Cheiracanthium exquestitum Zhang and Zhu, 1993

Li, Zhao-Yi & Zhang, Feng, 2024, A survey of cheiracanthiid spiders (Araneae: Cheiracanthiidae) from Hainan Island, China, Journal of Natural History 58 (1 - 4), pp. 167-188 : 176-179

Cheiracanthium exquestitum Zhang and Zhu, 1993

( Figures 4–5 , 9 )

Cheiracanthium exquestitum Zhang and Zhu 1993: 5 , figs. 1–2 (♀); Zhang and Yin 1999: 287, figs. 8–11 (♀, ♂ misidentified, may be a new species); Yin et al. 2012: 1047, fig. 544a–e (♀, ♂ misidentified, may be a new species).

Cheiracanthium exquistitum Song et al. 1999: 413 , figs. 241 K–L, 243 G–H (♀, ♂ misidentified, may be a new species) (misspelled name).

Cheiracanthium ningmingensis Zhang and Yin 1999: 285 , figs. 1–3 (♂); Song et al. 1999: 413, fig. 243 M–N (♂); Yin et al. 2012: 1052, fig. 548a–d (♂). (syn. n.).

Type material

Holotype (♀) of C. exquestitum Zhang and Zhu, 1993 (No. 75–1053, deposited in JLU), China, Hainan, Ledong County, Jianfengling Nature Reserve , 12 December 1975, Chuandian Zhu leg, examined by prof. Feng Zhang . Holotype (♂) of C. ningmingense Zhang and Yin, 1999 (deposited in HNNU), China, Guangxi, Ningming County, Tongmian Town , 16 May 1997, Yongjing Zhang leg, not examined .

Diagnosis

The males ( Figure 5e–g ) are similar to those of C. falcatum Chen, Huang, Chen and Wang, 2006 ( Chen et al. 2006, p. 12, fig. 2A–B) and C. simaoensis Zhang and Yin, 1999 ( Zhang and Yin 1999, p. 286, figs. 4–5) in the general shape of the embolus, sperm ducts, cymbial spur and DTA, but can be distinguished by the forked RTA in ventral view (vs not forked in latter two species). The females ( Figures 4 and 5c–d ) are similar to those of C. falcatum Chen, Huang, Chen and Wang, 2006 ( Chen et al. 2006, p. 12, fig. 2D–E) in having spiraling copulatory ducts and globular spermathecae, but can be distinguished by the presence of 4 spiral coils of copulatory ducts (vs 3 coils in C. falcatum ).

Redescription

Male. ( Figure 5b ) One specimen was measured: total length 8.23: carapace length 3.53, width 2.69; abdomen length 4.70, width 2.06. Carapace reddish brown with indistinct radial stripes. Chelicerae protruding and coloured the same as carapace, with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth. Sternum and labium dark yellow, endites reddish brown, longer than wide. Legs coloured almost the same as carapace, without distinct colour markings. Leg measurements: I 32.29 (7.31, 1.42, 9.38, 10.84, 3.34), II 19.85 (5.01, 1.12, 5.64, 6.30, 1.78), III 11.05 (2.57, 0.59, 2.99, 3.41, 1.49), IV 20.05 (4.83, 1.10, 5.93, 6.46, 1.73). Abdomen lanceolate, dorsally orange-yellow, with black hairs and 2 pairs of inconspicuous muscle depressions.

Palp as illustrated. ( Figure 5e–g ) Tibia long, ca. 3/4 of cymbium length; RTA long, ca. 2/ 3 of tibia length, with a biforked tip, and the retrolateral one slightly longer than the prolateral one from ventral view, DTA thin and stalk-shaped, ca. 1/2 of RTA length; cymbium almost 2 times longer than wide; tip of cymbium long, ca. 1/4 of cymbium length; cymbial furrow strongly developed and conspicuous, about 3/4 cymbium length; cymbial spur shorter than tibia length; tegulum oval, ca. 1.8 times longer than wide; median apophysis long and membranous, length longer than tegulum width, with a hook-shaped tip in ventral view; embolus filiform, originating on the tegular tip, about 11 o’clock position, extending clockwise along the tegular margin and ending at conductor apex; conductor large and membranous, base wide, gradually tapering towards apex; sperm duct distinct and semicircular.

Female. ( Figure 5a ) One specimen was measured: total length 6.79: carapace length 3.01, width 2.24; abdomen length 3.78, width 2.16. Carapace pale yellow with indistinct radial stripes. Eye area obviously wider than in male. Leg measurements: I 16.67 (4.46, 1.17, 4.70, 4.91, 1.43), II 9.10 (2.74, 0.74, 2.50, 2.34, 0.78), III 6.30 (1.43, 0.58, 1.66, 1.90, 0.73), IV 9.98 (3.05, 0.87, 2.24, 2.93, 0.89). Abdomen elongate-oval, dorsally pale yellow, lighter anteriorly, darker posteriorly.

Epigyne. ( Figures 4 and 5c–d ) Atrium transverse oval, ca. 2 times wider than long, atrial anterior margin arc-shaped and heavily sclerotised, posterior margin inconspicuous; 2 copulatory openings located at postero-lateral margins of atrium; part of dark copulatory duct and spermathecae visible through tegument of epigynal plate in ventral view; spermathecae globular, spaced by about 1.5 diameters, connected with complicated spiral-coiled copulatory duct (each ascending portion of copulatory duct coils forming 4 entwined loops and then downward to form a nearly straight descending portion leading to a global spermatheca).

