Crassignatha yinzhi Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009

Miller, Jeremy, Griswold, Charles & Yin, Chang, 2009, The symphytognathoid spiders of the Gaoligongshan, Yunnan, China (Araneae: Araneoidea): Systematics and diversity of micro-orbweavers, ZooKeys 11 (11), pp. 9-195 : 71-72

Crassignatha yinzhi Miller, Griswold & Yin , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D97E4962-C41A-4EEA-971B-1FABB5F3490A

Figs 72E , 76 C-D, 78 E, 79 C-D, 80-82 , 98

Material Examined. Holotype: CHINA: Yunnan: Longling Co., Longjiang Township, Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve , 1.2 km SSE of Route S317 at km 23.5, 24.82888°N, 98.76001°E, 2020 m, 27-28 May 2005, good primary broadleaf forest, dusting webs in understory, C. Griswold, CGY128 (CASENT 9029322, HNU), 1 ♁.

Paratypes: [same data as holotype] (CASENT 9029342, PV - 1st set, CAS), 2 ♀ ; [same data as holotype] (CASENT 9022375, CAS), 2 ♁, 5 ♀ ; [same data as holotype] (CASENT 9022376, HNU), 5 ♀ ; Longling Co., Longjiang Township, Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve , 1.2 km SSE of Route S317 at km 23.5, 24.82888°N, 98.76001°E, 2020 m, 28 May 2005, good primary broadleaf forest, night collecting, C. Griswold, D. Kavanaugh, CGY129 (CASENT 9022354, HNU), 1 ♁, 1 ♀ ; [same data] (CASENT 9022170, CAS), 2 ♀ ; Longling Co., Longjiang Township, Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve , 1.2 km SSE of Route S317 at km 23.5, 24.82888°N, 98.76001°E, 2020 m, 26 May 2005, good primary broadleaf forest, night collecting, C. Griswold, D. Kavanaugh, CGY127 (CASENT 9022396, HNU), 1 ♀ .

Etymology. Formed from the Chinese words for long (yǏn) and straight (zhí), referring to the shape of the terminal apophysis in the male palp.

Diagnosis. Male distinguished from other Crassignatha species except C. ertou by the long, rigid embolus with a strong kink about 1/3 its length from the origin (Figs 81A, 82C); distinguished from C. ertou by the longer embolus with fewer helical turns and by the lack of a pair of bumps on abdomen.

Female distinguished from other Crassignatha species except C. quanqu by the distal lobe of the scape, which is more narrow than and projects well beyond the basal lobe ( Figs 76D , 79 C-D); other Crassignatha species either have the lobes not well differentiated or they are the same width ( Fig. 79A ); distinguished from C. quanqu by the orientation of the scape, projecting posteroventrally in C. yinzhi ( Figs 79D , 80B ), ventrally in C. quanqu ( Figs 76F , 79F ), and elements of somatic morphology including abdomen color and shape, and the more distinct division between the cephalic and thoracic regions in C. yinzhi (contrast Fig. 80B with Fig. 83B ).

Description. Carapace dark orange-brown with small tubercles and sulci. Sternum dark brown. Legs orange, femora I and II slightly swollen basally in female. Abdomen subtriangular, distinctly taller than long, dark gray, with numerous small sclerotized patches, some baring long setae, male with single orange scutum laterally and posteriorly, female with small sclerite around spinnerets ( Fig. 80 ).

Male palp: Median apophysis with two tapered processes arising distally and ventrally. Embolus long, rigid, and tapered, making a single turn (Figs 81A, 82C).

Vulva : Scape projects posteroventrally ( Fig. 80B ), with narrow distal lobe on wider basal lobe ( Figs 76D , 79C ). Spermathecae separated by 3/4 their diameter. Ducts arise from mesal part of spermathecae, follow complex path mostly posterior to spermathecae before reaching openings near apex of scape ( Fig. 76D ).

Male (CASENT 9022375): Total length 0.92, carapace 0.42 long, 0.40 wide, clypeus 0.14, sternum 0.29 long, 0.26 wide, coxa IV separated by 2.07 times their width. Leg I: patella d1, tibia d2, metatarsus unmodified; Leg II: patella d1, tibia d2, v4, metatarsus excavated proximoventrally; Leg III: patella d1, tibia d1; Leg IV: patella d1, tibia d1. Metatarsal trichobothria: TmI: 0.45; TmII: 0.42; TmIII: absent. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Female (CASENT 9022375): Total length 1.27, carapace 0.32 long, 0.27 wide, clypeus 0.12, sternum 0.32 long, 0.29 wide, coxa IV separated by 2.00 times their width. Leg I: patella d1, tibia d2; Leg II: patella d1, tibia d2; Leg III: patella d1, tibia d1; Leg IV: patella d1, tibia d1. Metatarsal trichobothria: TmI: 0.40; TmII: 0.44; TmIII: absent. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Natural History. This species builds a horizontal orb web ( Fig. 72E ).

Figures

Figure 72. Webs of symphytognathid spiders. A, Patu jidanweishi sp. n., female from Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve; B, Patu jidanweishi sp. n., male from Pianma; C, D, Crassignatha pianma sp. n., female from Chang Yan He; E, Crassignatha yinzhi sp. n., female from Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve.

Figure 76. A, B, Crassignatha pianma sp. n. from Chang Yan He; C, D, Crassignatha yinzhi from Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve; E-G, Crassignatha quanqu sp. n. from Bang Bie village; H, I, Crassignatha yamu sp. n. from Yamu He. A, F, epigynum, lateral view; B, D, G, I, cleared vulva, dorsal view; C, E, H, epigynum, ventral view. CD: copulatory duct; S: spermatheca.

Figure 78. SEM. A-D, Crassignatha pianma sp. n. from Chang Yan He; E, Crassignatha yinzhi from Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve; F, Crassignatha quanqu sp. n. from Bang Bie village. A, female chelicera removed from prosoma, note single asymetrically bifid tooth; B, labrum, anterior, female; C, labrum, lateral, female; D, male metatarsus-tarsus joint, arrow indicates tarsal organ; E, epiandrous region; F, prosoma, lateral, male. Arrows in B and C indicate maximum extension of labrum.

Figure 79. SEM, epigynum. A, B, Crassignatha pianma sp. n. from Chang Yan He; C, D, Crassignatha yinzhi from Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve; E, F, Crassignatha quanqu sp. n. from Bang Bie village. A, C, E, ventral; B, D, F, lateral, anterior to the right. BL: basal lobe of scape; DL: distal lobe of scape.

Figure 80. Crassignatha yinzhi from Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve. A, male, lateral; B, female, lateral; C, female, dorsal; D, female, ventral; E, male leg II, prolateral.

Figure 82. Crassignatha yinzhi from Xiao Hei Shan Nature Reserve, SEM of male. A, palp, prolateral; B, palp, retrolateral; C, palp, prolateral, detail; D, palp, dorsal; E, prosoma, lateral; F, prosoma, anterior, dorsal to the left. CB: cymbium; CT: cymbial tooth; E: embolus; EM: embolic membrane; MA: median apophysis; T: tegulum; TI: tibia; PA: patella.

Figure 83. Crassignatha quanqu sp. n. from Bang Bie village. A, male, lateral; B, female, lateral; C, female, dorsal; D, female, ventral; E, male leg II, prolateral.

Figure 98. Distribution map, inset map shows study area. White: Simaoa maku sp. n.; blue: Simaoa bianjing sp. n.; red: Gaoligonga changya sp. n.; yellow:Gaoligonga zhusun sp. n.; orange: Crassignatha pianma sp. n.; purple: Crassignatha yinzhi sp. n.