Uroctea yunlingensis Yang & Zhao, 2019

Yang, Zi-Zhong, Yang, Zhi-Bin, Zhao, Yu & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2019, Review of the tent-web spider genus Uroctea Dufour, 1820 in China, with descriptions of two new species (Araneae: Oecobiidae), Zootaxa 4679 (1), pp. 126-138 : 134-136

Uroctea yunlingensis Yang & Zhao sp. nov.

Figures 6–8

Type material. Holotype male, China, Yunnan Province: Lanping County, Yingpan Town, Cangdong Village , 26°28′31.4ʺN, 99°10′47.0ʺE, elev. 1898 m, 25 May 2016, Zizhong Yang, Chenggong Li and Jinhai He leg. ( SWUC) ; Paratypes: 7 females and 1 male, same data as for holotype ( DUIER) ; 11 females and 1 male, Deqin County, Yunling Town , Houshan, 28°17′39.8′′N, 98°52′42.4′′E, elev. 2500–2700 m, 23 Jul. 2010, Haibo Pu and Yuan He leg. ( DUIER) .

Etymology. The specific name comes from the area of Yunling Mountains, where this new species is found; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from other Uroctea species by: one pair, or two pairs and a single small, white markings on the dorsum of opisthosoma ( Fig. 6 A–B); very short embolus and conductor ( Figs 6 C–E, 7A), three-branched median apophysis ( Fig. 7A ); the tiny notch of the posterior epigynal margin, the quite small copulatory openings, the thin and long copulatory ducts and the small spermathecae ( Figs 6 F–G, 7B–C).

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 6A ): Total length 8.36: Prosoma 2.70 long, 3.42 wide; Opisthosoma 5.66 long, 4.08 wide. Carapace brown, nearly round. Fovea deep and transverse. Cervical groove and radial furrow distinct. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.24, ALE 0.23, PME 0.22, PLE 0.21; AME–AME 0.15, AME–ALE 0.05, ALE–PLE 0.10, PME–PLE 0.04, PME–PME 0.33. MOA 0.51 long, 0.54 wide. Sternum, labium, endites, palp and legs brownish. Sternum heart-shaped, with dense brown hairs. Labium long, nearly as long as wide, with dense brown hairs. Endites with a few brown hairs. Legs with some black-brown hairs. Leg measurements: I 10.74 (3.31, 3.59, 2.38, 1.46); II 10.57 (3.26, 3.53, 2.39, 1.39); III 10.57 (3.26, 3.53, 2.39, 1.39); IV 11.39 (3.34, 3.63, 2.94, 1.48). Leg formula: 4123. Opisthosoma long and elliptical, black-brown, with a pair of white markings dorsally. Anterior lateral spinnerets red-brown, posterior lateral spinnerets black-brown.

Male palp ( Figs 6 C–E, 7A). Embolus and conductor short. The tip of embolus in shallow groove of conductor ( Figs 6 C–E). Conductor semi-transparent, sheet-like, slightly curved, forming a groove. Median apophysis threebranched, b1 flattened, with pointed tip, originating distally, b2 with wide base and an acute tip, longer than wide and abruptly narrowing in the middle, b3 short and broad, with blunt end, distant from the base of the conductor ( Fig. 7A ). Sperm ducts distinct in prolateral and retrolateral view of genital bulb and ventral view of embolic base.

Female: Total length 8.30–12.66. One of female paratypes ( Fig. 6B ) total length 6.34: Prosoma 3.00 long, 3.64 wide; Opisthosoma 5.87 long, 4.39 wide. Diameters and interdistances of eyes: AME 0.23, ALE 0.22, PME 0.21, PLE 0.23; AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.06, PME–PLE 0.03, PME–PME 0.05. MOA 0.53 long, 0.59 wide. Leg measurements: I 11.12 (3.19, 3.99, 2.57, 1.37); II 10.60 (3.25, 3.73, 2.37, 1.25); III 9.91 (2.95, 3.34, 2.35, 1.27); IV 10.78 (3.22, 3.53, 2.59, 1.44). Leg formula: 1423. Pattern of habitus similar to male, but slightly darker, with the exception of three pairs of white markings on the dorsum of opisthosoma.

Epigyne ( Figs 6 F–G, 7B–C). The posterior epigynal margin with a tiny notch. Copulatory openings quite small. Copulatory ducts thin and long, with a pair of bursae anteriorly. Spermathecae small, close to the joint of the copulatory ducts and bursae. Fertilization ducts thin and very long.

Distribution: Yunling Mountains area, Yunnan, China ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Uroctea yunlingensis Yang & Zhao sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype. A. Male habitus, dorsal view; B. Female habitus, dorsal view; C. Left male palp, prolateral view; D. Same, ventral view; E. Same, retrolateral view (the red arrow indicates the retrolateral projection of tibia); F. Epigyne, ventral view; G. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURE 7. Uroctea yunlingensis Yang & Zhao sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype. A. Left male palp, SEM photo, ventral view; B. Epigyne, ventral view; C. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURE 8. Distribution records of Chinese Uroctea specimens examined.