Alcimochthes meridionalis, Tang, Guo & Li, Shuqiang, 2009

Tang, Guo & Li, Shuqiang, 2009, Three new crab spiders from Xishuangbanna Rainforest, southwestern China (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 2109, pp. 45-58 : 46-49

Alcimochthes meridionalis sp. nov.

Figs 1–3

Type material: Holotype: male, CHINA: Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla County, Menglun Town, Secondary tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (N21º54.813', E101º12.634', alt. 876 m), 5 August 2007, G. Zheng ( IZCAS, Zheng_sp1290). Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype ( IZCAS).

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the Latin adjective meridionalis and means southern, referring to the type localities in Yunnan, Southern China, adjective.

Diagnosis. This new species can be distinguished from Alcimochthes limbatus Simon, 1885 by first, the length of copulatory duct/spermatheca (1.0 vs. 2.0 in A. limbatus ); and second, the simple, spiniform embolus without a basal dent. It can be distinguished from A. melanophthalmus by the grayish white tubercles of the lateral eyes (black in A. melanophthalmus ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 4.00. Prosoma 1.80 long, 1.70 wide; opisthosoma 2.00 long, 1.40 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma yellowish brown, with sparse long setae. Lateral eyes tubercles large, continuous. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.19, PME 0.07, PLE 0.13, AME − AME 0.20, AME − ALE 0.17, PME − PME 0.26, PME − PLE 0.40. MOA 0.35 long, front width 0.38, back width 0.42. Chelicerae brown, gnathocoxae and labium yellow, sternum light yellow. Trochanter with 5−6 setae. Leg measurements: I: 6.30 (1.80, 2.20, 1.60, 0.70); II: 6.70 (2.00, 2.30, 1.70, 0.70); III: 3.70 (1.10, 1.50, 0.60, 0.50); IV: 4.00 (1.30, 1.50, 0.70, 0.50), formula 2, 1, 4, 3. Legs yellow with spines: Femora: I −IV dorsal 0-1- 1-1, I prolateral 0-0-1-1; II −IV prolateral 0-0-0-1. Patellae: I −II prolateral 1; I −IV dorsal 1 (weak)-1. Tibiae: I −IV dorsal 1-1, I −II pro- and retrolateral 1-1-1, ventral 2-0-2, III −IV dorsal, pro- and retrolateral 1-1. Metatarsi: I −II pro- and retrolateral 1-1-1; I −II ventral 2-2-2. Opisthosoma dorsum light yellow with grayish black marks, anterior edge with a row of setae, venter grayish white with a grayish black marking, margins grayish white.

Palp ( Figs 1 C–D, 3A–B). Palp with ventral, retrolateral tibial apophyses; ventral tibial apophysis digitiform; retrolateral tibial apophysis bifid proximately, lamella long, curved, bayonet-shaped; bulb without apophysis; embolus spiniform.

Female (paratype): Total length 4.50. Prosoma 2.20 long, 2.10 wide; opisthosoma 2.60 long, 1.80 wide. With darker body color and weaker spines compared to male. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.18, PME 0.10, PLE 0.14, AME − AME 0.29, AME − ALE 0.22, PME − PME 0.41, PME − PLE 0.51. MOA 0.39 long, front width 0.53, back width 0.61. Chelicerae brown, gnathocoxae and labium yellow, sternum light yellow. Trochanter with 5−6 setae. Legs yellow with many spines. Leg measurements: I: 5.80 (1.80, 2.30, 1.20, 0.50); II: 6.30 (2.00, 2.50, 1.20, 0.60); III: 4.60 (1.50, 1.70, 0.90, 0.50); IV: 4.70 (1.60, 1.70, 0.90, 0.50), formula 2143.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Alcimochthes meridionalis sp. nov. A – B male habitus (A dorsal, B frontal); C – D male palp (C ventral, D retrolateral). Scale bars: A – B = 1.0 mm; C – D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Alcimochthes meridionalis sp. nov. A – B habitus (A male lateral, B female dorsal); C Epigynum, ventral view; D Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: A – B = 1.0 mm; C – D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Alcimochthes meridionalis sp. nov. A – B left male palp (A ventral, B retrolateral); C. Epigynum, ventral view; D. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bar: A – D = 0.1 mm.