Oedignatha shaanxi Li & Yao, 2023

Chu, Chang, Lu, Ying, Li, Shuqiang & Yao, Zhiyuan, 2023, Three new species of liocranid spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from China and Nepal, Zootaxa 5285 (1), pp. 176-186 : 178

Oedignatha shaanxi Li & Yao sp. nov.

Fig. 2

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F2C24A55-27ED-4F11-A6B0-D8115F0CC07F

Type material. Holotype: ♀ (IZCAS-Ar44320) from Nanwutai Scenic Spot (34°00.577′N, 108°59.153′E), Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, 23 September 1977, collector unknown.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality and is a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The female is similar to O. mogamoga Marples, 1955 in having a membranous epigynal window, but can be distinguished by the epigyne lacking spots (present in O. mogamoga ), the vulva with copulatory ducts (absent in O. mogamoga ), spermathecae nearly heart-shaped (vs. nearly reniform in O. mogamoga ), and bursa spherical (vs. elliptical in O. mogamoga ) (cf. Fig. 2A–B with Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: figs 369–370).

Description. Female (holotype, IZCAS-Ar44320; Fig. 2C–D ): total body length 7.03, carapace 3.19 long, 2.33 wide; opisthosoma 3.84 long, 2.08 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.15, PME 0.11, PLE 0.11; AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.17, PME–PME 0.29, PME–PLE 0.28, ALE–PLE 0.12; MOA 0.49 long, anterior width 0.43, posterior width 0.50. Carapace reddish-brown, sclerotized, oval but constricted at coxa I; fovea longitudinal, slit-like. Chelicerae reddish-brown with dorsal protuberance, with three pro- and eight retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium reddish-brown; endites with large, semicircular membranous area subapically, apical margin with long, curved setae; labium width/length: 0.59/0.71, with subbasal constriction. Sternum reddish-brown, shield-shaped, with intercoxal sclerites between coxae; posterior margin extending between coxae IV. Legs yellowish, tarsi with two dentate claws. Leg spination: femur I pl 1 do 1, II–IV do 1; tibia I plv 9 rlv 8, II plv 8 rlv 6, III plv 2 rlv 2, IV plv 3 rlv 3; metatarsus I plv 6 rlv 6, II plv 5 rlv 4, III plv 1 rlv 1, IV plv 2 rlv 2. Palp and leg measurements: palp 3.97 (1.31, 0.63, 0.81, -, 1.22), I 9.39 (2.50, 0.91, 2.33, 2.25, 1.40), II 8.11 (2.25, 0.88, 1.84, 1.86, 1.28), III 7.09 (2.03, 0.85, 1.34, 1.70, 1.17), IV 10.50 (2.78, 0.98, 2.30, 2.84, 1.60). Leg formula: 4123. Dorsal opisthosoma reddish-brown with dark brown stripes, with scutum covering four-fifths of dorsal surface. Lateral opisthosoma with dark brown stripes. Ventral opisthosoma yellowish, epigastric scutum reddish-brown. Spinnerets yellowish.

Epigyne ( Fig. 2A–B ). Epigynal plate nearly fan-shaped, length/width: 1.45/1.01; posterior part medially with membranous epigynal window ( Fig. 2A ). Copulatory openings hidden under epigynal plate ( Fig. 2A ). Copulatory ducts short ( Fig. 2B ). Spermathecae nearly heart-shaped, separated by less than their diameter from each other ( Fig. 2B ). Bursa spherical ( Fig. 2B ). Fertilization ducts pointing antero-laterally ( Fig. 2B ).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Shaanxi, type locality; Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution records of new liocranid spiders from China and Nepal. 1 Oedignatha shaanxi sp. nov., 2 Paratus bagmati sp. nov., 3 P. ledong sp. nov.

FIGURE 2. Oedignatha shaanxi sp. nov., holotype female. A. Epigyne, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C–D. Habitus (C. Dorsal view; D. Ventral view). B = bursa, CD = copulatory duct, CO = copulatory opening, EW = epigynal window, FD = fertilization duct, SP = spermathecae. Scale bars: 0.10 mm (A–B), 2.00 mm (C–D).