Mallinella digitata, Zhang, Bao-Shi, Zhang, Feng & Chen, Ping, 2011

Zhang, Bao-Shi, Zhang, Feng & Chen, Ping, 2011, Species of the genus Mallinella Strand, 1906 (Araneae: Zodariidae) from Hainan Island, China, Zootaxa 2986, pp. 55-62 : 56-58

Mallinella digitata sp. nov.

( Figs 1–7 )

Type material. Holotype 3, CHINA, Hainan Province: Fanjia Town (19°19ʹN, 109°41ʹE), Danzhou County, 15 May 2009, leg. C. Zhang [ MHBU]. Paratypes: 2♀, same data as holotype; CHINA, Hainan Province: 43, 1♀, Bawangling Mountain (19°07ʹN, 109°04ʹE), 19 May 2009, leg. C. Zhang [ MHBU].

Diagnosis. Males can be distinguished from other Mallinella species by large, expanding tegulum and presence of a digitiform tubercle on tegulum; they differ from M. immaculata Zhang & Zhu, 2009 by the shape of a baso-prolateral fold on median apophysis and by the shape of embolus ( Figs 2–5 ). Females can be distinguished from other Mallinella species except M. shimojanai ( Ono & Tanikawa, 1990) by the shape of epigynal plate, and differ from M. shimojanai by the pattern of dorsal opisthosoma ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. The specific name is a Latin adjective and refers to the digitiform tubercle of male tegulum.

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 7.45: prosoma 3.88 long, 2.86 wide; opisthosoma 3.57 long, 2.04 wide.

Color. Carapace ( Fig. 1 ) dark brown. Median furrow black. Eyes with black ring. Chelicerae dark brown, terminal part yellow. Endites and labium brown, terminal part yellow. Sternum brown. Legs brown except femora black. Dorsum of opisthosoma black with three pairs of white lateral patches, followed by a transverse patch and a longitudinal white patch medially, anterior median part reddish brown; lateral part yellow with black diagonal stripes; venter pale yellow covered with three longitudinal black bands from epigastric furrow to spinnerets. Spinnerets yellow.

Prosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Carapace longer than wide and with a longitudinal median furrow, only anterior part and clypeus covered with several black setae. AER almost straight and PER procurved in dorsal view. Diameters of eyes: AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.06, PLE 0.06. Interdistances of eyes: AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.10, ALE–ALE 0.55, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.19, PLE–PLE 0.63, ALE–PLE 0.03. MOA 0.26 long, front width 0.21, back width 0.23. Clypeal height 0.92. Chelicerae without teeth on margins of fang furrow, fang very short and terminal part armed with dense black scopula. Terminal part of endites furnished with dense black scopula. Labium triangular, 0.61 long, 0.51 wide. Sternum 1.63 long, 1.43 wide and furnished with sparse black setae, its lateral margin with small and pointed extensions fitting in coxal concavities of legs.

Legs. Metatarsi II–IV with ventral hair tufts in the apical part. Dorsal side of tibiae and metatarsi armed with trichobothria. Measurements of legs: leg I 12.14 (3.06, 1.02, 2.86, 3.06, 2.14), II 10.50 (2.75, 1.02, 2.24, 2.55, 1.94), III 10.29 (2.75, 1.02, 2.14, 2.65, 1.73), IV 13.46 (3.36, 1.02, 3.06, 3.98, 2.04). Leg formula: 4123.

Opisthosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Oval, longer than wide.

Male palp ( Figs 2–5 ). Retrolateral tibial apophysis digitiform, slightly wider at base; tegulum large and extending posteriorly, with a small digitiform tubercle; median apophysis with a triangular baso-prolateral fold, its apex bifid, with sharply pointed tip on both ends; embolus long and medially divided with a longitudinal groove, terminal part hook-shaped.

Female. Paratype (from Fanjia Town). Total length 9.69: prosoma 3.77 long, 2.65 wide; opisthosoma 5.81 long, 3.88 wide.

Color. As in male.

Prosoma. AER slightly procurved and PER procurved in dorsal view. Diameters of eyes: AME 0.10, ALE 0.09, PME 0.09, PLE 0.09. Interdistances of eyes: AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.13, ALE–ALE 0.58, PME–PME 0.08, PME–PLE 0.20, PLE–PLE 0.66, ALE–PLE 0.04. MOA 0.29 long, front width 0.38, back width 0.23. Clypeal height 0.92. Labium 0.71 long, 0.51 wide. Sternum 1.63 long, 1.53 wide.

Legs. Metatarsi II–IV with ventral hair tufts in apical part. Dorsum of tibiae and metatarsi armed with trichobothria. Measurements of legs: I 9.39 (2.45, 0.92, 2.14, 2.04, 1.84), II 8.87(2.35, 1.02, 1.73, 2.14, 1.63), III 8.56 (2.24, 1.02, 1.73, 2.04, 1.53), IV 11.43 (2.75, 1.02, 2.45, 3.37, 1.84). Leg formula: 4123.

Female genitalia ( Figs 6–7 ). Epigynal plate lenticular, extending beyond epigastric furrow, with two elevated basal ridges on lateral border of median plate; spermathecae oval, with one coil on the apices; copulatory ducts long.

Distribution. China ( Hainan ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Mallinella digitata sp. nov., 1 – 5, male holotype. 1, habitus, dorsal view; 2, left male palp, ventral view; 3, same, retrolateral view; 4, embolus, ventral view; 5, the distal part of embolus, ventral view; 6 – 7, female paratype. 6, epigyne, ventral view; 7, internal genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 – 3, 6 – 7, 1 mm; 4 – 5, 0.5 mm.