Tricholathys alxa (Tang, 2011), comb. nov. (阿拉善毛隐蛛)

Wang, Lu-Yu, Peng, Xian-Jin & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2023, The first record of Tricholathys Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 (Araneae, Dictynidae) from China, with a new combination and descriptions of seven new species, ZooKeys 1185, pp. 255-267 : 255

Tricholathys alxa (Tang, 2011), comb. nov. (阿拉善毛隐蛛)

Argenna alxa Tang, 2011: 94, fig. A-D. (Male holotype and two female paratypes from Mt. Helanshan, Alxa Left County, Alxa League (City), Inner Mongolia of China, deposited in the College of Life Sciences and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, China.).

Notes.

The types of Argenna alxa Tang, 2011 were unavailable for our study, but it is clear from the description and figures by Tang (2011: 94, figs A-D) that it has broad retrolateral tibial apophysis, the posterior arm of conductor terminating in a spiral, rounded mesal copulatory opening margins, relatively long copulatory ducts, and small, globular spermathecae. So, it is definitely a species of Tricholathys , not a species of Argenna . Here, we formally transfer it into Tricholathys .

Judging from the original illustrations, the species is much similar to T. lhunzeensis sp. nov. (Figs 8A-D , 9C-G ), but T. alxa comb. nov. can be distinguished by the wider posterior arm of conductor and the end of conductor slightly curved retrolaterally, other than curved retro-proximally and the narrower space between copulatory openings and the different shape of copulatory ducts and spermathecae.

Distribution.

China (Alxa of Inner Mongolia).

Figures

Figure 8. Tricholathys lhunzeensis sp. nov. A, B holotype male C, D paratype female A left male palp, ventral view B same, retrolateral view C epigyne, ventral view D same, dorsal view. Abbreviations: AA = anterior arm of conductor; CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; Em = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; PA = posterior arm of conductor; RTA = retrolaterial tibial apophysis; Sp = spermatheca.

Figure 9. Tricholathys lhunzeensis sp. nov. A, C-E holotype male B, F, G paratype female A male habitus, dorsal view B female habitus, dorsal view C left male palp, prolateral view D same, ventral view E same, retrolateral view F epigyne, ventral view G same, dorsal view.