First description of the male of Psechrusjinggangensis Wang & Yin, 2001 from China

Abstract The male of Psechrusjinggangensis Wang & Yin, 2001 is described for the first time based on many specimens from its type locality, Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve, Ji’an City, Jiangxi province, China. Detailed illustrations, SEM images, and distribution map are given.


Introduction
The spider family Psechridae Simon, 1890 is one of the smallest families of spiders. Currently recorded mainly from Southeast Asia, it comprises two genera, namely Fecenia Simon, 1887and Psechrus Thorell, 1878, and 61 species (WSC 2021. They are characterised by the medium-sized to large body and a well-developed cribellum and calamistrum. While Fecenia construct a pseudo-orb web with a curled-leaf re-

Materials and methods
We attempted to examine the holotype from Hunan Normal University, where it was reported and had been deposited (Wang and Yin 2001), but we were unable to find it, and it may be lost. Specimens were examined using a Zeiss Stereo Discovery V12 stereomicroscope with Zoom Microscope System. Additional details were studied using a Zeiss Axio Scope A1 compound microscope with a KUY NICE CCD camera. Both the male palps and female genitalia were detached from the spider body and observed in 80−85% ethanol. For SEM photographs, the specimens were kept under natural dry conditions, sprayed with gold with a small ion-sputtering apparatus ETD-2000, and photographed with a Zeiss EVO LS15 scanning electron microscope. The speci-mens not sprayed with gold were stored in 80% ethanol after SEM. All specimens are deposited in Animal Specimen Museum, College of Life Science, Jinggangshan University (ASM-JGSU).
All morphological measurements were taken using a stereomicroscope (AxioVision SE64 Rel. 4.8.3) and given in millimetres. The body length of each specimen does not include the spinnerets. Leg measurements are given as total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus).
Terminology of the male and female genitalia follows Bayer (2012 fig. 66a-c) in having a membranous conductor with a triangular tip and the presence of five small denticles between cheliceral teeth (three in P. changminae). It can be separated by a more elongated tegulum along the cymbial alveolus axis (relatively expanded in P. changminae and P. clavis), an embolic base with a moderate constriction and a small apophysis (a strong constriction and a long embolic basal apophysis in P. changminae; an indistinct constriction and without embolic basal apophysis in P. clavis), and the embolus extending along the retrolateral part of the base (sub-centraxonial in P. changminae; sub-retrolateral in P. clavis). The female resembles those of P. changminae (see Feng et al. 2016: 181, fig. 2f, g) and P. tingpingensis Yin et al., 1985(see Yin et al. 1985 in having an epigynal septum with a narrow anterior and a broad posterior part in the small globose spermathecae, but differs by the copulatory ducts separated by 1/10 of the anterior width of septum (more than 1/2 in P. changminae, closely touching in P. tingpingensis) and without a strong medial folded part (clearly present in P. changminae and P. tingpingensis), and the ratio > 1 between spermathecal head length and the spermathecal diameter (<1 in P. changminae; = 1 in P. tingpingensis) (Fig. 4C, D).
Description. Male. Habitus as in Figure 1A, B. Total length 13.57. Prosoma (Fig. 1A) length 6.32, width 4.72, densely covered white feathery scales. Eye (Fig. 1A) sizes and interdistances: AME 0.23; ALE 0.31; PME 0.37; PLE 0.39; AME-AME 0.18; AME-ALE 0.12; PME-PME 0.29; ALE-ALE 0.91; PME-PLE 0.28; PLE-PLE 1.58; ALE-PLE 0.29; AME-PME 0.48; AME-PLE 0.71. MOA: 0.99 long; 0.71 front width, 1.04 back width. Chelicerae (Fig. 1C, D) covered by dense setae, with three promarginal teeth and four retromarginal teeth and including five small denti-   , ventral view, strongly prolateral B same, detail of conductor, embolic base and embolus, ventral view, strongly prolateral C same, retrolateral view, strongly ventral D same, detail of conductor, embolic base, embolic basal apophysis and embolus, retrolateral view, strongly ventral E right palp (Pse-12), prolateral view strongly ventral F same, detail of conductor, embolic base, embolic basal apophysis and embolus, prolateral view, strongly ventral G same, ventral view H same, detail of conductor, embolic base and embolus, ventral view I left palp (Pse-26), prolateral view, strongly ventral J same, detail of conductor, embolic base and embolus, prolateral view, strongly ventral K same, ventral view ventral view L same, detail of conductor, embolic base, embolic basal apophysis and embolus, retrolateral view, slightly retrolateral. Abbreviations: Con -conductor, EB -embolic base, EBA -embolic basal apophysis, Em -embolus, Se -serrula. cles between teeth. Endites (Fig. 1B), > 2× wider than their length, ectally with many long setae, median part clearly with a constriction. Labium (Fig. 1B) tongue-shaped, anteriorly with a row of strong setae, anterior margin procurved, subposterior part with a strong constriction. Sternum (Fig. 1B) oval, covered with dense setae, lateral margins with intercoxal extensions between coxae I and II, II and III, III and IV, poste-  Colouration and pattern. Prosoma, anteriorly with a brown, procurved stripe along AER, lateral margins with an arched light stripe, from PER to posteromedial part with an oval dark area, subposteriorly with four paired radial striae around fovea. Chelicerae, endites, and labium red-brown. Sternum, medially with a clear coniform brown stripe from anterior margin extending to posteromedial part. Legs from yellow to brown. Opisthosoma, dorsum from yellow to greyish black, medially with light longitudinal cardiac stripe, lateral margins with three pairs of dark-brown stripes and white stripes, with the former separated by the latter; venter with a medial, longitudinal, yellow stripe from posterior part of pedicel extending to anterior area of cribellum, and two lines of shallow depressions from bilateral part of epigastric groove extending to sub-posterior part of opisthosoma.

