Phintella levii, Huang, Yi, Wang, Cheng & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2015

Huang, Yi, Wang, Cheng & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2015, Five new species of Phintella Strand, 1906 (Araneae, Salticidae) from the Wuling Mountains, China, ZooKeys 514, pp. 25-42 : 27-29

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Salticidae

Phintella levii sp. n. Figs 4, 5

Type material.

Holotype: ♀, China, Hunan: Shimen County, Hupingshan Township, Quanping Village, (30°00.786'N, 110°35.822'E, 611 m), 15 June 2014, C. Wang, B. Zhou, JH. Gan and YH. Gong leg. Paratypes: 1♀, same data as Holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name is in honor of Dr. H. Levi. a famous American arachnoid scholar.

Diagnosis.

This new species is similar to Phintella nigirica Proszyn’ski, 1992 in having copulatory ducts originated from spermathecal base and the terminal part inflated, but can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) epigyne almost round (Figs 4B, 5A) versus triangular in Phintella nigirica ; 2) the distance between atrium margins wider than half of spermathecal width in ventral view (Figs 4B, 5A) versus distinctly narrower than half of spermathecal width in Phintella nigirica ; 3) copulatory ducts about half length of epigyne in ventral view (Figs 4B, 5A) versus distinctly longer than half length of epigyne in Phintella nigirica ; 4) epigyne with poriform structure situated at the area between bases of two spermathecae (Figs 4B, 5A) versus absent in Phintella nigirica ; 5) spermathecae pyriform (Figs 4C, 5B) versus scutiform in Phintella nigirica ; 6) dorsum of opisthosoma with yellow stripes and brown stripes alternately arranged (Fig. 4A) versus with two dark submarginal streaks with brown scales along edges in Phintella nigirica .

Description.

Female: Total length 4.04. Prosoma 1.61 long, 1.11 wide. Opisthosoma 2.35 long, 1.71 wide. Clypeus 0.15 high. Carapace (Fig. 4A) blackish-brown, covered with long brown and white hair. Bilateral of eye field and posterior sides of carapace with white curved stripes covered by white hair, middle part of carapace with one a W-shaped yellowish brown area. Margin of carapace and eye bases black. Fovea reddish-brown, longitudinal, cervical and radial grooves indistinct. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.46, ALE 0.22, PLE 0.24, AERW 1.11, PERW 1.05, EL 0.88. Chelicerae yellowish-brown, with 2 promarginal teeth and 1 retromarginal. Endites dark brown, with narrower base, anterior margin with bristles. Labium colored as endites, broader at base, covered with black hair at terminal. Sternum dark brown, anteriorly straight and posteriorly subacute, covered with thin hair. Terminal part of femur, anterior and terminal parts of patella with dark annuli, others yellow. Leg spinnation: tibiae I and II with two pairs, metatarsi I and II also with two pairs of long spines. Measurements of legs: I 3.00 (0.95, 1.10, 0.55, 0.40), II 2.80 (0.90, 1.00, 0.50, 0.40), III 3.45 (1.10, 1.15, 0.80, 0.40), IV 3.90 (1.20, 1.40, 0.90, 0.40). Leg formula: 4312. Dorsum of opisthosoma (Fig. 4A) oval, yellow stripes and brown stripes alternately ar ranged, median area with two pairs of muscle impressions. Venter brown, the middle part with one broad longitudinal pale brown stripe covered with two longitudinal lines formed by light dots. Spinnerets black.

Epigyne (Figs 4 B–C, 5 A–B) almost round. Atrium margins situated at anterior-median area. Basal plate big, below epigastric furrow. Copulatory ducts long, about half length of epigyne, and the terminal part slightly inflated. Spermathecae pyriform, separated by one-third of their width.

Male: unknown.

Distribution.

China (Hunan).