Tmarus menglae Song and Zhao, 1994

Tang, Guo & Li, Shu-Qiang, 2009, The crab spiders of the Genus Tmarus from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 2223, pp. 48-68 : 59-62

Tmarus menglae Song and Zhao, 1994

Figs 6A–D , 7A–D , 8A – D

Tmarus menglae Song and Zhao, 1994: 113 , f. 1A– C. Song and Zhu, 1997: 49, f. 26A–C; Song et al., 1999: 500, f. 283H.

Material Examined: (all from CHINA, Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla County, Menglun Town, G. Zheng leg.): 1 male, 8 females, Paramichelia baillonii plantation (N21.54.772, E101.16.043, alt. 556 m), 18, 22 July 2007; 5 females, secondary tropical seasonal moist forest, (N21.54.718, E101.16.940, alt. 645 m), 27–28 July 2007; 1 female, secondary tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (N21.57.809, E101.12.173, alt. 888 m), 4 August 2007; 1 male, 2 females, Menglun, secondary tropical montane broad-leaved forest, (N21.54.813, E101.12.634, alt. 876 m), 5 August 2007; 1 male, 8 females, secondary tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (N21.54.767, E101.11.431, alt. 880 m), 6 August 2007; 3 females, Menglun, primary tropical seasonal rainforest (N21.57.669, E101.11.893, alt. 790 m), 7 August 2007; 1 female, primary tropical seasonal rainforest (N21.54.725, E101.13.261, alt. 734 m), 8 August 2007; 16 females, Menglun, secondary tropical seasonal moist forest (N21.54.984, E101.16.982, alt. 656 m), 10 August 2007; 1 male, Menglun, rubber plantation (N21.54.350, E101.16.461, alt. 614 m), 11 August 2007; 1 male, 1 femle, Paramichelia baillonii plantation (N21.54.200, E101.16.923, alt. 608 m), 18 August 2007.

Diagnosis. The female of this species is similar to T. undatus sp. nov. and T. byssinus sp. nov., but can be separated by the presence of a longitudinal epigynal ridge. The male palp of this species shows a unique forkshaped tegular apophysis which is not found in other congeneric members.

Description. Male (Zheng_sp772-1): Total length 5.20. Prosoma length 2.00, width 1.90; opisthosoma length 3.20, width 1.60. Prosoma brown with some long setae, the median with some grayish white stripes. Eye measurements: AME 0.05; ALE 0.15; PME 0.09; PLE 0.12; AME–AME 0.22; AME–ALE 0.18; PME– PME 0.30; PME–PLE 0.36. MOA length 0.38 with front width 0.34 and back width 0.46. Chelicerae, gnathocoxae, labium and sternum yellow. Legs yellow. Leg measurements: I: 12.80 (3.70, 4.70, 3.00, 1.40); II: 12.90 (3.70, 4.80, 3.00, 1.40); III: 5.60 (1.70, 2.20, 1.00, 0.70); IV: 5.70 (2.00, 2.00, 1.00, 0.70). Leg formula: 2143. Opisthosoma dorsum grayish white with some long setae, dorsum with some grayish black markings, venter gray.

Palp ( Figs 6B–D , 8A–B ). VTA digitiform, with curved apex; ITA sharp, spear-shaped; RTA large, welldeveloped, spear-shaped dorsally, with a ventrally translucent lamella and a strongly sclerotized apex; tegulum with 2 sharp spiniform apophyses; embolus filiform.

Female (Zheng_sp772-2): Total length 6.10. Prosoma length 2.20, width 2.20. Opisthosoma length 3.50, width 2.30. Body color darker than in male. Eye measurements: AME 0.08; ALE 0.20; PME 0.12; PLE 0.18; AME–AME 0.22; AME–ALE 0.20; PME–PME 0.30; PME–PLE 0.40. MOA length 0.44 with front width 0.38 and back width 0.56. Leg formula: 2143; leg measurements: I: 10.70 (3.20, 4.00, 2.30, 1.20); II: 10.60 (3.20, 4.00, 2.20, 1.20); III: 5.60 (1.80, 2.20, 0.90, 0.70); IV: 5.70 (2.00, 2.10, 0.90, 0.70). Opisthosoma dorsum grayish white with grayish black markings, the posterior with 3 pairs of transversal grayish brown stripes.

Epigynum ( Figs 7C–D , 8C–D ). Epigynum with a wide, longitudinal ridge, the anterior of which black; copulatory openings “W”-shaped; copulatory ducts wide, long, and twisted; spermathecae small. Variation. Total length: male, 5.00–5.40; female, 6.00–6.40. Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Figures

FIGURES 6 A – D. Tmarus menglae Song and Zhao, 1994. A Male habitus, dorsal view; B – D Male palp (B ventral, C prolateral, D retrolateral). Scale bars: A = 1.0 mm; B – D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 7 A – D. Tmarus menglae Song and Zhao, 1994. A – B Female habitus (A lateral view, B dorsal view); C Epigynum, ventral view; D Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: B = 1.0 mm; C – D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 8 A – D. Tmarus menglae Song and Zhao, 1994. A – B Left male palp (A ventral, B retrolateral); C Epigynum, ventral view; D Vulva, dorsal view. CO = copulatory opening; CD = copulatory ducts; E = embolus; ER = epigynal ridge; ITA = intermedial tibial apophysis; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; S = spermatheca; TA = tegular apophysis; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A – C = 0.1 mm.