Trachelas sinensis Chen, Peng & Zhao, 1995

Liu, Kaizhen, Liu, Jiannan, Zhang, Feng, Li, Liangtao, Mi, Xiaoqi & Jin, Chi, 2024, An update on the distribution of the genus Trachelas L. Koch, 1872 (Araneae, Trachelidae) in China, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5453 (4), pp. 567-576 : 570

Trachelas sinensis Chen, Peng & Zhao, 1995

Trachelas japonica Chen & Zhang, 1982: 36 , figs 8–9 (♀, misidentified) (Zhejiang).

Trachelas japonica Hu, 1984: 305 , fig. 319.3–4 (♀, misidentified) (Zhejiang).

Trachelas japonicus Chen & Zhang, 1991: 253 , fig. 265.1–3 (♂ ♀, misidentified) (Zhejiang).

Trachelas sinensis Chen, Peng & Zhao, 1995: 161 , figs 1–4 (♂ ♀) (Jiangxi).

Trachelas sinensis Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 429 , fig. 256A–B, I–J (♂ ♀) (Jiangxi).

Trachelas sinensis Zhang, Fu & Zhu, 2009: 53 , figs 36–41 (♂ ♀) (Hubei, Guizhou, Anhui).

Trachelas sinensis Wang, Zhang & Zhang, 2012: 50 , fig. 13A–F (♀) (Chongqing).

Material examined. CHINA: Anhui: 1♀, Huangshan City, Xiuning County, Qiyun Mountain (29°48.269′N, 118°02.298′ E), 530 m a.s.l., 22 October 2013, leg. Luyu Wang. Guizhou: 1♀, Sinan County, Zhangjiazhai Town, Zhushuituo Cave Entrance , 15 October 2014, leg. Chi Jin. Hunan: 1♂, Suining County, Huangsangping Town (26°25.2036′N, 110°05.9079′E), 451 m a.s.l., 20 September 2015, leg. Chi Jin. Shaanxi: 1♀ 2♂, Hanzhong City , Foping County, the hill on the east side of the county town, 920 m a.s.l., 11 September 2004, leg. Zhisheng Zhang and Huiming Chen.

Distribution. China (Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guizhou, Anhui, Chongqing; new provincial record: Hunan, Shaanxi) ( Fig. 4 ).

Remarks. Chen & Zhang (1982), Hu (1984) and Chen & Zhang (1991) respectively recorded T. japonicus in Zhejiang Province, China, with the former two recording females and the latter recording both females and males. They both provide relatively clear illustrations of female external genitalia, but both are recognized as T. sinensis by the club-shaped secondary spermathecae (fig. 9 in Chen & Zhang 1982; fig. 319.4 in Hu 1984; fig. 265. 2 in Chen & Zhang 1991), rather than oval as in T. japonicus (fig. 32 in Zhang et al. 2009). Therefore, the records of T. japonicus in these three publications are considered misidentified and should be attributed to T. sinensis .

Judging from the current information, although the distribution of these two species in China extends southward to Guizhou and Hunan Province, the northernmost distribution point (Foping County) of T. sinensis is just on the southern side of the Qinling Mountains, while T. japonicus is distributed across the Qinling Mountains, north to Liaoning ( Fig. 4 ). The Qinling Mountains are a natural barrier that divides China's north and south geographically. Based on this, it can be inferred that in China, T. japonicus is a widespread species, while T. sinensis is a southern species.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Currently known distribution of the Trachelas species in China (the eight-pointed star represents a vague distribution because there is no clear collection location in the original record).