Matidia xieqian Yu & Li, 2021

Zhang, Jianshuang, Yu, Hao & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, On the clubionid spiders (Araneae, Clubionidae) from Xishuangbanna, China, with descriptions of two new genera and seven new species, ZooKeys 1062, pp. 73-122 : 73

Matidia xieqian Yu & Li sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 6

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (IZCAS-Ar34728), China: Yunnan: Xishuangbanna: Mengla County: Menglun Town: Menglun Nature Reserve: secondary tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (21°57.784'N, 101°11.947'E, 895 m), 6 August 2007, G. Zheng leg. Paratype: 1♀ (IZCAS-Ar34729), secondary tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (21°57.534'N, 101°12.300'E, 860 m), 4 August 2007, G. Zheng leg.

Other material examined.

China: Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla County: Menglun Town : Menglun Nature Reserve : 1♂ (YHCLU0126), 48 km landmark, seasonal rainforest (21°58.704'N, 101°19.748'E, 1088 m), 12 August 2011, G. Zheng leg. ; Meng’a Town: 1♀ (YHCLU0127), Wengnan Village , secondary seasonal rain forest (22°05.002'N, 100°22.009'E, 1137 m), 30 June 2012, Q. Zhao leg.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Chinese pinyin xiè qián, which means crab claw, referring to the concave retrolateral tibial apophysis with two branches resembling a crab claw; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Males of M. xieqian sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Matidia species by the branched retrolateral tibial apophysis (Fig. 5B ) and a tegular apophysis with three processes (Fig. 5E ) (vs. RTA unbranched, tegular apophysis absent or present but with only process in other species). Females of this species resemble those of M. simia Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 in having an epigynal atrium, lacking in all other Matidia species, but differ by the: (1) copulatory ducts 3 × longer than spermathecae (Fig. 6C, D ) (vs. <2 × longer than spermathecae); (2) spermathecae situated posteriorly to bursae (Fig. 6C, D ) (vs. anteriorly); (3) spermathecae not coiled (Fig. 6C, D ) (vs. coiled).

Description.

Male (holotype) (Fig. 6E, F ). Total length 5.30; carapace 1.99 long, 1.50 wide; opisthosoma 3.32 long, 0.98 wide. Carapace yellowish brown posteriorly and centrally, dark anteriorly and marginally, without distinct pattern; cervical groove and radial groove distinct, fovea indistinct. Eyes: AER slightly recurved, PER wider than AER, almost straight in dorsal view. AME dark, other eyes light, with black rings. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.10, PME 0.10, PLE 0.10, AME-AME 0.05, AME-ALE 0.05, PME-PME 0.22, PME-PLE 0.06, MOQL 0.28, MOQA 0.24, MOQP 0.44. Chelicerae coloured as ocular region, with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth. Labium and endites light brown. Sternum yellowish white. Legs uniformly yellowish orange. Leg measurements: I 12.71(3.35, 5.08, 2.93, 1.35), II 10.53 (3.02, 4.26, 2.27, 0.98), III 6.02 (1.75, 2.11, 1.67, 0.50), IV 11.02 (3.11, 3.64, 3.46, 0.81). Abdomen lanceolate, white, dorsum with a lengthwise, white heart mark reaching posterior half of abdomen; pair of muscle depressions on both sides of heart-shaped mark; venter, spinnerets yellowish white.

Palp (Fig. 5A-F ): Tibia short, ~ 1/4-1/3 of cymbium length, with two apophyses: PTA subtriangular in prolateral view, with a bulky base and blunt tip, ~ 1/2 of tibia length; RTA approximately as long as tibia, heavily sclerotised, strongly expanded, directed antero-dorsally, concave with two branches, shaped like a crab claw, ventral branch thumb-shaped, dorsal branch finger-like. Bulb elongated, with distinct, sinuate sperm duct. Tegular apophysis well developed,> 2/3 of tegulum length, with three processes: apico-prolateral process sharp, tooth-shaped, meso-prolateral process blunt, trapezoidal, baso-prolateral process represented by a blunt flange. Embolus wide, approximately as long as tegulum, originating at ~ 8 o’clock, beak-shaped tip terminated at ~ 1 o’clock position. Conductor thick, membranous, ~ 1.1-1.2 × longer than embolus, originating baso-retrolaterally from tegulum, spoon-shaped distally.

Female (paratype IZCAS-Ar34729): Total length 5.46; carapace 2.10 long, 1.47 wide; opisthosoma 3.41 long, 0.98 wide. General characters as in male (Fig. 6G, H ). Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.07, ALE 0.10, PME 0.11, PLE 0.09, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.05, PME-PME 0.22, PME-PLE 0.05, MOQL 0.53, MOQA 0.21, MOQP 0.42. Legs white, without distinct markings. Leg measurements: I 10.10 (2.82, 4.15, 2.26, 0.87), II 6.59 (1.87, 2.37, 1.60, 0.75), III 5.62 (1.75, 1.89, 1.54, 0.45), IV 9.92 (3.05, 3.18, 2.98, 0.70).

Epigyne (Fig. 6A-D ): Plate fan-shaped, length subequal to width, margins distinctly delimited, spermathecae and bursae indistinct through integument. Atrium large, ~ 1/4 of epigyne length and 1/3 of epigyne width, located at posterior portion of epigynal plate. Copulatory openings indistinct, located at basolateral atrial borders. Hyaline copulatory ducts ascending anteriorly, following atrial borders, curved at half their length to form a loop, and ascending to spermathecae. Spermathecae bean-shaped, ~ 1.5 × longer than wide, at lateral portion of vulva, separated by three diameters. Fertilisation ducts as long as spermathecae, blade-shaped. Bursae hyaline, oval, much larger than spermathecae, ~ 1.5 × longer than wide, situated anteriorly, separated by ~ 0.8 diameters, surface semi-transparent.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 5. Male palp of the holotype of Matidia xieqian sp. nov., left palp and bulb (A, B, E, F) and flipped right bulb (C, D) A prolateral view B retrolateral view C bulb, prolateral view D bulb, ventral view E bulb, ventrolateral view F retrolateral view. Arrows (E) point at three processes of tegular apophysis. Abbreviations: C = conductor; E = embolus; PTA = prolateral tibial apophysis; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; TA = tegular apophysis. Scale bars: 0.20 mm (equal for A, B, equal for C-F).

Figure 6. Matidia xieqian sp. nov., female paratype and male holotype, epigyne (A-D), male habitus (E, F) and female habitus (G, H) A intact, ventral view B cleared, ventral view C cleared, dorsal view D cleared, dorsal view; path of copulatory duct marked E dorsal view F lateral view G dorsal view H ventral view. Abbreviations: A = epigynal atrium; BS = bursa; CD = copulatory duct (dashed line showing schematic course of copulatory duct, dorsal); CO = copulatory opening; FD = fertilization duct; SP = spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.20 mm (equal for A-D); 1 mm (equal for E, F, equal for G, H).