Tetragnatha laochenga Barrion

Alberto T. Barrion, Aimee Lynn A. Barrion-Dupo, Josie Lynn A. Catindig, Sylvia C. Villareal, Ducheng Cai, Qianhua Yuan & Kong Luen Heong, 2016, NEW SPECIES OF SPIDERS (ARANEAE) FROM HAINAN ISLAND, CHINA, UPLB Museum Publications in Natural History 3, pp. 1-103 : 32-33

Tetragnatha laochenga Barrion , Barrion-

Dupo & Heong, new species [ Figure 35 A-F]

FEMALE. Holotype female, exclusive of chelicerae 3.80mm. Cephalothorax length 1.35mm, width 0.90 mm. Abdomen length 2.40mm, width 1.10mm.

Carapace. Yellowish green to pale yellow with black eye margins and whitish yellow spot anterior of fovea, 1.5x longer than wide. Cephalic nearly parallel-sided, 0.75x width of thoracic area. Chelicerae yellow, relatively short projected downwards, stout at midlength. Promargin bears six teeth and retromargin has three teeth. Maxillae yellow, 1.5x longer than wide at its broadest apical one-third, apical margin with a convex brown serrula. Labium almost as long as wide, rebordered basal half yellowish brown forming a transverse plate, and triangular apical half yellow. Sternum yellow, moderately convex and clothed with light yellow brown and erect hairs, 1.25x longer than wide.

Eyes. In two recurved rows of four each, AER slightly longer than PER(0.54: 0.49 mm). Median ocular quadrangle has anterior width slightly broader than posterior width and height (0.26:0.21: 0.23 mm). Eye diameter (mm.): AME (0.10)>PME (0.09)>PLE (0.07)> ALE (0.06). Eye separation (mm): PME-PLE

(0.14)> AME-ALE=PLE-ALE (0.11)> PME-PME

(0.09)> AME-AME (0.06). Clypeus height slightly longer than one AME diameter.

Legs. Yellowish to pale yellowish brown, long and slender with gray anterior ends of metatarsi I-IV and apical half of tarsi I and II. Long ventral spines present in tibiae I-IV and subbasolateral sides of metatarsi I-IV. Spination in femur I 0-0-2-2, II 0-0- 0-1, and III= IV 1 -0-0-0; patella I-IV each with anterior and posterior spines; tibia I 2-6 R/7L-0-0, II 1 -6 -0-0, III 1-2 -0-0 and IV 2-4 -0-0; metatarsus I and II 0-0-1-1 and III= IV 1 -0-0-1. Femur I as long as tibia I. Femur I and II each with 7-8 long and erect ventral bristles. Femur IV and metatarsus II subequal in length. Tarsus I as long as tibia III. Leg formula 1243.

Abdomen. Uniformly green, 2.18x longer than wide, broadest and highest at midlength. Ventrally bulge formed by the convex epigynal fold viewed laterally. Spinnerets yellow, located on posterior tip of abdomen.

Epigynal fold extended to apical one-third of abdominal length with brachial operculum openings borne in the middle between the tip of fold and anterior end of abdomen.

MALE. Unknown.

Material Examined. Holotype female (coll. no. H55-2012), CHINA, Hainan Island, Laocheng, 24 April 2012, ATBarrion, JLACatindig and SCVillareal.

Diagnostic Features. This new species is very similar to T. squamata Karsch, 1879 but differs from the latter in (1) shorter leg segments, length of spines and spination, (2) femur I as long as tibia I, (3) cheliceral dentation having fewer number of teeth, (4) bulge of epigynal fold closer to abdominal midlength, and (5) eye diameter and separation.

Biological Notes. The female was caught from a rice leaf guarding her egg cocoon, 5mm long and 5.2 mm wide, covered on top by dirty white silk and on the periphery are the remnants of the female diet eaten while guarding the eggs. The remnants of the prey are heads of rice leaffolder, Marasmia spp. ( Pyralidae ), exuviae of Micraspis pupa ( Coccinellidae ), and lymantriid larvae ( Lymantriidae ). An additional thin white cocoon tunnel appears on one side of the cocoon perhaps used for retreat or escape. About 30 eggs were found in one egg cocoon.

Etymology. Named after type locality.

Figures

Figure 35 A-F. Tetragnatha laochenga Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong, new species, holotype female (A), eyes (B), tibia I (C), tibial spines (D), chelicera showing teeth (E) and genital fold (F).