Two new Mallinella species from southern China (Araneae, Zodariidae)

Abstract Two new species of the spider genus Mallinella Strand, 1906 are reported from China: Mallinella sphaerica sp. n. (male, female) from Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang Province and Mallinella pluma sp. n. (male) from Daming Mountain, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The genus Mallinella was established by Strand in 1906, was redefined by Jocqué (1991) and differs from the other zodariids by the following characters: the sternum with triangular extensions fitting in coxal concavities, the presence of a row of short spines in front of the tracheal spiracle, and a well-developed conductor which is a terminal excrescence of the tegulum (Jocqué, 1991). Until now, 202 Mallinella species have been reported worldwide (Platnick 2013), including 17 Mallinella species from southern China (Song and Kim 1997;Song et al. 1999;Wang et al. 1999;Yin and Yan 2001;Bao and Yin 2002;Zhang and Zhu 2009;Zhang et al. 2011, Zhang et al. 2012aDankittipakul et al. 2012).
While examining spiders collected from Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang Province, and Daming Mountain, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China, we found two species new to science -M. sphaerica sp. n. and M. pluma sp. n. that are described herein.

Material and methods
All specimens were kept in 75% ethanol, examined and measured under a Tech XTL-II stereomicroscope. Drawings of M. sphaerica sp. n. were prepared under a Nikon SMZ 1500 stereomicroscope equipped with a drawing tube, and M. pluma sp. n. under a Leica M165C stereomicroscope equipped with a drawing tube. The photos were taken with a Leica M205A stereomicroscope equipped with a DFC450 CCD. Carapace length was measured from the anterior margin to the centre of the posterior margin. Eye size was measured as the maximum diameter of the lens in dorsal or frontal view. The leg measurements are presented as total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). The epigyne was cleaned in a warm solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) and transferred to 75% ethanol for drawing. All measurements are in millimeter. All specimens studied are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University (MHBU), Baoding, China.

ALE
anterior lateral eyes AME anterior  Dankittipakul et al. 2012, this species should belong to sub-group 3 of the fronto species-group. Males can be distinguished from these in other Mallinella species by the spherical median part of the median apophysis and the irregular rolled apex of the conductor in ventral view (Figs 10,14). The female is extremely similar to that of M. cymbiforma , but differs from the latter by the thinner copulatory ducts (Figs 8,13), the wider posterior margin of the epigynal plate (Figs 7, 12), and MOA wider at the back (MOA wider at the front in M. cymbiforma).
Etymology. The specific name is a Latin adjective and refers to the spherical median part of the median apophysis.
Coloration and pattern (Fig. 2) as in male, but the color of coxae slightly paler than in male. Median furrow and scutum indistinct.

Mallinella pluma
Etymology. The specific name is a Latin noun and refers to the plumose hairs near the tip of cymbium.
Carapace (Fig. 16) dark brown; median furrow black. Both eye rows (Fig. 17) procurved in dorsal view. Clypeus brown. Chelicerae brown, distally yellowish-brown. Endites yellowish. Labium triangular and brown, distally white. Sternum yellowishbrown and furnished with sparse black setae, lateral margin with small and pointed extensions fitting in coxal concavities of legs. Legs light yellowish-brown except femora that are light brown; metatarsi II-IV distally with ventral hair tufts. Opisthosoma (Fig.  16) oval, longer than wide, dorsally black, with dense hairs and three pairs of white lateral patches (the third slight connected), followed by one transverse white median patch; dorsal scutum indistinct; venter grey-black, covered with three irregular longitudinal white stripes; posterior ventral spines thin (Fig. 18), arranged in a single row. Spinnerets pale yellow.
Palpal organ (Figs 19-24). RTA digitiform, slightly wider at base, gradually tapering towards its blunt apex. Cymbium ventrally with a row of plumose hairs near its tip; cymbial fold broad, more than half as long as cymbium. Apex of median apophysis rostrated and pointing to the prolateral side; the median part of median apophysis with a small digitiform branch; baso-retrolateral fold narrow and long, spatulate, apex blunt. Conductor complex, with a triangular apophysis retrolaterally. Embolus bifurcated at the median part, lateral ramus shorter than mesal ramus, only lateral ramus with subterminal fold.
Female unknown.
Remarks. According to Dankittipakul et al. 2012, this species also should belong to sub-group 3 of the fronto species-group, but the plumose hairs on the cymbium ventrally makes that species unique; it is likely that M. pluma belongs to an unknown sub-group of the fronto species-group.