Male (n = 4) Female (n = 7)
Epigynum (Figs 4C, D, 7A, B). Median septum, lateral margins strongly sclerotized, anterior part covered the copulatory openings, anterior width slightly less than 1/2 of maximum epigynal width, subposterior width almost as long as 1/2 of maximum epigynal width, posterior part with a clear constriction. Copulatory openings large, converging to median. Lateral lobe with a slightly sclerotized posterior margin. Copulatory ducts, anterior part bugle-shaped, medial part S-shaped, spiralling backwards and extending posterolaterally, posterior part tube-shaped, connecting with the spermathecae. Spermathecae globose, medially connecting with spermathecal heads, separated by < 2× spermathecal diameter. Spermathecal heads with many pores on surface, relatively long, extending forward from mesial part of spermathecae to the turn of copulatory duct. Fertilisation duct relatively broad, medially located at the spermathecae.
Habitat and biology. Specimens occurred near both sides of a ditch and at the entrance areas of caves. They were usually collected by hand or by sweeping in microhabitats which included as stones, soil cracks, and plant roots. These spiders usually hang upside down on lace-sheet webs or rests on tube-shaped entrances of its web. At a slightest disturbance, they run back to their retreat with extreme speed, or they fall to the ground to feign death. This species is not easy to catch by hand and with tools. Distribution. Known only from Jiangxi Province, China (Fig. 9). This species is widely distributed in Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve in Jiangxi Province, where the nature reserve abuts Yanling County in Hunan Province.

Discussion
Although we have not provided evidence such as microscopic examination of the female holotype or DNA analyses to certify the specimens are conspecific with the female holotype of Psechrus jinggangensis, the male specimens were inferred as conspecific with the female holotype of this species based on a variety of reasons discussed below. Firstly, many specimens were collected several times at the type locality in the past seven years and their genitalia are consistent with the descriptions by Wang and Yin (2001) and Bayer (2012), although with variability within the species. Secondly, many living female specimens were close to the males when observed at their natural habitat of Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve; however, their copulation was observed only once, on a female lace-sheet web. In addition, the females and males are widely distributed in this area and relatively easily collected by using hand and sweeping methods during their mating period.