Xysticus lesserti Schenkel, 1963

Liu, Ke-Ke, Ying, Yuan-hao, Fomichev, Alexander A., Zhao, Dan-chen, Li, Wen-hui, Xiao, Yong-hong & Xu, Xiang, 2022, Crab spiders (Araneae, Thomisidae) of Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China, ZooKeys 1095, pp. 43-74 : 43

Xysticus lesserti Schenkel, 1963

Figs 14 , 15 , 16

Xysticus lesserti Schenkel, 1963: 219, fig. 124a-c (♂); Marusik and Omelko 2014: 280, figs 15-17, 24 (♂).

Material examined.

China, Jiangxi Province: 1 ♀, Ji’an City, Jinggangshan County Level City , Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve , Ciping Town , Xiazhuang Village , Zhushachong Forest Farm, 26°33'3.6"N, 114°11'20.4"E, 630 m, 4.X.2014, K. Liu et al. leg .; 1 ♀, Ciping Town, Tongmuling , 26°37'12"N, 114°11'45.6"E, 780 m, 2.VIII.2014, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg .; 1 ♀, Ciping Town, Xiaojing Village , 26°35'20.4"N, 114°8'13.2"E, 913 m, 2.VIII.2014, K. Liu et al. leg .; 1 ♀, Ciping Town, Dajing Village, General of forest, 26.566°N, 114.125°E, 922 m, 13.VII.2014, K. Liu et al. leg .; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Ciping Town, Dajing Village , 26°33'21.70"N, 114°07'20.08"E, 906 m, 31.VII.2019, K. Liu et al. leg .; 1 ♀, Dongshang Town, Jiangshan Village, Qilichuan , 26°46'18.91"N, 113°51'55.59"E, 666 m, 30.VII.2019, other data as previous ; 1 ♀, 26°46'23.73"N, 113°52'02.83"E, 665 m, K. Liu et al. leg.; 2 ♂, Longshi Town, Bashang Village , 26°39'58.29"N, 114°04'35.34"E, 491 m, 29.VII.2019, K. Liu et al. leg .; 1 ♀, Suichuan County, Gaoping Town, Gaoping Bus Station , 26°02'49.6"N, 114°07'2.8"E, 482 m, 1.VIII.2019, K. Liu et al. leg .; 1 ♀, Ciping Town, Wuzhifeng Scenic Spot , 26°32'48.23"N, 114°09'10.61"E, 811 m, 2.X.2018, K. Liu et al. leg .

Comments.

The female of this species has remained undescribed till now and the male was confused with X. kurilenis Strand, 1907 in the past until Marusik and Omelko (2014) revealed some differences between these two species based on comparisons of the holotype of X. lesserti and specimens of X. kurilenis from the Kuril Islands. Several specimens of both sexes of X. lesserti were collected in the Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve including one pair which was in copula. Thus, collected females are considered by us as belonging to this species.

Diagnosis.

The female of this species is similar to that of X. kurilensis in having two large oval atria (At) divided by septum (Se). Female of X. lesserti can be differentiated from those of sibling species by touching atria (vs. not touching) (cf. Fig. 14C and Kim and Lee 2012: fig. 21-4H). The male of X. lesserti is also very similar to those of X. kurilensis , but can be distinguished by the median apophysis (MA) reaching the sub-apex of the basal tegular apophysis (BTA) in ventral view (vs. not reaching the sub-apex of the conductor) (cf. Fig. 15D and Marusik and Omelko 2014: fig. 18).

Description.

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 14A, B . Total length 4.23. Carapace: 1.82 long, 1.81 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.24, PME 0.12, PLE 0.24, AME-AME 0.48, AME-ALE 0.28, PME-PME 0.51, PME-PLE 0.56, AME-PME 0.39, AME-PLE 0.87, ALE-ALE 1.25, PLE-PLE 1.82, ALE-PLE 0.39. MOA 0.62 long, front width 0.71, back width 0.77. Chelicerae toothless. Abdomen (Fig. 12A, B ): 2.05 long, 2.19 wide, with numerous depressed patches. Leg measurements: I 5.39 (1.71, 0.81, 1.28, 1.05, 0.54); II 5.59 (1.70, 0.87, 1.30, 1.12, 0.6); III 3.36 (1.18, 0.44, 0.79, 0.55, 0.40); IV 4.03 (1.17, 0.60, 0.95, 0.75, 0.56). Leg spination: I Fe: d1, p4; Ti: p3, v11; Mt: p3, r2, v11; II Fe: d1; Ti: p3, r1, v10; Mt: p3, r2, v10; III Fe: d1; Ti: p2, v5; Mt: p2, r1, v4; IV: Fe: d1; Pa: d2; Ti: d1, p2, v2; Mt: p2, r1, v3.

