Smodiscinodes schwendingeri Benjamin, 2002

Tang, Guo & Li, Shuqiang, 2010, Crab spiders from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China (Araneae, Thomisidae) 2703, Zootaxa 2703, pp. 1-105 : 58-59

Smodiscinodes schwendingeri Benjamin, 2002

Figs 42–45

Smodiscinodes schwendingeri Benjamin 2002: 4 , figs 1–4, ♂.

Material examined. CHINA: Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla County, Menglun Town , Menglun Nature Reserve , leg. G. Tang and Z.Y. Yao: 1 ♂, 2 juvenile ♀, Bamboo plantations near G213 roadside (N21º54.380', E101º16.815', 620 m), 21 November 2009 (Tang-Yao_No.17); 2 ♀, same locality as Tang-Yao_No.17, 22 November 2009 (627 m, Tang-Yao_No.19) .

Diagnosis. The female is very similar to S. kovaci Ono, 1993 , but can be separated from the latter by: large anteriorly situated hood, closed to copulatory openings (small hood, far from copulatory openings in S. kovaci ). The differences between this species and S. yaoi sp. nov. are discussed in the diagnosis of S. yaoi sp. nov.

Description. Female (Tang-Yao_No.19, described for the first time): Total length 6.30. Prosoma 1.45 long, 1.40 wide; opisthosoma 4.70 long, 2.30 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma dark brown, prosoma dorsally with a small crest. The crest with 4 projections, the 2 posterior ones bifurcate, distally each with a thick spine. Eye tubercles large; a large angle-shaped projection presents between ALE and PLE; clypeus with a white marking. Eye measurements: AME 0.10; ALE 0.22; PME 0.10; PLE 0.20; AME–AME 0.20; AME–ALE 0.15; PME–PME 0.40; PME–PLE 0.34. MOA length 0.58 with front width 0.38 and back width 0.61. Chelicerae, gnathocoxae, labium and sternum dark brown; chelicerae with one large and one small promarginal teeth. Legs slender, femora I–IV with grayish brown stripes laterally, femora II–IV each with 1 dorsal spine. Leg measurements: I: 6.40 (2.30, 2.30, 1.30, 0.50); II: 7.00 (2.50, 2.50, 1.50, 0.50); III: 5.90 (2.10, 2.00, 1.30, 0.50); IV: 6.90 (2.40, 2.30, 1.70, 0.50), leg formula: 2413. Opisthosoma dorsally blackish brown with grayish white markings; the later grayish white, venter brown.

Epigynum ( Figs 44 E–F, 45 D–E). Epigynum with an anteriorly situated hood, with nearby copulatory openings; copulatory ducts short; spermathecae with an anterior, large chamber and a posterior, small transparent chamber.

Male: Total length 3.10. Prosoma 1.25 long, 1.15 wide; opisthosoma 1.85 long, 0.95 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma dark brown with a grayish yellow crest. The ratio of length of crest / prosoma larger than in female. Eye measurements: AME 0.08; ALE 0.18; PME 0.07; PLE 0.16; AME–AME 0.14; AME–ALE 0.14; PME–PME 0.32; PME–PLE 0.28. MOA length 0.48 with front width 0.28 and back width 0.47. Chelicerae, gnathocoxae, labium dark brown, sternum yellowish brown with blackish brown rim; chelicerae with one large and one small promarginal teeth. Legs slender, light yellow with short hairs, femora I–IV with grayish brown stripes laterally, femur III with 1 dorsal spine. Leg measurements: I: 4.65 (1.60, 1.65, 0.90, 0.50); II: 5.05 (1.75, 1.80, 1.00, 0.50); III: 4.15 (1.40, 1.40, 0.95, 0.40); IV: 4.67 (1.55, 1.60, 1.10, 0.42), leg formula: 2413. Opisthosoma dorsally grayish black with some white markings; venter blackish brown.

Palp ( Figs 43 A–D, 45 A–C). Palp dark brown, cymbium with a large tutaculum and a dorsal outgrowth (DO); VTA large digitiform, RTA bifurcate, with a large dorsal ramus, RTA covered by tutaculum in ventral view; tegulum flat, embolus small spiniform.

Variation: Total length: ♀ 5.40–6.30 (n=2).

Distribution. China (Yunnan), Thailand.

Habitat. Our specimens were collected from dense bamboo forest, green forests and bushes.

Remarks. The distance of the type locality of S. schwendingeri (Chiang Mai Province, Thailand) to Xishuangbanna is 425 km.