On two new Oedignatha species from Xishuangbanna, China, and the first description of the female of Jacaena menglaensis Mu &amp; Zhang, 2020 (Araneae, Liocranidae)

Ying Lu; Chang Chu; Shuqiang Li; Zhiyuan Yao

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1144.97073

Abstract

Liocranid spiders from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in Yunnan, China are studied. Two new species of Oedignatha Thorell, 1881, O. dian Lu & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) and O. menglun Lu & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), are described, and the female of Jacaena menglaensis Mu & Zhang, 2020 is described for the first time. The specimens studied are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing, China.

Keywords

Biodiversity, morphology, spiders, taxonomy, tropics

Introduction

The spider family Liocranidae Simon, 1897 includes 35 extant genera and 312 extant species worldwide, of which 36 species of eight genera have been recorded from China (WSC 2022). They are wandering spiders, usually inhabiting forest litter or cultivated land. One of these genera, Oedignatha Thorell, 1881, was established based on a female spider, Oedignatha scrobiculata Thorell, 1881, collected from India (Thorell 1881). Thorell’s (1881) description lacks figures, and Biswas (1984) published drawings of the female of O. scrobiculata. Thirty-nine Oedignatha species are known from South and Southeast Asia (WSC 2022). The type species of Jacaena Thorell, 1897, J. distincta Thorell, 1897, from Myanmar, also had no figures when it was originally described (Thorell 1897), and Deeleman-Reinhold (2001) later provided drawings of the type species. Since then, 15 new species of Jacaena have been reported, including three species transferred from Sesieutes Simon, 1897. The genus Jacaena is endemic to southeast Asia and currently contains 16 species (WSC 2022).

The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) is managed by Chinese Academy of Sciences and is considered one of the most significant tropical rainforest nature reserves in Xishuangbanna, in southwestern Yunnan, China. The 1125-ha area of XTBG includes a 250-ha patch of well-preserved primary and secondary tropical rainforests, as well as some planted forests (e.g. rubber plantation and rubber–tea mixtures) (Zheng et al. 2015, 2017; Yao et al. 2018). From 2006 to 2020, more than 800 spider species have been reported from this 1125-ha garden (Li 2021; Yao and Li 2021).

Prior to the current study, two genera and five species of liocranid spiders have been described from Xishuangbana: Jacaena aspera Mu & Zhang, 2020 (♂♀), J. bannaensis Mu & Zhang, 2020 (♂♀), J. menglaensis (♂), J. zhui (Zhang & Fu, 2011) (♂♀), and Paratus sinensis Marusik, Zheng & Li, 2008 (♂♀). In this paper, we provide the first female description of J. menglaensis and describe two new species of Oedignatha discovered within the XTBG.

Materials and methods

Specimens were examined and measured with a Leica M205 C stereomicroscope. Left male pedipalps were photographed and drawn. Epigynes were photographed before dissection. Vulvae were treated in a 10% warm solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) to dissolve soft tissues before illustration. Images were captured with a Canon EOS 750D wide zoom digital camera (24.2 megapixels) mounted on the stereomicroscope mentioned above and assembled using Helicon Focus v. 3.10.3 image stacking software (Khmelik et al. 2005). All measurements are given in millimetres (mm). The median ocular area (MOA) refers to the area between the anterior median eyes and the posterior median eyes. Leg measurements are shown as: total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). Leg segments were measured on their dorsal side. The species distribution map was generated with ArcGIS v. 10.2 (ESRI, Inc.). References to figures of cited papers are listed in lowercase (fig./figs); figures from this paper are noted with a capital letter (Fig./Figs). The specimens studied are preserved in 75% ethanol and deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing, China.

Terminology and taxonomic descriptions follow Deeleman-Reinhold (2001) and Mu and Zhang (2020).

The following abbreviations are used in the descriptions:

ALE anterior lateral eye;

AME anterior median eye;

d dorsal;

MOA median ocular area;

pl prolateral;

PLE posterior lateral eye;

PME posterior median eye;

pv prolateral ventral;

rl retrolateral;

rv retrolateral ventral.

Taxonomy

Family Liocranidae Simon, 1897

Genus Jacaena Thorell, 1897

Type species

Jacaena distincta Thorell, 1897 from Myanmar.

Comments

The genus is endemic to southeast Asia, and currently contains 16 species. Among these species, seven are known to occur in China: J. aspera (♂♀), J. bannaensis (♂♀), J. jinxini Liu & Xu, 2020 (♂♀), J. luteolus Mu & Zhang, 2020 (♂), J. menglaensis (♂), J. tengchongensis Zhao & Peng, 2013 (♀), and J. zhui (♂♀).

Jacaena menglaensis Mu & Zhang, 2020

Figs 1, 2

Jacaena menglaensis Mu & Zhang, 2020: 343, figs 1H, 2C, 5D–F (♂).

