Clubiona altissimoides Liu et al., 2007

Yu, Hao, Sun, Zixuan & Zhang, Guren, 2012, New taxonomic data on the sac spiders (Arachnida: Araneae: Clubionidae) from China, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3299, pp. 44-60 : 56-58

Clubiona altissimoides Liu et al., 2007

Figs 40–46 , 47

Clubiona altissimoides Liu et al., 2007: 65 (female holotype; 3 male and 5 female paratypes from China, Yunnan Province, Gongshan County)

Clubiona dactyla Zhang & Zhu, 2009: 727 (male holotype from China, Tibet, Mt. Sejila, Milin County). NEW SYNONYMY

Additional material examined. 1 female and 1 male: CHINA: Tibet, Mt. Sejila, Linzhi County (29°36ʹ59.76"N, 94°35ʹ27.42"E, 4205m), 2 August 2011, Hao Yu and Ci Ren Da Jie leg.

Description. Male: Total length 6.21. Prosoma 2.80 long, 2.01 wide; opisthosoma 3.49 long, 1.81 wide.

Prosoma ( Fig. 40 ). Oval, pars cephalica relatively broad, in profile slightly higher in front of fovea; integument smooth. Carapace yellowish, without color markings. Chelicerae dark yellowish-brown, with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Labium and endites yellowish-brown. Sternum dark yellowish, with many hairs.

Eyes. AER slightly recurved, PER slightly procurved. AME dark, other eyes light; with black rings. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.15, PME 0.25, PLE 0.12. AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.07, PME–PME 0.30, PME–PLE 0.21, MOQL 0.38, MOQP 0.53, MOQA 0.38.

Legs. Yellowish, without distinct color markings. Leg formula: IV, II, I, III; Leg measurements: I 7.79 (2.18, 2.91, 1.62, 1.08), II 8.26 (2.31, 3.17, 1.75, 1.03), III 7.31 (1.95, 2.82, 1.82, 0.72), IV 9.53 (2.50, 3.33, 2.80, 0.90).

Opisthosoma ( Fig. 40 ). Elongate-oval, yellowish, with conspicuous anterior tufts of hairs, dorsum with dense grey hairs and two pairs of muscle impression, and with broken dark median band, reaching half of opisthosoma length, posteriorly with six or seven chevrons; venter grey.

Palp ( Figs 40–42 ). Tibia of palp short, with two apophyses, VTA short and partially membranous, with a blunt tip and thumb-like; RTA dark, strong, triangular, with a sharp tip; cymbium longer than wide, sperm duct sinuate; embolus originating from prolateral side of tegulum, beak-shaped, elongated, apex minute; conductor membranous, long, with a sharp tip.

Female: Total length 7.25. Prosoma 2.90 long, 2.01 wide; opisthosoma 3.90 long, 2.32 wide. General characters as in male, but darker in color. ( Fig. 44 ).

Eyes. AER slightly recurved, PER slightly procurved. AME dark, other eyes light; with black rings. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.12, PME 0.12, PLE 0.12. AME–AME 0.12, AME–ALE 0.19, PME–PME 0.34, PME–PLE 0.29, MOQL 0.41, MOQA 0.46, MOQP 0.60.

Legs. Yellowish, without distinct color markings. Leg formula: IV, II, I, III; Leg measurements: I 6.28 (1.77, 2.50, 1.21, 0.80), II 8.18 (2.82, 2.65, 1.90, 0.81), III 5.15 (1.56, 1.83, 1.22, 0.54), IV 8.24 (2.22, 2.80, 2.49, 0.73).

Genitalia ( Figs 45–46 ). Epigynal plate slightly longer than wide, margin not rebordered; atrium cordiform and small; copulatory openings small, located at center of atrium; copulatory ducts short, heavily sclerotized; spermathecae fan-shaped, base of spermathecae tubular, convoluted; bursae globular, semitransparent; fertilization ducts short, acicular.

Natural History. The spiders inhabit high elevational zones (2,900–4,200m) of Mt. Sejila. The specimens were obtained from a patch of pine forest close to a small stream at about 4,200 m in elevation. They hide in bark of pine trees upon collecting.

Distribution. Mt. Sejila in Tibet and Mt. Gaoligong in Yunnan, China. The present results showed the extension of the known range of this species about 400 km to the northwest (Mt. Sejila) from the type locality ( Fig. 47 ).

Remark. C. altissimoides Liu et al., 2007 and C. dactyla Zhang & Zhu, 2009 have been recognized as two separated species. C. altissimoides was first described from Yunnan, China ( Liu et al. 2007), while Zhang & Zhu (2009) described C. dactyla based on a single male collected from Linzhi District, Tibet, China. However, the similarities between these two species were apparently ignored. In the present study, we collected both male and female specimens at the same time near type locality of C. dactyla . On the basis of the morphological characters, we credibly matched the female and male together as C. dactyla . However, these specimens were then identified as C. altissimoides according to genitalia morphology. We discovered drawings by Liu of the C. altissimoides paratype male that bore a striking similarity to C. dactyla . Furthermore, C. dactyla were collected from Qinghai- Tibet Plateau while C. altissimoides were collected from Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Both Plateaus with attitude over 3,000m adjoins each other ( Fig. 47 ). Consequently, C. dactyla can be considered as a junior synonmy of C. altissimoides .

Figures

FIGURE 47. Localities of Clubionidae species treated in this paper. CHINA: Jiangxi Province, Mt. Jinggang (Pristidia ramosa sp. nov.) CHINA: Tibet, Mt. Sejila (Clubiona linzhiensis and Clubiona altissimoides) CHINA: Tibet, Mt. Gaoligong (Clubiona altissimoides)

FIGURES 40 – 41. Clubiona altissimoides Liu et al., 2007, male. 1 male habitus, dorsal view; 2 left male palp, ventral view. Scales bars = 1 mm (40); 0.5 mm (41).

FIGURES 42 – 43. Clubiona altissimoides Liu et al., 2007, male. 42 left male palp, prolateral view; 43 ditto, retrolateral view. Scales bar = 0.5 mm (42 – 43).

FIGURES 44 – 46. Clubiona altissimoides Liu et al., 2007, female. 44 female habitus, dorsal view; 45 epigyne, ventral view; 46 vulva, dorsal view. Scales bars = 1 mm (44); 0.2 mm (45 – 46).