Nusatidia aeria (Simon, 1897)

Zhang, Jianshuang, Yu, Hao & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, On the clubionid spiders (Araneae, Clubionidae) from Xishuangbanna, China, with descriptions of two new genera and seven new species, ZooKeys 1062, pp. 73-122 : 73

Nusatidia aeria (Simon, 1897)

Figs 7 , 8

Matidia aeria Simon, 1897: 50 (♀).

Nusatidia aeria : Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: 179, fig. 177 (♀, transferred to Nusatidia ).

Nusatidia rama Deeleman Reinhold, 2001: 181, figs 178-180 (♂). syn. nov.

Material examined.

China: Yunnan: Xishuangbanna: Mengla County: Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve : 1♂ 1♀, Xiaolongha biodiversity preservation corridor (21°24.159'N, 101°37.178'E, 630 m), 27 June 2012, Q. Zhao leg. ; 1♂ (YHCLU0150), Huigang Village , ecological restoration area of chevrotain, seasonal rainforest (21°37.045'N, 101°35.268'E, 760 m), 12 June 2012, Q. Zhao leg. ; 1♀ (YHCLU0149), Nanshahe Village , seasonal rainforest (21°36.338'N, 101°34.247'E, 790 m), 13 June 2012, Q. Zhao leg.

Diagnosis.

Males of N. aeria are similar to those of N. luzonica by the elongate-oval bulb with a bulky, twisted sperm duct and the needle-shaped embolus (Fig. 7A-E ), but they differ by the large and branched retrolateral tibial apophysis (Fig. 7B ) (vs. RTA small, indistinct, and not branched) and by the presence of a petal-shaped tegular apophysis (Fig. 7A, C, D ) (vs. tegular apophysis lacking). Females of N. aeria can be easily recognised by having a subcircular plate located at the posterior of the epigynal plate (Fig. 8A, B ) (vs. posterior plate absent in all other Nusatidia species).

Description.

See Deeleman-Reinhold (2001). Male palp as in Fig. 7A-E , epigyne as in Fig. 8A-D , habitus as in Fig. 8E-H .

Comments.

Nusatidia aeria was originally described in Matidia based on the holotype female from Jolo Island, Philippines. Deeleman-Reinhold (2001) examined the holotype and transferred the species to Nusatidia . In the same work, she described N. rama based on the holotype male from Sumatra but suggested that these two species could be conspecific. Recently, new material has been collected from Xishuangbanna containing both sexes. The males were identified as N. rama while the females were identified as N. aeria . On the basis of the morphological characters (Fig. 8E-H ) and DNA barcoding, we matched the females and males. Therefore, the two species are synonymised, and priority is given to N. aeria .

Distribution.

Prior to our study, this species was known from Borneo and Indonesia (Sumatra) only. Our collection in southwest China (Yunnan Province, new record) extends the known range of this species ~ 2700 km to the northwest.

Figures

Figure 7. Male palp of Nusatidia aeria A prolateral view B retrolateral view C bulb, prolateral view D bulb, ventral view E bulb, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: E = embolus; EB = embolic base; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; TA = tegular apophysis. Scale bars: 0.10 mm (equal for A, B, equal for C-E).

Figure 8. Nusatidia aeria, epigyne (A-D), male habitus (E, F) and female habitus (G, H) A intact, ventral view B cleared, ventral view C cleared, dorsal view D cleared, dorsal view E dorsal view F lateral view G dorsal view H ventral view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; EPP = epigynal posterior plate; SP = spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.10 mm (equal for A-D); 1 mm (equal for E, F, equal for G, H).