Sinoneta, Lin & Li, 2010

Lin, Yucheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2010, Leptonetid spiders from caves of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China (Araneae: Leptonetidae) 2587, Zootaxa 2587 (1), pp. 1-93 : 82-83

Sinoneta gen. nov.

Type species. Sinoneta notabilis sp. nov.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from the Greek word " Sina " (= Chinese) and "- neta " as part of the genus Leptoneta . Gender is feminine.

Diagnosis. Sinoneta gen. nov. may be recognized by the absence of PME, the pedipalpal tibia subequal to pedipalpal patella in length, the presence of a swollen tuber on base of pedipalpal tibia, the presence of largest and furcated tibial spur I, the complicated pedipalpal bulb and the large median apophysis.

Description. Dorsal shield of prosoma yellow. Cervical groove and furrows indistinct. Thoracic median groove present. 2 or 4 white eyespots. ALE and PLE arranged in a row, strongly recurved, PME absent. Cheliceral fang furrow with 8 promarginal and 4 or 5 retromarginal teeth. Sternum peltate. Legs long and thin. Leg formula: I-IV-II-III. A cluster of serrated hairs-comb on ventral base of metatarsi II and III respectively. Pedipalpal femur without strong spines, pedipalpal tibia subequal to pedipalpal patella in length. Tibia with modified strong spurs, of them tibial spur I largest, furcate distally and swollen at tibial base. Pedipalpal tarsus rugose, contracted mesially, attached an earlobe-shaped process retrolaterally. Pedipalpal bulb large and rugose area broad, prolateral lobe present, median apophysis sclerotized and multi-furcated distally. Female genitalia with a board atrium and a pair of kinkled spermathecae.

Composition. Sinoneta gen. nov. includes two species: S. notabilis sp. nov. and S. sexdigiti sp. nov., which occur in caves in Guizhou, southwestern China. The two new members are characterized by being three-clawed, haplogyne, the absence of PME, the vestigial ALE and PLE, the presence of a finely serrated hairs-comb on metatarsi II and III, the chelicerae bearing retrolateral stridulatory ridges and so forth. Apparently they represent a sister group of all other leptonetids yet belong to the family Leptonetidae . In addition, not only S. notabilis sp. nov. and S. sexdigiti sp. nov. have typical characters of the Leptonetidae , they also share the following synapomorphies: 1) the shorter pedipalpal tibia subequal to pedipalpal patella in length, 2) the presence of a proximal furcated large spur on pedipalpal tibia and apparently swollen at ventral base, 3) the developed median apophysis bearing multi-dents at apex. These synapomorphies shared by S. notabilis sp. nov. and S. sexdigiti sp. nov. distinguish the genus from all other leptonetid genera.

Distribution. Guizhou ( China).