Ebelingia spirala, Zhang & Zhang, 2023

Zhang, Rui & Zhang, Feng, 2023, Two new species of crab spiders from Xiaolong Mountains in Gansu Province, China (Araneae, Thomisidae), ZooKeys 1160, pp. 75-87 : 75

Ebelingia spirala sp. nov.

Figs 1-4 , 5, 6 , 7-8

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, China: Gansu Province, Maiji district, Liqiao town, Baihua Forest Farm, 34°19.93'N, 106°23.18'E, 1844 m, 23 May 2021, Rui Zhang leg. Paratypes: 1♂3♀, with same data as holotype; 2♀, Niangniangba town, Baiyin village, 34°17.2'N, 105°55.97'E, 1524 m, 31 May 2021, Rui Zhang leg; 1♀, Hui County, Jialing town, Xiaolongshan National Nature Reserve, 33°40.52'N, 106°18.67'E, 1647 m, 7 June 2021, Zhaoyi Li leg.; 1♂, Qingshui County, Shanmen Town, Shanmen Village, 34°41.4'N, 106°21.72'E, 1630 m, 24 June 2022, Zhaoyi Li leg.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin " spira " (meaning "a coil"), referring to the shape of RTA in ventral view, adjective.

Diagnosis.

Male of this new species resembles those of E. forcipata Song & Zhu, 1993 (see Liu et al. 2022: 51, figs 4A-E, 5A-F) and E. hubeiensis Song & Zhao, 1994 (see Song and Zhao 1994: 115, fig. 4E, F) in having short embolus, flat tegulum, and a bifurcated RTA, but can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: (1) RTA about half the length of tibia (vs almost as long as tibia); (2) the presence of spiral thread on dorsal branch of RTA (vs smooth RTA). Female of E. spirala sp. nov. is similar to that of E. hubeiensis in having central concavity on anterior hood but can be distinguished by the L-shaped, long spermathecae (vs same length and width in E. hubeiensis ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Habitus as in Figs 1 , 2 . Total length 2.88. Carapace 1.27 long, 1.21 wide, opisthosoma 1.60 long, 1.22 wide, the whole dorsum of body with dense setae. Carapace chestnut-coloured, medially with yellowish band. Ocular area white. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.09, PME 0.05, PLE 0.08, AME-AME 0.14, AME-ALE 0.15, PME-PME 0.20, PME-PLE 0.22, AME-PME 0.15, ALE-PLE 0.16. MOA 0.18 long, front width 0.27, back width 0.50. Sternum slightly longer than wide. Chelicerae, endites, and labium yellow. Femora and patellae of legs I-II and legs III-IV reddish brown, other segments of legs I-II dark brown. Leg measurements: I 5.73 (1.59, 0.62, 1.52, 1.43, 0.57); II 5.63 (1.68, 0.56, 1.32, 1.38, 0.69); III 2.34 (0.74, 0.30, 0.48, 0.49, 0.32); IV 2.52 (0.66, 0.36, 0.54, 0.62, 0.34). Leg spination: I Fe: p2; II Fe: d2; III Fe: d2; Ti: d1; IV: Pa: d1; Ti: d2. Opisthosoma dorsum yellowish, with cardiac pattern, posterior with irregular stripes; venter yellow, with black stripes.

Palp (Figs 5 , 6 ). Tibia with two apophyses, short ventral and bifurcated retrolateral: ventral part blunt and longer than ventral tibial apophysis in retrolateral view, dorsal one with spirals. Ventral tibial apophysis short, with blunt apex. Cymbium 1.25 × longer than wide. Tegulum oval 1.25 × longer than wide, tegular ridge at 11 o’clock position. Spermophore wide, encircling almost whole tegulum. Embolus short, originating from ~11 o’clock position and terminating at 1 o’clock position.

Female. Habitus as in Figs 3 , 4 . Total length 4.38. Prosoma 1.53 long, 1.57 wide. Opisthosoma 2.85 long, 2.88 wide. Carapace chestnut-coloured, medially with yellowish band, laterally with black spots. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.09, PME 0.05, PLE 0.10, AME-AME 0.19, AME-ALE 0.17, PME-PME 0.29, PME-PLE 0.26, AME-PME 0.20, ALE-PLE 0.17. MOA 0.27 long, front width 0.31, back width 0.39. Chelicerae, sternum, and labium yellow. Endites and legs chestnut-coloured. Venter of leg I and II with numerous reddish-brown spots. Leg measurements: I 5.58 (1.77, 0.74, 1.30, 1.12, 0.65); II 5.14 (1.24, 0.75, 1.37, 1.09, 0.69); III 2.60 (0.78, 0.43, 0.70, 0.39, 0.30); IV 2.86 (0.89, 0.45, 0.58, 0.53, 0.41). Leg spination: I Fe: d1, p4; Pa: d2; Ti: v3; Mt: p4, r4; II Fe: d1; Pa: d1; Ti: p2, r3; Mt: d3, p5, r5; III Fe: d1; Pa: d1; Ti: d3, v4; IV: Fe: d2; Pa: d2; Ti: d2, v2. Opisthosomal dorsum yellow, with white spots at the sides and brown symmetrical patches in the middle; venter with a few white spots at the sides.

Epigyne (Figs 7 , 8 ). Epigyne almost 2 × wider than long, with a deep Ո-shaped anterior hood, about 2 × longer than wide. Copulatory openings (Fig. 7 ) located at posterolateral part of anterior hood. Spermathecae L-shaped, separated by more than width of anterior hood. Fertilization ducts short.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in Gansu Province, China (Fig. 17 ).

Figures

Figure 17. Records of the new species from the Xiaolong Mountains in Gansu Province, China.

Figures 1 - 4. Ebelingia spirala sp. nov. 1, 2 male habitus (1 dorsal view 2 ventral view) 3, 4 female habitus (3 dorsal 4 ventral). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 5, 6. Ebelingia spirala sp. nov. 5, 6 left male palp (5 ventral view 6 retrolateral view). E = embolus; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; SP = spermophore; T = tegulum; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Figures 7, 8. Ebelingia spirala sp. nov. 7, 8 epigyne / vulva (7 ventral view 8 dorsal view). AH = anterior hood; CO = copulatory opening; FD = fertilization duct; GA = glandular appendage; S = spermatheca. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.