Colouration (Fig. 14A, B ). Carapace reddish brown with dark mottling, medially with broad pale yellow stripe extending from PME to posterior edge. Chelicerae, endites, and labium reddish yellow. Sternum yellow, with numerous dark brown spots. Legs: I and II darker than III and IV; femora I-IV dorsally with reddish brown stripes, other segments yellowish to dark brown, with dark brown spots. Abdomen with grey oval patten, sub-medially with two indistinct transverse whitish stripes.

Epigyne (Fig. 14C, D ). Epigyne approximately as long as wide. Anteriorly with two atria (At) separated by the septum (Se). Copulatory openings (CO) located in the anterior part of atria, hidden by sclerotised anterior margins of atria. Spermathecae (SP) kidney-shaped, with several constrictions. Fertilisation duct (FD) short, as long as width of the spermatheca in its posterior part, directed laterally.

Male. Habitus as in Fig. 15A, B . As in female, except as noted. Total length 3.07. Carapace: 1.80 long, 1.56 wide, with a few strong setae around eye area. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.27, PME 0.13, PLE 0.22, AME-AME 0.36, AME-ALE 0.22, PME-PME 0.39, PME-PLE 0.46, AME-PME 0.29, AME-PLE 0.71, ALE-ALE 0.99, PLE-PLE 1.30, ALE-PLE 0.35. MOA 0.51 long, front width 0.58, back width 0.69. Abdomen (Fig. 15A, B ): 1.40 long, 1.43 wide, with abundant strong setae dorsally. Leg measurements: I 5.56 (1.66, 0.79, 1.13, 1.30, 0.68); II 5.36 (1.62, 0.70, 1.22, 1.20, 0.62); III 3.36 (1.18, 0.44, 0.79, 0.55, 0.40); IV 3.83 (1.17, 0.42, 0.94, 0.79, 0.51). Leg spination: I Fe: d5, p3; Pa: v1; Ti: p3, r3, v10; Mt: p3, r2, v8; II Fe: d5, p3; Pa: v1; Ti: p3, r3, v10; Mt: p3, r2, v10; III Fe: d4; Pa: d2, v1; Ti: d2, p2, r2, v6; Mt: p3, r3, v4; IV: Fe: d4; Pa: d2, r1; Ti: d2, p2, r2, v6; Mt: p3, r3, v4.

Palp (Figs 15C-E , 16 ). Tibia with two apophysis: the retrolateral one (RTA) triangular, shorter than tibia, the ventral one (VTA) square, longer than tibia. Cymbium irregularly oval, length/width ratio ~ 1.2. Tutaculum (Tt) triangular, forming a canal. Median apophysis (MA), strongly sclerotised, wing-shaped, its apex reaching the sub-apex of basal tegular apophysis (BTA). Basal tegular apophysis broad and stocky. Tegulum with a ridge-shaped retrolateral process (RTP). Base of the embolus (E) gradually separating from the tegulum, slightly tapering during its median portion, apex embedded in tutaculum.

Distribution.

China: Jiangxi (Fig. 17 ) and Guizhou Provinces ( Schenkel 1963); Russia: Sakhalin Is., Kurile Isles ( Marusik and Omelko 2014); Korea and Japan ( Songand Zhu 1997).

Figures

Figure 12. Stephanopis xiangzhouica sp. nov., female holotype. A habitus, dorsal view B same, ventral view C cephalic part, dorsal view D left chelicera, mesal view E left leg I, prolateral view F patella I, prolateral view G abdomen, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B), 0.1 mm (C, D, F), 0.5 mm (E, G).

Figure 14. Xysticus lesserti Schenkel, 1963, female. A habitus, dorsal view B same, ventral view C epigyne, ventral view D same, dorsal view. Abbreviations: At - atrium, CD - copulatory duct, CO - copulatory opening, FD - fertilisation duct, Se - septum, SP - spermatheca. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B), 0.1 mm (C, D).

Figure 15. Xysticus lesserti Schenkel, 1963, male. A habitus, dorsal view B same, ventral view C palp, prolateral view D same, ventral view E same, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: BTA - basal tegular apophysis, E - embolus, MA - median apophysis, RTA - retrolateral tibial apophysis, RTP - ridge-shaped tegular process, Tt - tutaculum, VTA - ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B), 0.1 mm (C-E).

Figure 16. SEM micrographs of Xysticus lesserti Schenkel, 1963, male palp. A prolateral view B ventral view C ventral view, slightly retrolateral D retrolateral view. Abbreviations: BTA - basal tegular apophysis, E - embolus, MA - median apophysis, RTA - retrolateral tibial apophysis, RTP - ridge-shaped tegular process, T - tegulum, Tt - tutaculum, VTA - ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 17. The location of the Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve in China indicated by a large black dot.