Merizocera wenshan Li, 2020

Chang, Wan-Jin, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2020, Twenty-eight new species of the spider genus Merizocera Fage, 1912 (Araneae, Psilodercidae) from South and Southeast Asia, ZooKeys 961, pp. 41-118 : 41

Merizocera wenshan Li sp. nov. Figures 45 , 46 , 53

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), near Daweishan National Nature Reserve (22°54.65'N, 103°41.78'E, elevation 2070 m), Pingbian County, Wenshan, Yunnan, China, 21 May 2015, Z. Chen and Y. Li leg. Paratypes: 3 females (IZCAS), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Males resemble M. wui sp. nov. but can be distinguished by a broad embolus (Fig. 45B ) (vs. narrow and thin embolus (Fig. 47B )), absence of a conductor (vs. presence of a short conductor (Fig. 47B )), a short and wide cymbium protrusion (Fig. 45D ) (vs. long and thin cymbium protrusion (Fig. 47D )), and a pyriform bulb (Fig. 45B ) (vs. spherical bulb (Fig. 47B )). Females can be distinguished by a pair of upright tubular spermathecae (Fig. 46A ) (vs. a pair of angled clavate spermathecae (Fig. 48A )).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.28; carapace 0.62 long, 0.51 wide; abdomen 0.67 long, 0.58 wide. Carapace circular, brown, with dark brown radiating marks (Fig. 46C ). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus and labium dark brown. Sternum brown but dark brown laterally. Abdomen ovoid, dark brown. Legs light brown; measurements: I 3.45 (0.91, 0.22, 1.01, 0.80, 0.51), II missing, III 2.52 (0.67, 0.19, 0.65, 0.58, 0.43), IV 3.62 (0.94, 0.20, 1.05, 0.84, 0.59). Palp (Fig. 45A-D ): femur slender, four times longer than patella; patella not swollen; tibia not swollen; cymbium with distal protrusion, half as long as femur; bulb pale yellow, pyriform with embolus merging distally; embolus clavate with blunt tip, similar in length to and approx. thrice narrower than tegular; conductor absent.

Female (paratype). Similar to male in colouration and general features but slightly larger (Fig. 46D, E ). Measurements: total length 1.34; carapace 0.63 long, 0.55 wide; abdomen 0.71 long, 0.57 wide. Leg measurements: I 3.20 (0.81, 0.20, 0.95, 0.71, 0.53), II 2.78 (0.71, 0.22, 0.77, 0.60, 0.48), III 2.42 (0.63, 0.18, 0.63, 0.57, 0.41), IV 3.45 (0.87, 0.20, 1.04, 0.78, 0.56). Epigastric area (Fig. 46B ): dark brown semi-circular patch. Endogyne (Fig. 46A ) with a pair of anteriorly directed tubular spermathecae, ratio of the width of a spermatheca to the interdistance of spermathecae 1:5.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (China; Fig. 53 ).

Figures

Figure 45. Merizocera wenshan sp. nov., holotype male. A Bulb, dorsal view B bulb, dorsal view C palp, prolateral view D palp, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: CP = cymbial protrusion, EM = embolus.

Figure 46. Merizocera wenshan sp. nov., holotype male and paratype female. A Endogyne, dorsal view B female epigastric area, ventral view C male habitus, dorsal view D female habitus, dorsal view E female habitus, ventral view. Abbreviation: SP = spermatheca.

Figure 47. Merizocera wui sp. nov., holotype (A, C, D) and paratype (B) male. A Bulb, dorsal view B bulb, prolateral view C palp, prolateral view D palp, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: CO = conductor, CP = cymbial protrusion, EM = embolus.

Figure 48. Merizocera wui sp. nov., holotype male and paratype female. A Endogyne, dorsal view B female epigastric area, ventral view C male habitus, dorsal view D female habitus, dorsal view E female habitus, ventral view. Abbreviation: SP = spermatheca.

Figure 53. Distribution records of the new species of Merizocera from China and Myanmar. 1 M. baoshan sp. nov. 2 M. hponkanrazi sp. nov. 3 M. kachin sp. nov. 4 M. lincang sp. nov. 5 M. mainling sp. nov. 6 M. nyingchi sp. nov. 7 M. putao sp. nov. 8 M. tengchong sp. nov. 9 M. wenshan sp. nov. 10 M. wui sp. nov. 11 M. yuxi sp. nov.