Tetragnatha pseudonitens Barrion

Alberto T. Barrion, Aimee Lynn A. Barrion-Dupo, Josie Lynn A. Catindig, Sylvia C. Villareal, Ducheng Cai, Qianhua Yuan & Kong Luen Heong, 2016, NEW SPECIES OF SPIDERS (ARANEAE) FROM HAINAN ISLAND, CHINA, UPLB Museum Publications in Natural History 3, pp. 1-103 : 33

Tetragnatha pseudonitens Barrion , Barrion- Dupo & Heong, new species [ Figure 36 A-F]

FEMALE. Holotype female, total length 6.20 mm. Cephalothorax length 2.3 mm, width 1.55 mm. Abdomen length 3.9 mm, width 1.5 mm. Paratype female, total length 7.10mm. Cephalothorax length 2.5 mm, width 1.45 mm. Abdomen length 4.6 mm, width 1.4 mm.

Carapace. Yellowish brown with dark brown foveal area, 1.48x longer than wide. Cephalic distinctly parallel-sided and narrower than the thoracic area. Chelicerae brownish yellow, long, 2.2x longer than wide. Promargin has seven teeth with apical tooth the largest and well separated from second tooth, teeth 1-3 equally spaced. Retromargin bears 6-7 teeth. Pedipalps long and yellow. Cheliceral fang straight, without strong EX. Maxillae, labium and sternum pattern as in the genus Tetragnatha .

Eyes. In two rows of four each. AER slightly recurved, slightly longer than straight PER (0.80: 0.76 mm). Eye diameter (mm): AME (0.13)> PME (0.10)> ALE=PLE (0.08). Eye separation (mm): AME-ALE (0.15)> AME-AME=PME- PME=PME-PLE (0.10). Median ocular quad slightly wider behind than in front (0.30: 0.35 mm), height 1.25x longer than anterior width.

Legs. Yellowish brown, prominently long and slender. Tibia I has six dorsal and four ventral trichobothria, spination is 2-0-2-2 and metatarsus I has three retrolateral spines. Leg formula 1243.

Abdomen. Silvery yellow to light yellow with two pairs of anterodorsal brown spots, 2.6x longer than wide. Venter light yellow with light brown epigynal area. Spinnerets yellowish brown, slightly underneath tip of abdomen.

Genital fold swollen towards apex with a pair of yellow brown subapicolateral "opening-like" spots, distinctly constricted at midlength, and has a pair of brown longitudinal marks located in between the book lungs.

MALE. Unknown.

Material Examined. Holotype female (coll. no. H62), CHINA, Hainan Island, Haiko, 21 April 2012, ATBarrion, JLACatindig and SCVillareal.

Diagnostic Features. This species closely resembles T. nitens (Audouin, 1826) but differs from the latter in the following features, (1) cheliceral dentation, EX poorly developed to absent, (2) straight fang without basoventral tooth, (3) number of trichobothria in tibia I, and (4) leg measurements. It is also similar to T. boydi O.P-Cambridge, 1898 but the new taxon has fewer teeth in the chelicerae.

Etymology. Named after its close similarity to T. nitens but shows distinctly different features mentioned above in the diagnostic features.

Figures

Figure 36 A-F. Tetragnatha pseudonitens Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong, new species, lateral view of abdomen (A), chelicera showing teeth (B), trichobothria (C), eyes (D), tibia I (E) and genital fold (F).