Tmarus byssinus, Tang, Guo & Li, Shu-Qiang, 2009

Tang, Guo & Li, Shu-Qiang, 2009, The crab spiders of the Genus Tmarus from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 2223, pp. 48-68 : 49-51

Tmarus byssinus sp. nov.

Figs 1A – D , 2A – C , 3A – D

Type material: (all from CHINA, Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla County, Menglun Town, G. Zheng leg.): Holotype: male, secondary tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (N21º57.784', E101º11.947', alt. 895 m), 6 August 2007 (Zheng_sp329-1). Paratypes: 16 males, 11 females, same data as holotype; 6 males, rubber plantation (N21º54.463', E101º15.978', alt. 569 m), 21 July 2007; 4 males, 1 female, secondary tropical seasonal moist forest (N21º54.718', E101º16.940', alt. 645 m), 27 July 2007; 2 males, secondary tropical seasonal moist forest (N21º54.607', E101º17.005', alt. 633 m), 28 July 2007; 1 male, primary tropical seasonal rainforest (N21º57.445', E101º12.997', alt. 744 m), 30 July 2007; 3 males, 1 female, secondary tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (N21º57.809', E101º12.173', alt. 888 m), 4 August 2007; 10 males, 4 females, secondary tropical montane broad-leaved forest (N21º54.813', E101º12.634', alt. 876 m), 5 August 2007; 2 females, 4 juvenile, secondary tropical montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (N21º54.767', E101º11.431', alt. 880 m), 6 August 2007; 1 female, Paramichelia baillonii plantation (N21º54.200', E101º16.923', alt. 608 m), 18 August 2007.

Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin adjective byssinus and means filiform, refers to the shape of the embolus.

Diagnosis. The male of this new species is similar to T. menglae Song and Zhao, 1994 , but can be separated from the latter by: 1) tegulum without any apophysis vs. with a pair of sharp apophyses in T. menglae , 2) the ITA shorter than in T. menglae The female of this new species is similar to T. menglae , but can be separated from the latter by: the epigynum with an epigynal protuberance vs. with a longitudinal ridge in T. menglae .

Description. Male (holotype measured): Total length 5.60. Prosoma length 2.30, width 2.10; opisthosoma length 3.30, width 1.70. Prosoma brown with a large grayish brown “M”-shaped marking posteriorly. Eye tubercles grayish white. Eye measurements: AME 0.06; ALE 0.16; PME 0.09; PLE 0.14; AME–AME 0.26; AME–ALE 0.20; PME–PME 0.32; PME–PLE 0.40. MOA length 0.42 with front width 0.40 and back width 0.50. Chelicerae, gnathocoxae and sternum yellow, labium gray. Legs yellow. Leg measurements: I: 13.20 (3.80, 4.90, 3.10, 1.40); II: 13.10 (3.70, 4.90, 3.10, 1.40); III: 6.00 (1.90, 2.50, 1.00, 0.60); IV: 6.20 (2.00, 2.50, 1.00, 0.70). Leg formula: 1243. Opisthosoma dorsum grayish white with long setae and gray spots, venter gray.

Palp ( Figs 1B–D , 3A–B ). VTA beak-shaped; ITA small and attached to RTA, RTA with a peg like apex, tegulum flat, embolus slender.

Female (paratype, Zheng_sp329-2, measured): Total length 7.10. Prosoma length 2.80, width 2.70. Opisthosoma length 4.20, width 2.70. Prosoma grayish white with a large “M”-shaped marking posteriorly, opisthosoma dorsum markings more obscure than in male. Eye measurements: AME 0.07; ALE 0.16; PME 0.10; PLE 0.14; AME–AME 0.36; AME–ALE 0.24; PME–PME 0.46; PME–PLE 0.50. MOA length 0.42 with front width 0.50 and back width 0.68. Leg formula: 1243; leg measurements: I: 11.50 (3.50, 4.30, 2.50, 1.20); II: 11.40 (3.40, 4.30, 2.50, 1.20); III: 6.10 (2.00, 2.30, 1.00, 0.80); IV: 6.40 (2.20, 2.50, 1.00, 0.70). Opisthosoma dorsum grayish white with long setae, the posterior with 3 pairs of transversal grayish black stripes, venter light gray.

Epigynum ( Figs 2B–C , 3C–D ). Epigynum with a median epigynal protuberance, copulatory openings bilaterally, copulatory ducts slender and twisted, spermathecae small.

Variation. Total length: male, 4.80–5.80; female, 6.90–7.30. Copulatory ducts vary in shape and size.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Figures

FIGURES 1 A – D. Tmarus byssinus sp. nov. A Male habitus, dorsal view; B – D Male palp (B ventral, C prolateral, D retrolateral). Scale bars: A = 1.0 mm; B – D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 2 A – C. Tmarus byssinus sp. nov. A Female habitus, dorsal view; B Epigynum, ventral view; C Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: A = 1.0 mm; B – C = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 3 A – D. Tmarus byssinus sp. nov. A – B Left male palp (A ventral, B retrolateral); C Epigynum, ventral view; D Vulva, dorsal view. CO = copulatory opening; CD = copulatory ducts; E = embolus; EP = epigynal protuberance; ITA = intermedial tibial apophysis; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; S = spermatheca; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A – C = 0.1 mm.