Qianleptoneta multiseta, Chen & Jia & Wang, 2010

Chen, Hui-Ming, Jia, Qiang & Wang, Shi-Jie, 2010, A revision of the genus Qianleptoneta (Araneae: Leptonetidae), Journal of Natural History 44 (47 - 48), pp. 2873-2915 : 2892-2896

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222933.2010.512397
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B90520-FFF5-FFAB-FE6E-D8934041F569
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Qianleptoneta multiseta
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Qianleptoneta multiseta sp. nov.

( Figure 12– 14 View Figure 12 View Figure 13 View Figure 14 , 25E View Figure 25 )

Material

Holotype male. From Wengshuidadong Cave (26 ◦ 22 ′ N, 107 ◦ 18 ′ E, 1218 m asl), Yanxia town, Guiding county , Guizhou Province, 12 October 2007. GoogleMaps

Paratype. Three males and six females, same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis

The new species is distinguished from relatives by the male femur I thick, stout, curving, and with numerous stout spines at dorsal middle part ( Figure 12C View Figure 12 ); the median apophysis (M) transverse, speculate at apical part ( Figures 12A,B View Figure 12 , 25E View Figure 25 ); male palpal femur with numerous stout spines at dorsal endmost part ( Figure 12B View Figure 12 ).

Description

Male holotype. Total length 2.23. Carapace smooth, 1.05 long, 0.85 wide, height at fovea 0.62 times carapace width, yellowish; thoracic fovea brown, needle-shaped ( Figure 13A View Figure 13 ). Clypeus yellowish. Chelicerae 0.50 long, yellowish, with six teeth on promargin and five denticles on retromargin; six short setae on base ( Figure 12D View Figure 12 ). Entirely eyeless, two setae behind ocular area ( Figure 13A View Figure 13 ). Sternum 0.65 long, 0.63 wide, haired; labium 0.08 long, 0.18 wide, yellowish.

Leg formula: 1423. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total): I: 2.43 + 0.25 + 2.35 + 1.93 + 1.28 = 8.23; II: 2.18 + 0.33 + 2.20 + 1.63 + 1.00 = 7.33; III: 2.00 + 0.33 + 1.55 + 1.45 + 0.80 = 6.13; IV: 2.15 + 0.28 + 1.80 + 1.68 + 1.15 = 7.05. Leg yellowish, tibia I with rows of fine hairs on ventral surface; preening comb occurs ventroapically on the metatarsus of leg II and III.

Palpal coxae 0.55 long, 0.25 wide. Palpal measurements (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total): 0.55 + 0.20 + 0.28 + 0.35 = 1.38; the length of tibia 1.38 times that of patella. Palpal tibia with three dorsal trichobothria ( Figure 12A,B View Figure 12 ), five ventral spines in retrolateral view, and several gracile spines in prolateral ( Figure 12A,B View Figure 12 ). Tarsus dwindle distally, with relatively shallow AC in middle part, RA in adjacent apical part retrolaterally; retrolateral side with row of short setae on RA and at base part of tarsus; a group of long setae at apical part ( Figure 12A,B View Figure 12 ). Bulb suboval, without PL; M transverse, broad at base, spiculate at apical part ( Figures 12A,B View Figure 12 , 25E View Figure 25 ); PF transparent, thin strip-shaped ( Figure 12A,B View Figure 12 ).

Abdomen creamy yellow, without markings, haired, 1.03 long, 0.88 wide.

Female paratype. Total length 2.01. Carapace smooth, 0.95 long, 0.88 wide, height at fovea 0.77 times carapace width, yellowish; thoracic fovea brown, needle-shaped ( Figure 13C View Figure 13 ). Clypeus yellowish. Chelicerae 0.45 long, yellowish, with six teeth and two denticles on promargin of fang furrow and four denticles on retromargin; six short setae on base ( Figure 12E View Figure 12 ). Entirely eyeless, two setae behind ocular area ( Figure 13C View Figure 13 ). Sternum 0.70 long, 0.63 wide, haired; labium 0.10 long, 0.18 wide, yellowish.

Leg formula: 1423. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total): I: 2.35 + 0.38 + 2.43 + 1.63 + 1.25 = 8.02; II: 2.00 + 0.38 + 1.95 + 1.55 + 1.075 = 6.95; III: 2.08 + 0.38 + 1.65 + 1.53 + 1.08 = 6.70; IV: 1.85 + 0.35 + 2.10 + 1.75 + 1.10 = 7.15. Leg yellowish, preening comb occurs ventroapically on the metatarsus of leg II and III.

Palpal coxae 0.28 long, 0.25 wide. Palpal measurements (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total): 0.63 + 0.23 + 0.38 + 0.58 = 1.80.

Abdomen creamy yellow, without markings, haired, 1.35 long, 0.90 wide. Epigynal plate broadly triangular, simple ( Figure 12F View Figure 12 ); internal genitalia with a pair of spermathecae, coiled sperm duct, pair fan-shaped atria ( Figure 12G View Figure 12 ).

Distribution

The species is known only from the type locality ( Figure 2 View Figure 2 ).

Etymology

The specific name comes from Latin “ multiseta ” meaning “spinous”, referring to male femur I with numerous stout spines at dorsal middle part ( Figure 12C View Figure 12 ).

Level of cave adaptation

This species lives entirely in the dark parts of caves and has no functioning eyes and no pigmentation. Troglobitic species.

Natural history

Small spider generally restricted to moist karst caves. The web ( Figure 14A View Figure 14 ) is a rectangular, woven sheet, layered, about 12 cm in diameter along cave walls, rocks or base plate. Individuals hang beneath the sheet ( Figure 14B View Figure 14 ). Egg sacs ( Figure 14C View Figure 14 ) are white, globose about 1 mm in diameter, near the web. Spiders were found from the complete dark and constant-temperature zone. The cave is small, about 1.5 m high and 3 m wide, 100 m deep ( Figure 14D View Figure 14 ), belongs to the middle layer of the cave system in the middle stage.