Qianleptoneta nuda, Chen & Jia & Wang, 2010

Chen, Hui-Ming, Jia, Qiang & Wang, Shi-Jie, 2010, A revision of the genus Qianleptoneta (Araneae: Leptonetidae), Journal of Natural History 44 (47 - 48), pp. 2873-2915 : 2882-2886

Qianleptoneta nuda sp. nov.

( Figures 5–7 )

Material

Holotype male. From Dapenqing Cave (28 ◦ 39 ′ N, 108 ◦ 10 ′ E, 902 m asl), Sapi village, Huangtu town , Yanhe county , Guizhou Province, 2 October 2007.

Paratype. Seventeen males and sixteen females, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis

The new species is distinguished from relatives by the male palp without apical constriction (AC) and median apophysis (M); by the longer tibia of male palp, about twice patella ( Figure 5A,B ).

Description

Male holotype. Total length 2.25. Carapace smooth, 0.95 long, 0.85 wide, height at fovea 0.82 times carapace width, yellowish; thoracic fovea brown, needle-shaped ( Figure 6B ). Clypeus 0.13 high, yellowish. Chelicerae 0.65 long, yellowish, with 10 teeth on promargin and six denticles on retromargin ( Figure 5C ). Six eyes; ocular area 0.28 long, 0.22 wide; anterior row strongly recurved, ALE 0.09, PLE 0.08, PLE – PLE 0.10; posterior median eyes slightly smaller than anterior row eyes, 0.06, contiguous; dark pigment between eyes ( Figure 6B ). Sternum 0.62 long, 0.61 wide, haired; labium 0.08 long, 0.10 wide, yellowish .

Leg formula: 1423. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total): I: 2.15 + 0.25 + 3.04 + 2.63 + 1.58 = 9.64; II: 2.25 + 0.30 + 2.30 + 1.65 + 1.22 = 7.73; III: 1.80 + 0.33 + 1.78 + 1.53 + 2.20 = 7.63; IV: 2.33 + 0.30 + 2.23 + 1.93 + 1.13 = 7.90. Leg yellowish, tibia I with two rows of fine hairs on ventral surface; preening comb occurs ventroapically on the metatarsus of legs II and III.

Palpal coxae 0.46 long, 0.27 wide. Palpal measurements (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total): 0.52 + 0.19 + 0.37 + 0.50 = 1.59; the length of tibia 1.93 times that of patella. Palpal tibia with three dorsal trichobothria ( Figure 5A,B ), five ventral long spines, and a gracile spine near the TBS ( Figure 5A ). Tarsus dwindled distally, without AC and RA; retrolateral side without row of short setae; a group long setae at apical part and two long setae on the venter adjacent apical part ( Figures 4D , 5B ). Bulb suboval ovoid, PF transparent, subuliform ( Figure 5A,B ); without M; PL small, rectangular ( Figure 5B ).

Abdomen pale yellow, 1.25 long, 0.88 wide, with numerous purple-brown markings, exiguity hair ( Figure 6A,B ).

Female paratype. Total length 2.48. Carapace smooth, 1.00 long, 0.83 wide, height at fovea 0.77 times carapace width, yellowish; thoracic fovea brown, needle-shaped. Clypeus 0.13 high, yellowish. Chelicerae 0.55 long, yellowish, with eight teeth and one denticle on promargin of fang furrow and five denticles on retromargin ( Figure 17 ). Six eyes; ocular area 0.27 long, 0.19 wide; anterior row strongly recurved, ALE 0.09, PLE 0.08, PLE – PLE 0.10; PME 0.06, slightly smaller than anterior row eyes, contiguous; dark pigment between eyes ( Figure 6B ). Sternum 0.60 long, 0.58 wide, haired; labium 0.08 long, 0.18 wide, yellowish .

Leg formula: 1423. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total): I: 2.21 + 0.30 + 2.44 + 1.98 + 1.30 = 8.22; II: 1.80 + 0.25 + 1.88 + 1.48 + 0.98 = 6.38; III: 1.48 + 0.33 + 1.38 + 1.23 + 0.80 = 5.20; IV: 1.90 + 0.28 + 1.83 + 1.63 + 0.98 = 6.60. Leg yellowish, preening comb occurs ventroapically on the metatarsus of leg II and III.

Palpal coxae 0.40 long, 0.20 wide. Palpal measurements (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total): 0.60 + 0.18 + 0.40 + 0.73 = 1.90.

Abdomen similar to male ( Figure 6C,D ), 1.55 long, 1.33 wide. Epigynal plate subtriangular, simple ( Figure 5E ); internal genitalia with a pair of spermathecae, coiled sperm duct, triangular atrium folded at base ( Figure 5F ).

Distribution

The species is known only from the type locality ( Figure 2 ).

Etymology

The specific name comes from Latin “ nuda ” meaning “bare”, referring to the male palp without apical constriction (AC) and median apophysis (M).

Level of cave adaptation

This species lives in the twilight zone of cave and has functioning eyes and pigmentation. Troglophilous species.

Natural history

Spiders were collected only from one karst moist cave in the twilight zone. Cave is large with only a great hall ( Figure 7A ). Spiders were found on underside of big rocks, on cave walls, between stalagmites. Web ( Figure 7B ) is a rectangular, woven sheet 6–15 cm in diameter, individuals stand on the sheet ( Figure 7C ).

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution of Qianleptoneta.

Figure 4. Qianleptoneta triangula sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: (A) male habitus, lateral view; (B) male carapace, dorsal view; (C) female habitus, lateral view; (D) female carapace, dorsal view.

Figure 5. Qianleptoneta nuda sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: (A) male left palp, retrolateral view; (B) male left palp, prolateral view; (C) male left chelicerae, ventral view; (D) female left chelicerae, ventral view; (E) female genitalia, ventral view; (F) female genitalia, dorsal view.

Figure 6. Qianleptoneta nuda sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: (A) male habitus, lateral view; (B) male habitus, dorsal view; (C) female habitus, lateral view; (D) female habitus, dorsal view.

Figure 7. Qianleptoneta nuda sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: (A) Dapenqing Cave; (B) web; (C) individuals on the web.

Figure 17. Qianleptoneta robustispina sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype:(A) male left palp, prolateral view; (B) male left palp, retrolateral view; (C) male clypeus, anterior view; (D) male left chelicerae, ventral view; (E) female left chelicerae, ventral view; (F) female genitalia, ventral view; (G) female genitalia, dorsal view.