Material examined

CHINA: Hainan. 2♂ 2♀, Ledong County, Jianfengling Nature Reserve, 18 July 2022, 18.7098°N, 108.8765°E, 960 m, Lu Zhang and Weihang Wang leg ; 3♂ 2♀, Jianfengling Nature Reserve , Tianchi, 29 May 2009, Chao Zhang leg ; 3♂, Jianfengling Nature Reserve , 11 November 2008, Mingsheng Zhu leg ; 1♀, Jianfengling Nature Reserve , 13 July 2003, Mingsheng Zhu leg ; 5♂ 1, Changjiang County , Bawangling Nature Reserve , 23 May 2009, Chao Zhang leg ; 2♂ 2♀, Bawangling Nature Reserve , 30 May 2001, Chao Zhang leg ; 2♂ 3♀, Qiongzhong County , Limu Mountain Nature Reserve , 20 November 2008, Mingsheng Zhu leg ; 1♀, Limu Mountain Nature Reserve , 22 January 2015, Chi Jin leg ; 1♀, Lingshui County , Diaoluo Mountain Nature Reserve , 8 June 2009, Chao Zhang leg ; 1♂, Diaoluo Mountain Nature Reserve , 27 January 2015, Chi Jin leg ; 3♂, Danzhou City, Fanjia Nature Reserve , 15 May 2009, Chao Zhang leg ; 1♀, Wuzhishan City, Shuiman Town , Wuzhishan Tropical Rainforest Beauty Spot, 7 April 2016, 18.8699°N, 109.6729°E, 800 m, Chi Jin leg.

Other material examined. CHINA: Guangxi: 1♂ 1♀, Fusui County, Bapen Township, 16 June 2016, 22.2406°N, 107.8905°E, 145 m, Chi Jin leg; 1♀, Chongzuo City , Zuozhou Town , Guanghe Village , 8 June 2016, 22.5766°N, 107.4219°E, 1920 m, Chi Jin leg; 2♂, Nanning City , Liangjiang Town , Daming Mountain Forest Park , 8 August 2018, 23.4950°N, 108.3650° E, 251 m, Baoshi Zhang leg. Guizhou: 2♂, Libo County, Jiarong Town, Laji Village, 30 July 2019, 40.6150°N, 44.9681°E, 1920 m, Zhaoyi Li leg. Jiangxi: 1♀, Tonggu County, Daduan Town, Tianzhufeng Forest Park , 1 August 2018, 28.6368°N, 114.5347°E, 268 m, Zhaoyi Li leg. Yunnan: 1♂, Mengla County, Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden , 12 July 2018, 21.9101°N, 101.2698°E, 605 m, Chi Jin leg. Fujian: 1♂, Wuyishan City, near the Wuyishan Railway Station , 18 August 2010, Feng Zhang leg. Sichuan: 1♂, Leshan City, Emei Mountain , 26 July 2003, Junxia Zhang leg.

Distribution

China (Hainan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Fujian, Sichuan).

Remarks

Zhang and Zhu (1993) described C. exquestitum based on a single female holotype specimen from Jianfengling, Ledong County, Hainan Island . Zhang and Yin (1999) reported the male of C. exquestitum for the first time and redescribed the female based on the materials collected from Longsheng County of Guangxi (1♂ 2♀, but with different collected date), Longshan County (2♀) and Luxi County (1♀) of Hunan.

We re-examined the female holotype of C. exquestitu m (collected by Chuandian Zhu in 1975 from Jianfengling, Ledong County, Hainan Island) and a male described by Zhang and Yin (1999) (collected by Yongjing Zhang in 1996 from Longsheng County, Guangxi). We found the female and male have distinctly different habitus (abdomen without distinct colour pattern in female, but with dense white freckles and a narrow medial longitudinal band in male) and different numbers of cheliceral teeth (chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth in female, but with 2 promarginal and 1 retromarginal teeth in male, so the male and female should be considered separate species.

However, we found many female specimens of C. exquestitum and males of C. ningmingense are collected in pairs from the same type location as C. exquestitum and other places (see material examined, above); they all have similar habitus (body without distinct colour pattern), and the same number of cheliceral teeth. In addition, the male of C. exquestitum reported by Zhang and Yin (1999) and other specimens examined in their study were not collected from the type location of C. exquestitum . Consequently, we consider that males of C. ningmingense and females of C. exquestitum are conspecific. As a result, C. ningmingense Zhang and Yin, 1999 is synonymised with C. exquestitum Zhang and Zhu, 1993 in this study, and is defined as male of C. exquestitum . The male specimen from Guangxi described by Zhang and Yin (1999) as the male of C. exquestitum was misidentified by them, and by Yin et al. (2012) and Song et al. (1999); it may be a new species and needs to be studied further.

Figures

Figure 4. Cheiracanthium exquestitum Zhang and Zhu, 1993, female holotype. (a) epigyne, ventral view; (b) vulva, dorsal view.

Figure 5. Cheiracanthium exquestitum Zhang and Zhu, 1993, male and female from Hainan, China. (a) female habitus, dorsal view; (b) male habitus, dorsal view; (c) epigyne, ventral view; (d) vulva, dorsal view; (e) left male palp, prolateral view; (f) same, ventral view; (g) same, retrolateral view.

Figure 9. Distribution records of six cheiracanthiid spiders from Hainan Island, China. (a–b) Cheiracanthium adjacensoides Song, Chen and Hou, 1990; (a, c–e) C. bawanglingense sp. n.; (a, c–g) C. exquestitum Zhang and Zhu, 1993; (a, d–f) C. insigne O. Pickard-Cambridge 1874; (e) C. taegense Paik, 1990 and Eutittha hainanensis sp. n.