Material examined

1 ♂ (IZCAS-Ar 43812): China, Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Mengla County, Menglun Town, XTBG, Paramichelia baillonii plantation (about 20 years old), 21°54.772'N, 101°16.043'E, 608 m, collected by pitfall traps in leaf litter, 1–15 April 2007, G. Zheng leg; 1 ♂ (IZCAS-Ar 43813), same data as previous, but secondary tropical seasonal rain forest, 21°55.428'N, 101°16.441'E, 598 m, 9–13 August 2006; 1 ♂ (IZCAS-Ar 43814), same data as previous, but secondary tropical seasonal rain forest, 21°55.428'N, 101°16.441'E, 598 m, 16–31 July 2007; 1 ♀ (IZCAS-Ar 43815), same data as previous, but secondary tropical seasonal moist forest, 21°54.984'N, 101°16.982'E, 556 m, 1–9 September 2006; 1 ♀ (IZCAS-Ar 43816), same data as previous, but rubber plantation (about 20 years old), 21°54.684'N, 101°16.319'E, 585 m, 4–11 April 2007; 1 ♀ (IZCAS-Ar 43817), same data as previous, but secondary tropical seasonal moist forest, 21°54.718'N, 101°16.940'E, 645 m, 16–31 July 2007; 1 ♀ (IZCAS-Ar 43818), same data as previous, but secondary tropical seasonal moist forest, 21°54.607'N, 101°17.005'E, 633 m, 1–15 June 2007.

Diagnosis

The species resembles J. aspera (cf. Figs 1, 2 with Mu and Zhang 2020: 336, figs 1d–f, 2d–f, 3a–e): the males have a similar embolus and retrolateral tibial apophysis (Fig. 2A–C), and the females have a similar spermatheca (Fig. 1F). Males can be distinguished by the membranous conductor (Fig. 2A–C; vs sclerotized conductor); females by the nearly elliptical copulatory openings (Fig. 1E; vs round copulatory openings), and by the laterally sinuous copulatory ducts (Fig. 1F; vs laterally vertical copulatory ducts). The species also resembles J. zhui (cf. Figs 1, 2 with Zhang and Fu 2011: 71, figs 1–15 and Mu and Zhang 2020: 345, figs 7a–i, 8a, b): the males have a similar embolus and retrolateral tibial apophysis (Fig. 2A–C), and the females have a similar fertilization duct (Fig. 1F). Males can be distinguished by the laminar conductor, which is slightly folded apically (Fig. 2A–C; vs apically helix-shaped conductor); females by the nearly elliptical copulatory openings (Fig. 1E; vs round copulatory openings), by the laterally sinuous copulatory ducts, which medially form three coils (Fig. 1F; vs copulatory ducts laterally vertical and medially forming two coils), and by the spermathecae situated in the posterior part of vulva (Fig. 1F; vs spermathecae larger, situated in the side of vulva).

Figure 1.

Jacaena menglaensis, male (A, B) and female (C–F) A habitus, dorsal view B habitus, ventral view C habitus, dorsal view D habitus, ventral view E epigyne, ventral view F vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct, CO = copulatory opening, FD = fertilization duct, SP = spermathecae. Scale bars: 1 mm (A–D); 0.2 mm (E, F).

Figure 2.

Jacaena menglaensis, male A–C palp A prolateral view B ventral view C retrolateral view. Abbreviations: C = conductor, dRTA = distal process of retrolateral tibial apophysis, E = embolus, pRTA = proximal process of retrolateral tibial apophysis, SD = sperm duct, ST = subtegulum. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Description

Male (IZCAS-Ar 43812; Figs 1A, B, 2A–C): see Mu and Zhang (2020 figs 1h, 2c, 5d–f) for complete description.

Female (IZCAS-Ar 43815; Fig. 1C, D): total body length 8.13: carapace 3.43 long, 2.68 wide; opisthosoma 4.70 long, 3.07 wide. Carapace dark brown, oval, and strongly granulated, with faint radial grooves; fovea pit-like. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.15, PME 0.10, PLE 0.13; AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.07, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.22, ALE–PLE 0.11; MOA 0.38 long, anterior width 0.31, posterior width 0.37. Chelicerae dark reddish brown, with three promarginal teeth, two retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium reddish brown, apically with a narrow membranous area; endites constricted in middle, converging apically. Labium 1.11 times longer than wide. Sternum and legs reddish brown. Leg spination as shown in Table 1. Leg measurements: I 9.06 (2.57, 0.99, 2.37, 2.02, 1.11); II 7.87 (2.30, 0.83, 1.98, 1.67, 1.09); III 6.77 (1.99, 0.72, 1.51, 1.52, 1.03); IV 10.10 (2.71, 1.03, 2.27, 2.66, 1.43). Opisthosoma ovoid, medially with four reddish apodemes, posterior half with four faint chevrons; venter reddish brown anteriorly and with two oblique pale stripes converging posteriorly. Spinnerets yellowish.

Table 1.

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Leg spination of J. menglaensis, female.

	I	II	III	IV
femur	3 pl
tibia	7 pv and 7 rv	7 pv and 6 rv	2 pv and 1 rv	1 pl, 1 pv, 1 rl, 1 rv
metatarsus	4 pv and 4 rv	4 pl and 4 rl	1 pl, 1 pv, 1 rv	1 rl, 2 pv, 2 rv

Epigyne (Fig. 1E, F). Epigynal plate length/width: 1.03/1.87, medially with two copulatory openings nearly elliptic. Vulva with copulatory ducts, laterally sinuous and tapered off, medially curved, forming three coils; spermathecae spherical, separated by more than their diameter from each other, situated in the posterior part of vulva; fertilization ducts pointing laterally.

Variations

Males: total body length 6.15–6.84. Females: total body length 7.21–8.83.

Distribution

China (Yunnan, type locality; Fig. 11).