Lathys borealis, Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, Hu, Dong-Sheng & Zhang, Yao-Guang, 2012

Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, Hu, Dong-Sheng & Zhang, Yao-Guang, 2012, Notes on the spider genus Lathys Simon, 1884 (Araneae: Dictynidae), with description of four new species from China, Zootaxa 3359, pp. 1-16 : 2-5

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.281616
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6167580
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CE0E1C-630F-6A08-E299-29A163C9DADD
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Lathys borealis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lathys borealis View in CoL sp. nov.

Figs 1A–E View FIGURES 1 A – E , 2A–H View FIGURES 2 A – H , 3A–H View FIGURES 3 A – H

Type material. Holotype: Male, China, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Jingyuan County, Erlonghe Forestry Centre, under stones, N35°20', E 106°20', 31 July 2010, D.S. Hu & Y.Q. Peng leg. ( MHBU). Paratypes: 1 female, with same data as holotype ( MHBU); 1 male, Ningxia, Pengyang County, Guamagou Forestry Centre, 35°23' N, 106°16' E, 11 July 2008, C. Zhang leg. ( MHBU).

Etymology. The specific name cames from the Latin word ‘ borealis ’, meaning ‘boreal, north’, refers to its distribution in the coniferous forest in northern China; adjective.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to L. humilis ( Marusik et al. 2009b: 22, figs 45–47, 54–57), L. nielseni ( Marusik et al. 2009a: 189, figs 17–19, 28–31) and L. subhumilis sp. nov. ( Figs 9–11 View FIGURES 9 A – E View FIGURES 10 A – H View FIGURES 11 A – H ), but distinguished by the relatively long patellar apophysis, the different shapes of complex tibial apophyses ( Figs 1B–C View FIGURES 1 A – E , 2G–H View FIGURES 2 A – H ), the large copulatory openings, the distinct posterior and inner margins of the copulatory openings, and the relatively large spermathecae ( Figs 1D–E View FIGURES 1 A – E , 3G–H View FIGURES 3 A – H ).

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 2A–E View FIGURES 2 A – H ) total length 1.90. Prosoma 0.91 long, 0.71 wide; opisthosoma 1.09 long, 0.87 wide. AME smallest, ALE largest. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.03, ALE 0.08, PME 0.06, PLE 0.07; AME–AME 0.02, AME–ALE 0.02, PME–PME 0.06, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.02. MOA 0.17 long, front width 0.09, back width 0.20. Clypeus height 0.09. Chelicerae with 5 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: I 2.62 (0.74, 0.91, 0.59, 0.38); II 2.13 (0.66, 0.71, 0.46, 0.30); III 1.74 (0.53, 0.53, 0.39, 0.29); IV 2.07 (0.64, 0.69, 0.47, 0.27). Leg formula: 1423.

Male palp ( Figs 1A–C View FIGURES 1 A – E , 2F–H View FIGURES 2 A – H ) with a distally originated patellar dorsal apophysis. Tibia with three apophyses, surrounding the terminal part of conductor. Embolus originating prolatero- basally and coiled clockwise (left palp). Conductor with a straight terminal part extending to the dorsal tibia.

Female paratype ( Figs 6A–F View FIGURES 6 A – H ) total length 2.36. Prosoma 0.86 long, 0.71 wide; opisthosoma 1.54 long, 1.21 wide. AME smallest, ALE largest. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.02, ALE 0.08, PME 0.06, PLE 0.06; AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.08, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.02. MOA 0.17 long, front width 0.10 back width 0.20. Clypeus height 0.05. Chelicerae with 4–5 promarginal and 3–4 retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: I 2.63 (0.75, 0.91, 0.59, 0.38); II 2.13 (0.66, 0.71, 0.46, 0.30); III 1.74 (0.53, 0.53, 0.39, 0.29); IV 2.07 (0.64, 0.69, 0.47, 0.27). Leg formula: 1423.

Epigyne ( Figs 1D–E View FIGURES 1 A – E , 3G–H View FIGURES 3 A – H ). Inner and posterior margins of copulatory openings visible. Copulatory ducts spiraled around the copulatory openings, forming only one loop. Spermathecae relatively large, separated by more than their diameter.

Distribution. China (Ningxia,?Gansu,?Shanxi) ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 ).

Remark. Female L. humilis from Gansu reported by Schenkel (1936) and male from Shanxi by Zhu & Shi (1983) are similar to the new species. But due to unavailable specimens and the existence of intraspecific variations, we are not able to make a conclusion that they are the same species.