Spheropistha xinhua Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong

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 : 39

44. Spheropistha xinhua Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong , new species [ Figure 44 A-D]

FEMALE. Holotype female, total length 3.90 mm. Cephalothorax length 1.40 mm, width 0.70 mm., height 0.80 mm. Abdomen length 2.70 mm., width 2.10 mm., height 2.09 mm.

Carapace. Reddish brown with a black U-shaped band posterior and lateral margins of thoracic area, widest at midlength and narrowest at eye area. Foveal area elevated and hump-like forming three divisions of carapace viewed laterally. Chelicerae brownish red, triangular frontally with a broad base and acute anterior. Pedipalp brownish yellow except dark brown tarsus. Maxillae, labium and sternum brownish red. Maxillae nearly parallel-sided and slightly converging apicoretrolaterally. Sternum convex in lateral view, dorsally heart-shaped and 1.5x longer than wide with edges darker than the median area.

Eyes. In two rows of four, recurved AER slightly shorter than the procurved PER. Eye diameter (mm.): AME (0.11)> ALE (0.09)> PME (0.07)> PLE (0.06). Lateral eyes closer to each other than to the median eyes. Clypeus height wide, 1.89x AME diameter.

Legs. Moderately long compared to the size of cephalothorax, yellowish brown except black apical half of femur I, tibia I, venter of patella III, entire tibia and metatarsus III, dorsal tip of femur IV, entire patella , tibia, metatarsus and tarsus of leg IV. Tibia II brown except yellowish red ventral basal one-third. Legs I-IV without spines. Leg formula 1423.

Abdomen. Oblongate with spinnerets nearly located on anterior one-third of abdominal venter viewed laterally. Abdomen bears a blackish brown T-band medially with subglobose lateral band on each side. Posterior end blunt and broadly black.

Epigynum is a simple black spot in uncleared state, eventually shows two rounded spermathecae when cleared. Spermathecae shortly elongate with parallel-sided fertilization ducts originating posteroretrolaterally.

MALE. Unknown.

Material Examined. Holotype female (coll. no. Xh 1), CHINA, Hainan Island, Xincun town, Xinhua village, 3 April 2011, ATBarrion, JLA Catindig and SCVillareal. Paratype 1 immature, same data as for holotype.

Diagnostic Features: This species resembles the abdominal markings of Spheropistha miyashitai (Tanikawa, 1998) . It can be separated from the latter in terms of (1) body size, (2) color pattern, (3) shape of the carapace both dorsally and laterally, (4) position of the spinnerets, and (5) epigynal structure.

Figures

Figure 44 A-D. Spheropistha xinhua Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong, new species, holotype female (A), ventral (B) and dorsal (C) views of epigynum, and spermathecae (D).