Platyspira scissa, Tanasevitch & Marusik, 2024

Tanasevitch, Andrei V. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2024, On a small collection of linyphiid spiders from mountain Phoenix, Liaoning Province, China, with the description of a new species (Linyphiidae), Zootaxa 5541 (1), pp. 61-72 : 66-70

Platyspira scissa sp. nov.

Figs 5–8

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( IZCAS), CHINA: Liaoning Prov., env. of Fengcheng City, Mt. Phoenix , ca 40°23’N, 124°05’E, 280–550 m a.s.l., 16–18.X.2017, Y.M. Marusik leg.

Paratypes. 2♂ 1♀ ( ZMMU) , 1♀ ( IZCAS): collected together with holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ scissa ” is a Latin adjective meaning “break”, referring to the break of a chitinous tunic on the embolus in the male palp.

Diagnosis. The male of Platyspira scissa sp. nov. is distinguished from the type species by the strongly reduced median membrane and by certain details in the palp ( Figs 6–8 cf. figs 1–11 in Song & Li (2009)). The main difference lies in the structure of the distal part of the embolus. In the new species the distal part of the embolus is abruptly turned proximally and separated from the rest embolus with a break: the chitinous tunic at the break point (BP in Figs 6B, E‒F , 8C‒D ) is absent and the two parts of the embolus are connected to each other with the duct and the edge membrane only. The female of the new species differs by the trapeziform shape of the ventral plate vs rectangular, the subspherical receptacles vs reniform, as well as by the arrangement of the seminal ducts.

Remarks. The new species is assigned to Platyspira due to similarity to the generotype in small size, the same chaetotaxy (1.1.1.1) and trichobothriotaxy (I–III), the shape of the modified male carapace and palpal tibia, as well as the presence of the fusiform embolic division, with a long and coiled embolus.

Description. Male (paratype). Habitus as in Fig. 5A . Total length 1.47. Carapace modified, 0.69 long, 0.53 wide, pale brown. Cephalic part of carapace with bipartite elevation as shown in Figs 5A–C , 7A–C ), each part carrying a posterior median eye. Eyes not enlarged, normal, ocular area covered with short adpressed setae. Sulci large, elongated. Chelicerae unmodified, 0.24 long, with small mastidion like denticle at distal part of chelicera ( Fig. 7D ). Legs yellow to pale brown. Leg I 1.50 long (0.44 + 0.15 + 0.38 + 0.28 + 0.25); leg IV 1.58 long (0.48 + 0.15 + 0.40 + 0.30 + 0.25). Chaetotaxy 1.1.1.1, spines weak, poorly visible, 0.5–1 times as long as diameter of corresponding leg segment. Metatarsi I‒III each with trichobothrium. TmI 0.50. Abdomen 0.92 long, 0.68 wide, pale grey, almost white. Palp ( Figs 6A–F , 7E‒F , 8A–D ): femur and patella not modified. Tibia elongated, ca. 1.8 times longer than maximal width in dorsal view, tapers anteriorly, with a shallow concavity distally. Paracymbium small, narrow, uncinate distally. Distal suprategular apophysis (dsa) thin and straight, with almost parallel sides. Median membrane small, poorly visible. Embolic division fusiform. Embolus (e) long, coiled, whip-shaped, supplied with an edge membrane (me). Distal part of embolus abruptly turned proximally and separated from rest of embolus with short break: chitinous tunic (ct) at break point absent, and two parts of embolus connected only by duct (d) and edge membrane (me). Radix (r) elongated, ending with hook proximally.

Female (paratype). Habitus as in Fig. 5D . Total length 1.44. Carapace unmodified, 0.66 long, 0.51 wide. Eyes size as in male. Chelicerae unmodified, 0.30 long. Legs yellow to pale brown. Leg I 1.46 long (0.42 + 0.18 + 0.32 + 0.27 + 0.27); leg IV 1.56 long (0.48 + 0.16 + 0.38 + 0.29 + 0.25). Chaetotaxy as in male. TmI 0.51. Abdomen ( Figs 5D‒E ) 0.90 long, 0.60 wide, pale grey, almost white. Epigyne as in Figs 5E , 6G, H , 8E . Median plate (= ventral plate, auct.) trapeziform, receptacles large, subspherical, spaced into two their diameters. Copulatory ducts long, initially thick, gradually tapering, curved.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 9A ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Photographs of Platyspira scissa sp. nov., male (A–C) and female (D‒E) paratypes. A, D habitus, dorsal view; B, C prosoma, lateral and frontal view; E, abdomen, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Details of male palp (A–E) and epigyne (G‒H) of Platyspira scissa sp. nov., paratypes. A‒B right palp, retrolateral and prolateral, respectively; C patella and palpal tibia, dorsal view; D distal suprategular apophysis and embolus, lateral view; E embolus, lateral view; F sketch of break point; G epigyne, ventral view; H cleared epigyne, dorsal view. Abbreviations: bp––break point of embolus, dsa––distal suprategular apophysis, me––edge membrane of embolus, pe––entrance point of duct, ct––chitinous tunic of embolus, d––duct, su––suprategulum. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. F not to scale.

FIGURE 7. Details of male prosoma and palpal tibia of Platyspira scissa sp. nov., paratype. A–C prosoma, frontal, lateral and dorsal views; D chelicerae, frontal view. E‒F, palpal tibia, dorsal and prolateral view. Abbreviation: m––mastidion. A–C not to scale.

FIGURE 8. Details of male palp (A–D) and epigyne (E) of Platyspira scissa sp. nov., paratypes. A–B left palp, lateral view, different aspects; C‒D, embolic division, retrolateral and ventral, respectively; E epigyne, antero-ventral view. Abbreviations: bp––break point of embolus, e––embolus, dsa––distal suprategular apophysis, me––edge membrane of embolus, r––radix. B not to scale.

FIGURE 9. Collecting locality: Mt. Phoenix (A) and distribution records (B) of Doenitzius pruvus (dot) and Erigomicronus longembolus (diamond).