Nesticella gongshanensis, Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016

Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, A survey of the spider family Nesticidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Asia and Madagascar, with the description of forty-three new species, ZooKeys 627, pp. 1-168 : 44

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Nesticidae

Nesticella gongshanensis sp. n. Figs 52, 83

Type material.

Holotype ♀ (IZCAS), CHINA: Yunnan Province, Gongshan County, Langdang Village, beside Dulongjiang River, collected by sieving the leaf litter (27.68844°N, 98.27773°E, 1300 m), 31.VIII.2006, J.A. Miller & D.H. Kavanaugh leg.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis.

This new species is closely related to Nesticella yui (see Fig. 62 A–F), but can be distinguished from the latter by the narrower scape (Sp), the narrower space between the copulatory openings (Co) and the different shape of copulatory ducts (Cd) (Fig. 52F vs. Fig. 62F). The small scape (Sp), only faintly visible, and the V-shaped copulatory ducts (Cd) allow the separation of this species from all the others belonging to the nepalensis -group.

Description.

Habitus as in Fig. 52 A–C. Carapace yellow, faintly pigmented in the cephalic area and at margins. Cervical groove and fovea distinct. Mouthparts yellowish. Sternum yellow with sparse long setae and additional thin setae at margins. Legs and female palps yellowish, distally darker in metatarsi and tarsi. Opisthosoma pale yellowish, and with paired dark marks, partially connected each other in the dorsal area, bordering a light, cross-shaped mark in center. Other dark markings present laterally, at the epigastric and hypogastric area and around the spinnerets.

Epigyne (Fig. 52 D–F): wrinkled and translucent, scape strongly reduced and barely visible (Fig. 52 D–F). Copulatory openings close to each other near the posteromargin of the epigyne (Fig. 52 F–G). Spermathecae almost round, separated by about 1.3 diameters. Fertilization ducts thin and long, coiled into 2.5 loops until reaching the spermathecae (Fig. 52F). Copulatory ducts thick (Fig. 52 E–F).

Female (holotype). Total length 2.38. Carapace 1.24 long, 1.07 wide. Opisthosoma 1.22 long, 1.10 wide. Clypeus height 0.23. Sternum 0.73 long, 0.66 wide. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Male. Unknown.

Habitat.

Forest leaf litter.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 83).