Bannaella tibialis sp. nov.

Figs 4–6

Type material. Holotype: Male, CHINA: Yunnan Province, Mengla County, Menglun Nature Reserve, from canopy of the secondary tropical seasonal moist forest, 21°54.718ʹ N, 101°16.940ʹ E, alt. 645± 17m, 27 July 2007, G. Zheng leg. Paratypes: 3 males and 7 females, same data as for holotype; 3 females, Menglun Nature Reserve, 21°5 4.607ʹ N, 101°17.005ʹ E, alt. 633± 17 m, 28 July 2007, G. Zheng leg.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the wide and broad DTA; adjective.

Diagnosis. Females of the new species differ from B. sinuata sp. nov. (Figs 2–3) by the shorter and less convoluted copulatory ducts and the prominent spermathecae. Males can be distinguished from those of other Dictynidae by the presence of a broad DTA, the absence of a RTA (Figs 4 B–C, 5E–F), the modified cymbial base and the simple, small conductor apex (Figs 4 A–C, 5D–F).

Description. Male. Total length 1.35–1.55. Holotype (Figs 5 A–C): total length 1.50. Prosoma 0.68 long, 0.55 wide; opisthosoma 0.79 long, 0.57 wide. ALE 0.085, PME 0.077, PLE 0.072; ALE–ALE 0.033, PME–PME 0.048, PME–PLE 0.020. Clypeus (distance between front margin of carapace and ALE) very narrow, smaller than the radius of ALE. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: I 1.65 (0.48, 0.59, 0.34, 0.24), II 1.39 (0.43, 0.48, 0.28, 0.20), III 1.05 (0.34, 0.34, 0.21, 0.16), IV 1.36 (0.45, 0.47, 0.27, 0.17). Leg formula: 1243. Calamistrum indistinct. Cribellum narrow and undivided.

Male palp (Figs 4 A–C, 5D–F) with broad, large and flat DTA, which dorsal margin slightly curved to retrolateral side. The cymbial base modified to a pit retrolaterally and dorsally, with 5 tiny tubercles retrolaterally. Embolus slender, originating prolaterally, curved along the margin of the tegulum and lying in a groove of broad conductor. Conductor with a short distal arm for accommodating the embolus and tip located near the mid-part of tibia.

Female. Total length 1.40–1.60. One female paratype (Figs 6 A–C): total length 1.52. Prosoma 0.60 long, 0.52 wide; opisthosoma 0.98 long, 0.68 wide. ALE 0.070, PME 0.063, PLE 0.079; ALE–ALE 0.024, PME–PME 0.040, PME–PLE 0.025. Leg measurements: I 1.45 (0.46, 0.53, 0.27, 0.19), II 1.16 (0.39, 0.40, 0.21, 0.16), III 0.95 (0.33, 0.31, 0.17, 0.14), IV 1.24 (0.44, 0.42, 0.24, 0.14). Leg formula: 1423. Cribellum more distinct than that of male, calamistrum consisting of 6 setae on a weakly angled ridge.

Epigyne (Figs 4 D–E, 6D–E) with anteriorly located, slit-like copulatory openings. Copulatory ducts moderately S-shaped. Spermathecae nearly cone-shaped, with wide base laterally. Fertilization ducts close to each other, pointing anterior-laterally.

Distribution. Known only from the rainforest canopy of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China.