Sinoalaria shuidi Yu & Lin, 2023

Zhang, Jianshuang, Feng, Chengcheng, Yu, Hao & Lin, Yucheng, 2023, A review of the spider genus Sinoalaria (Araneae, Theridiosomatidae), with the descriptions of four new species and two new combinations, ZooKeys 1173, pp. 307-338 : 307

Sinoalaria shuidi Yu & Lin sp. nov.

Figs 14 , 17

Type material.

Holotype ♀ and Paratypes 3♀, China: Guangxi, Liuzhou City, Luzhai County, Zhongdu Town, Xiamotun Village, Jiulong Cave, 24°44.917'N, 109°39.844'E, 257 m, 15.VII.2013, H. Zhao leg.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Chinese pinyin 'shuǐ dī’, which means water drop, referring to the scape that is shaped like a water drop; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

This new species is similar to S. nitida in having the scape shorter than length of epigynal plate, with a swollen apex (Figs 11C-E , 14C-E ) (scapes of all other congeners, such as S. chengguanensis , S. chi sp. nov., S. shenhei sp. nov. and S. xiaotu sp. nov., which are no shorter than the length of epigynal plate, distally not swollen; Figs 6E, F , 8E, F , 13E, F , 16E, F ), but can be distinguished by the scape shaped like a water drop, apex distinctly wider than its stem in S. shuidi sp. nov. (scape shaped like a nose, apex nearly as wide as stem in S. nitida ), and by the spermathecae globular in S. shuidi sp. nov. (peanut-shaped in S. nitida ) (cf. Fig. 14C-E and Fig. 11C-G ).

Description.

Female (holotype) (Fig. 14A, B ): Carapace pear-shaped, pars cephalica distinctly dark in ocular area; cephalic region distinctly narrowed, cervical groove distinctly delimited, radial grooves distinguishable and vein-shaped. Anterior eye row recurved, posterior eye row almost straight in dorsal view. Sternum shield-shaped, centrally dark yellowish brown, marginally dark, with sparse setae. Mouthparts yellowish brown. Legs yellow, all legs with conspicuous dark annuli in the distal parts of femur, and patella. Abdomen spherical, covered with sparse long setae, setal base sclerotized; dorsum basically yellow, with four pair of black spots: 1st pair <-shaped, the other three pairs nearly triangular; venter yellow, centrally with a cup-shaped black speckle. Measurements: total length 3.0. Carapace 1.4 long, 1.1 wide. Clypeus 0.2 high. Sternum 0.7 long, 0.6 wide. Abdomen 2.0 long, 1.5 wide. Length of legs: I 5.7 (1.7, 0.6, 1.3, 1.3, 0.8); II 4.7 (1.5, 0.6, 0.9, 0.9, 0.8); III 3.3 (0.8, 0.5, 0.7, 0.8, 0.5); IV 4.3 (1.5, 0.5, 0.9, 0.9, 0.5).

Epigyne (Fig. 14C-E ). Epigynal plate nearly as wide as long, spermathecae and copulatory ducts are faint through epigynal plate before dissection. Scape relatively short, ca 3/4 of length of epigynal plate, with a slightly narrow stem and swollen apex, shaped like a water drop, apex with two pocket-like notches; proximal part originating from posterior portion of the plate. Copulatory ducts coils located laterally to spermathecae: ventral and anterior folds represented by two oval bursae, bursae surface hyaline, ca 1/2 length of epigyne plate, the two bursae separated by ca 2 × their widths; dorsal and posterior folds heavily sclerotized, tubular, thick, not convoluted, extending horizontally to connect with ventral surface of spermathecae. Spermathecae nearly globular, strongly sclerotized, located centrally and juxtaposed, overlapping with distal part of dorsal and posterior folds of copulatory ducts; spermathecal diameter ca 2/5 length of epigyne plate, the two spermathecae closely spaced. Fertilization ducts short, acicular, membranous, located on posterior surface of spermathecae; apical parts separated by ca 2 × fertilization duct, apex sharp.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 17 ).

Figures

Figure 6. Sinoalaria chengguanensis (Zhao & Li, 2012), male habitus (A), female habitus (B, C) and epigyne (D-F) A dorsal view B dorsal view C lateral view D intact, ventral view E cleared, ventral view F cleared, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; DPF = dorsal and posterior fold of copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; Sc = scape; Sp = spermatheca; VAF = ventral and anterior fold of copulatory duct. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A-C); 0.20 mm (D-F).

Figure 8. Sinoalaria chi sp. nov., female paratype and male holotype, male habitus (A, B), female habitus (C, D) and epigyne (E-G) A dorsal view B ventral view C dorsal view D ventral view E intact, ventral view F cleared, ventral view G cleared, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; DPF = dorsal and posterior fold of copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; Sc = scape; Sp = spermatheca; VAF = ventral and anterior fold of copulatory duct. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A-D); 0.20 mm (E-G).

Figure 11. Sinoalaria nitida (Zhao & Li, 2012), comb. nov., female habitus (A, B) and epigyne (C-G) A dorsal view B ventral view C intact, ventral view D cleared, ventral view E cleared, dorsal view F anterior view G posterior view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; DPF = dorsal and posterior fold of copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; N = notch; Sc = scape; Sp = spermatheca; VAF = ventral and anterior fold of copulatory duct. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A, B); 0.20 mm (C-G).

Figure 13. Holotype female of Sinoalaria shenhei sp. nov., habitus (A, B) and epigyne (C-F) A dorsal view B ventral view C intact, lateral view D intact, ventral view E cleared, ventral view F cleared, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; DPF = dorsal and posterior fold of copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; Sc = scape; Sp = spermatheca; VAF = ventral and anterior fold of copulatory duct. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A, B); 0.20 mm (C-F).

Figure 14. Holotype female of Sinoalaria shuidi sp. nov., habitus (A, B) and epigyne (C-E) A dorsal view B ventral view C intact, ventral view D cleared, ventral view E cleared, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; DPF = dorsal and posterior fold of copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; N = notch; Sc = scape; Sp = spermatheca; VAF = ventral and anterior fold of copulatory duct. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A, B); 0.20 mm (C-E).

Figure 16. Sinoalaria xiaotu sp. nov., female paratype and male holotype, male habitus (A, B), female habitus (C, D) and epigyne (E-G) A dorsal view B ventral view C dorsal view D ventral view E intact, ventral view F cleared, ventral view G cleared, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; DPF = dorsal and posterior fold of copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; Sc = scape; Sp = spermatheca; VAF = ventral and anterior fold of copulatory duct. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A-D); 0.20 mm (E-G).

Figure 17. Distribution records of the species from genus Sinoalaria.