tarsal scopula thin and short; male intercheliceral tumescence well developed |
Females of
1 | Males |
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– | Females |
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2 |
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3 | Carapace length > 10 mm. Embolus with distinct subapical keel |
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– | Carapace length 3.0–7.3 mm. Embolic keel absent or vestigial |
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4 | Palpal tibia relatively short, with a length/width ratio of 3.0–3.2 (Fig. |
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– | Palpal tibia and embolus relatively long, with a length/width ratio of 3.6–4.5 (Figs |
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5 | Embolus with distally hooked tip (Figs |
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– | Embolic tip not hooked |
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6 | Embolus more or less twisted |
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– | Distal part of embolus curved gradually ( |
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7 | Tibia I equal in length to or shorter than metatarsus (as in Fig. |
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– | Tibia I considerably longer than metatarsus (see |
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8 | Embolus only slightly twisted (Op. cit.: fig. 42) |
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– | Embolus distinctly twisted (Figs |
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9 | Embolus with hooked tip (see |
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– | Embolic tip not hooked |
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10 | Embolus strongly spiralled as in Figs |
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– | Embolus more or less curved, slightly spiralled or bent as in Figs |
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11 | Embolus slightly spiralled as in Figs |
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– | Embolus curved or gradually twisted |
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12 | Entire embolus arched as in Figs |
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– | Embolus more or less distinctly twisted as in Figs |
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13 | Abdomen with dorsal and ventral spotted pattern (Figs |
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– | Abdomen uniformly dark brown. Embolus noticeably twisted (see |
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14 | Dorsal abdominal pattern consists of numerous darker spots on a lighter background (Fig. |
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– | Dorsal abdominal pattern consists of numerous lighter spots on a darker background (Fig. |
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15 |
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16 | Carapace length > 10 mm. Median (ental) branch of receptacle bifurcate (Op. cit., fig. 50) |
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– | Carapace length < 8 mm. Median (ental) branch of receptacle entire |
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17 | Median (ental) branch of receptacle curved inward as shown in Figs |
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– | Shape of receptacles different |
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18 |
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19 | Receptacles as shown in Figs |
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– | Receptacles as shown in Figs |
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Holotype ♂ – CHINA, Yunnan Province, Zhongdian County, northern Zhongdian [
The specific name is taken from the Latin adjective “
The new species is similar to
Male (holotype):
Female. Unknown.
China: northern Yunnan.
Holotype ♂ – CHINA, Yunnan Province, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna, Menglun Town, primary tropical seasonal rainforest in Menglun Nature Reserve [
The specific name is taken from the Latin adjective “bellulus” (the diminutive form of “bellus”), which means “beautiful” and refers to the perfect shape of the palpal bulb.
This new species is similar to
Male (holotype):
Female.
Total length of males and females: 6.75–7.93 (n=8).
The species is known only from the type locality.
Holotype ♂ – CHINA: Yunnan Province, Lijiang County, Mt. Yulongxueshan, Maoniuping [
The specific name is from the Chinese word for difference (chā yì), in reference to the difference between the new species with
The new species is similar to
Male (holotype):
Female (paratype):
Total length of males: 9.49–11.10 (n=8).
China: north-western Yunnan, south-western Sichuan.
Holotype ♂ – CHINA: Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou County, Hangzhou [
The specific name is taken from the Latin adjective “
This new species can be easily distinguished from all known congeners by its slender and subapically curved embolus (Figs
Male (holotype):
Female. Unknown.
The species is known only from the type locality.
CHINA: Sichuan Province, Baoxing County, Baoxing [
This species can be easily distinguished from all known East Asian congeners by its short and stout palpal tibia and by a short and flattened embolus (Fig.
See
Total length: 10.46–11.56 in males from Sichuan (n=8)
China: northern Yunnan and southern Sichuan.
Holotype ♂ – CHINA: Yunnan Province, Lijiang County, Shigu Town, Shigu east [
The specific name is taken from the Latin adjective “
The new species is similar to
Male (holotype):
Female. Unknown.
The species is known only from the type locality.
Holotype ♂ – CHINA: Hubei Province, Shennongjia Forest Region, Mt. Guanmenshan [
The specific name is taken from the Latin noun “
The new species is similar to
Male (holotype):
Female. Unknown.
Total length: 10.46–11.56 (n=8).
Known only from the type locality.
Holotype ♂ – CHINA: Sichuan Province, Yajiang County, Yajiang [
The specific epithet, a Latinised adjective, refers to the type locality.
Judging from the shape of the bulb and the distal portion of the embolus, this new species is similar to
Male (holotype):
Female (paratype):
China: southern Sichuan.
Six species –
Males of
1 | Males |
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– | Females |
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2 |
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3 | Dorsal abdominal pattern present. Palpal tibia cylindrical, embolus hooked |
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– | Abdomen uniformly coloured. Palpal tibia arched, embolus corkscrew-shaped (see |
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4 | Large species: |
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– | Small species: |
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5 | Abdomen spotted; embolus corkscrew-shaped ( |
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– | Abdomen uniformly pale; embolus with hooked tip (Figs |
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6 |
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7 | Receptacles U-shaped, with inner and outer branches equal in length ( |
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– | Receptacles Y-shaped, with outer branch twisted and much longer than the very short inner branch ( |
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Holotype ♂ – VIETNAM: Ninh Binh Province, disturbed forest of Cuc Phuong National Park [
The specific epithet, a Latinised adjective, refers to the type locality.
The new species shares with
Male (holotype):
Female. Unknown.
Total length: 6.95–7.70 (n=10).
Vietnam: Ninh Binh Province.
The authors are grateful to Mr Zuwei Zha for preparing photos of the paper. The manuscript benefitted greatly from comments by the subject editor and the referees Peter Schwendinger and Mykola M. Kovblyuk. Peter Jäger and Julia Altmann kindly helped us to study part of the spider collection of the Senckenberg Museum where one of the paratypes was found. Yuri Marusik helped to prepare a photo of the receptacles of this specimen. English was kindly checked by Sarah Crews. This study was supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (NSFC-31272280, 31471960) for Shuqiang Li and by the Ministry of Absorption, Israel, for Sergei Zonstein.