Neriene bovista, Lee & Kim, 2022

Lee, Sue Yeon & Kim, Jung Sun Yoo and Seung Tae, 2022, Neriene bovista sp. nov., a new sheet-web spider (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from Korea, Journal of Species Research 11 (2), pp. 94-97 : 95-97

Neriene bovista sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Types. Holotype: One male, 05 May 2017, Deokgu Valley, Deokgu-ri, Buk-myeon , Uljin-gun , Gyeongsangbuk-do (37°04′42.2″N, 129°16′31.0″E, alt. 152 m), National Institute of Biological Resources (VSJAIV0000001451) . Paratypes: two males, 25 June 2018, same data as holotype, Konkuk University (KKUAraLinyNeribovi201701- 03), leg. S. T. Kim .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin noun ‘ bovista ’ meaning mushroom, referring to the apical shape of the terminal apophysis in the male palp.

Diagnosis. The new species is most similar to Neriene clathrata (Sundevall, 1830) in the body appearance, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the shape of mushroom-like tip of terminal apophysis, the truncated tip of anterior projection and the bifurcated lateral projection of the lamella, the long embolic membrane in palpal organ and the constricted abdomen ( Fig. 2B, G- K ). On the other hand, the males of N. clathrata have a tip of terminal apophysis with many lappets, the round tip of anterior projection and the undivided lateral projection of the lamella, the short embolic membrane in palpal organ and the unconstricted abdomen ( van Helsdingen, 1969: 84, figures 82, 84-91; Li et al., 2018: 17, figures 18A- C, E, F, 19A- F, 20B).

Description. Holotype male. Total length 3.95 (habitus). Carapace: 1.83 long/1.10 wide, brown, long ovoid, longer than wide, cervical and radial furrows distinct, longitudinal fovea needle-shaped and slightly depressed, head region slightly elevated, thoracic region almost flat (Fig. 3A, B). Eyes: ALE 0.06, AME 0.06, PLE 0.05, PME 0.10, ALE- AME 0.13, AME- AME 0.04, PLE- PME 0.10, PME- PME 0.18, ALE- PLE contiguous, AME- PME 0.43, AER 0.58, PER 0.59, all eyes and encircled with black, eight eyes in two rows, AER slightly recurved and PER almost straight from above, AER and PER subequal in length (Fig. 3C). Chelicera: 0.57 long/0.30 wide, pale brown with 3 promarginal teeth and 5 retromarginal teeth (Fig. 3D). Endite: 0.40 long/0.15 wide, pale yellowish brown and mottled. Labium: 0.40 long/0.15 wide, pale yellowish brown with dusky blackish brown base, much longer than wide, conspicuously protrudent over the endite (Fig. 3E). Sternum: 0.84 long/0.70 wide, dusky yellowish brown, subcordate, longer than wide, anteromedian end slightly depressed, anteromesal edge with a pair of pointed projections and slightly depressed, posterior end elongated and pointed protruding deeply between the coxae of leg IV (Fig. 3F). Legs: I 5.48 (1.50, 0.28, 1.50, 1.38, 0.82), II 4.72 (1.35, 0.25, 1.17, 1.25, 0.70), III 3.59 (1.10, 0.23, 0.86, 0.90, 0.50), IV 4.77 (1.12, 0.32, 1.22, 1.50, 0.61), pale yellowish brown, slender and long, strongly developed, femur with a dark and wide annulus, tibia of III and IV with median and distal annuli (Fig. 3A, B), leg formula I- IV ≒ II- III. Abdomen: 1.87 long/1.13 wide, pale grayish brown, long ovoid, longer than wide, murky blackish brown stripes forming a folium, constricted at middle (Fig. 3A, B). Palp: 2.26 (0.60, 0.13, 0.20, -, 0.72), cymbium much longer than tibia; paracymbium long and slender, distal arm bent upwardly, protrude heavily outward; lamella large and highly developed with four projections, anterior projection truncated, lateral projection long and bifurcated with blunt tip, dorsal projection bent gently, posterior projection protrudent with blunt tip; embolus very thin, embolic membrane large and broad; distal suprategular apophysis slender with slightly twisted tip; terminal apophysis twice coiled spirally, apical tip mushroom shaped (Fig. 3G- K).

Distribution. Korea (Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do). Only known from the type locality.

Remarks. The species was collected with a sweep net between shrubs of mixed forest in the hilly valley and constructs a typical sheet-web between the branches of a shrub ( Fig. 1C ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Distribution of Neriene bovista sp. nov. in South Korea (A), collection site (B), and a sheet-web of the new species (C).

Fig. 2. Neriene bovista sp. nov., Holotype male: A. Habitus in dorsal view; B. Habitus in lateral view; C. Eye area from above; D. Chelicera in retrolateral view; E. Endites and labium in ventral view; F. Sternum; G. Palpus in prolateral view; H. Ditto, ventral view; I. Ditto in retrolateral view; J. Ditto in dorsal view; K. Terminal apophysis in ventral view (ALP, anterior projection of L; DLP, dorsal projection of L; DSA, distal suprategular apophysis; E, embolus; EM, embolic membrane; L, lamella; LLP, lateral projection of L; P, paracymbium; PLP, posterior projection of L; R, radix; ST, subtegulum; T, tegulum; TA, terminal apophysis). Scale bars in mm.