Paratus sinensis, Marusik, Yuri M., Zheng, Guo & Li, Shuqiang, 2008

Marusik, Yuri M., Zheng, Guo & Li, Shuqiang, 2008, A review of the genus Paratus Simon (Araneae, Dionycha), Zootaxa 1965, pp. 50-60 : 52-54

Paratus sinensis sp. n.

Figs. 1–4 , 12–18 , 22–26

Material examined: Holotype ♂ and paratypes 1 ♂ 1 ♀ from China, Yunnan Province, Menglun Nature Reserve , 744 m, 21º57.699'N, 101º11.893'E; primary tropical seasonal rainforest, 790 m, trunk traps GBII-3- 0 5, 16– 31.03.2007 (G. Zheng) . Paratypes: 1 ♂, same locality, sample GBII-5-041- 15.03.2007 (G. Zheng) ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ and 1 juv., same locality, sample GBII-5-05, 16– 31.03.2007 (G. Zheng) ; 1 ♂, same locality, sample GBII- 1-06, 1– 15.04.2007 (G. Zheng). All deposited in IZCAS .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality.

Diagnosis. P. sinensis sp. n. can be distinguished by the lack of conductor in male palp, presence of tegular outgrowth, long spine-like retrolateral tibial apophysis, cymbium shorter than femur, and goffered diverticula in vulva.

Description. Male. Total length 3.20–4.63. Carapace: 1.45–2.25 long, 1.50–2.00 wide, 0.80–1.10 high. Chelicera 0.70–1.43. Clypeus very low, 0.04, about 1/3 of AME diameter. Eyes sizes and interdistances: AME 0.14, ALE 0.13, PME 0.11, PLE 0.13 (AME> ALE = PLE> PME), AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.10, PME–PME 0.16, PME–PLE 0.19, ALE–PLE not spaced. Chelicera with 2 distinct promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Carapace light brown with brown pattern: thin median stripe and two pairs of lateral bands. Submedian band wide, submarginal band about 3 times thinner, both bands connected by two radial stripes. Cephalic part without pattern. Thoracic groove long, well developed. Highest point of carapace in thoracic groove. Sternum light brown, without pattern. Chelicera colored as carapace, with dark median spot. Palpal coxae (0.50 long, 0.26 wide) with subparallel margins and parallel to each other, more than two times longer than labium (0.21 long). Abdomen darker than carapace, with distinct pattern formed by dark spots of different size and white guanine irregular dots. Posterior spinnerets longer than anteriors. Legs colored as carapace with distinct rings on femora and spots on tibia and metatarsus on legs III–IV. Rings on femora darker that carapace pattern, one ring on basal 1/3, two rings on apical 1/3. Tibiae I–II with 7 or 8 pairs of long ventral spines, longest spine (1.5 mm) 1/3 tibia length, 6 times longer than tibia diameter (0.17). Metatarsi I–II with 3 pairs of long ventral spines, longest spine almost ½ of metatarsus length.

Length of leg articles (large male with carapace 2.25 long):

Palp as in Figs. 12–18 . Femur long, 4.40, longer than wide, with dark promarginal dark spot, with 2 strong dorsal spines, strong retrolateral and smaller prolateral spine. Patella as long as tibia, about 2.6 times shorter than femur, with one dorsal and one prolateral spines ( Figs. 17–18 ). Tibia with one spine-like dorso-retrolateral apophysis and two prolateral spines. Cymbium long, about 0.93 of femur length, spines absent. Bulbus globular, with bulbous tegulum, subtegulum seems to be absent. Tegulum with fine ridges/wrinkles ( Figs. 13–14 ), and terminal retrolateral outgrowth. Embolus thick, C-shaped, longer than ½ of tegulum height, tip with very short stylus. Widest part of seminal duct thinner than embolus, makes one loop along base of tegulum, then thin part makes several turns and one twist near basal part of embolus ( Figs. 13–14 ).

Female (collected with holotype). Total length 3.63. Carapace: 1.75 long, 1.63 wide, 0.75 high. Chelicera 0.70 long. Coloration and spination as in male, tibia I and II with 7 pairs of ventral spines.

Length of leg articles:

Epigyne as in Figs. 22–26 . Epigynal plate weakly sclerotized, without fovea, pockets, furrows or outgrowths; at first look adult female can be considered as juvenile. Large, bell-shaped pocket below posterior margin of plate, upper part of pocket with two separate copulatory (insemination) openings leading to short, straight insemination ducts. Median part of insemination duct swollen. Receptacula round. Posterior part of vulva with pair of goffered diverticula (outgrowths) of unknown origin and function. Such outgrowths became visible (erected) after maceration in lactic acid.

Comments. Allometric growth. Large male specimen has carapace longer than wide, but small male has carapace wider than long. Larger male has 8 pairs of ventral tibial spines, and smaller one and female have only 7 pairs. Larger male has relatively longer first leg (carapace length/tibia I length ratio 0.67 in large specimen, 0.83 in small one). Chelicera of large male over ½ of carapace length, while in small male they are about 0.45 of carapace length.

Phenology and habitat. All adult specimens were found on tree trunks in primary seasonal rain forest in March and first half of April, although trunk trapping was made during the entire year. We have checked only part of the pitfall traps exposed for the entire year but did not find any adult Paratus specimens.

Distribution. Only known from type locality ( Fig. 30 ).

Figures

FIGURE 30. Distribution of Paratus spp.: diamond— P. reticulatus, square— P. indicus sp. n., circle— P. sinensis sp. n.

FIGURES 1 – 7. Somatic morphology of Paratus sinensis sp. n. (1 – 4) and P. indicus sp. n. (5 – 7). 1, 5 — female, dorsal; 2 — male, lateral, 3 — male, frontal; 4 — female, cephalic part and chelicera; 6 — male, dorsal; 7 — female spinnerets.

FIGURES 8 – 14. Male palp of Paratus indicus sp. n. (8 – 11) and P. sinensis sp. n. (12 – 14). 8 — palp, ventral; 9 — palp, prolateral; 10, 12 — tibia, retrolateral; 11, 13 – 14 — tegulum, ventral. Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 15 – 21. Male palp of Paratus sinensis sp. n. (15 – 18) and P. indicus sp. n. (19 – 21). 15, 19 — ventral; 16 — ventral-apical; 17, 20 — retrolateral; 18, 21 — prolateral.

FIGURES 22 – 29. Epigyne of Paratus sinensis sp. n. (22 – 26) and P. indicus sp. n. (27 – 29). 22, 27 — not detached epigyne, ventral; 23, 28 — after maceration, ventral; 24 – 25 — ditto, ventro-caudal; 26 — ditto, caudal; 29 — ditto, dorsal.