Sinoderces aiensis Li & Li sp. nov. Figs 15, 16, 21, 22

Types.

Holotype: ♂, Ai Cave, Baoyou Village, Qicha Town, Changjiang li autonomous County, Hainan Province, China. 19°6.068'N, 109°1.200'E, 125 m, 18.XII. 2014, Zhao Z. and Shao L. leg. Paratypes: 1♂2♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the name of the cave; adjective.

Diagnosis.

Sinoderces aiensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other known species by the light-colored bulb, a curved conductor with a slightly curved tip (Fig. 15) and an embolus shaped like the Nike swoosh logo (Fig. 15B, C). There is a finger-like projection at the junction of the tarsus and the tibia. Females may be recognized by the antler-like spermathecae (Fig. 16A).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.31; carapace 0.54 long, 0.50 wide; abdomen 0.77 long, 0.43 wide. Carapace round, light yellow, with darker yellow margins and a narrow, dark yellow median line behind ocular area (Fig. 16E). Clypeus and chelicerae yellow. Cheliceral promargin with one tooth, followed by a lamina, retromargin with one small tooth (Fig. 21H). Endites and labium dark yellow. Sternum yellow. Legs light yellow. Leg measurements: I missing, II missing, III missing, IV 4.14 (1.10, 0.20, 1.20, 1.20, 0.44). Abdomen elongated, gradually darkens from anterior to posterior (Fig. 16E). Spinnerets dark yellow.

Male palp (Fig. 15): The palp is almost light yellow. Bulb light, ovate; conductor with a slightly curved tip and the embolus like the Nike swoosh logo. Tibia with a stout apical protrusion, the protrusion with many bristles (Fig. 15B). Oval femur with hairs.

Female (one of the paratypes). Similar to male in light color and general features (Fig. 16C, D) but bigger than males. Total length 1.48; carapace 0.53 long, 0.63 wide; abdomen 0.95 long, 0.63 wide. Carapace yellow. Clypeus and chelicerae dark yellow. Endites and labium dark yellow. Sternum yellow. Legs light yellow. Leg measurements: I 5.36 (1.41, 0.16, 1.72, 1.38, 0.69), II missing, III missing, IV 5.03 (1.31,0.16, 1.59, 1.31, 0.66). Abdomen elongated, gradually darkens from front to back (Fig. 16 C, D). Spinnerets dark yellow.

Epigyne (Fig. 16A, B): Dark yellow, with two hair tufts (16 B). Two pairs of spermathecae that resemble antlers. (Fig. 16A).

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 22).

Natural history.

Collected from a cave at an elevation of 125 m.