Putaoa huaping, Hormiga, Gustavo & Tu, Lihong, 2008

Hormiga, Gustavo & Tu, Lihong, 2008, On Putaoa, a new genus of the spider family Pimoidae (Araneae) from China, with a cladistic test of its monophyly and phylogenetic placement, Zootaxa 1792, pp. 1-21 : 5-11

Putaoa huaping new species ( Figs. 1-11 )

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition, taken from the type locality.

Types. Male holotype, Cujiang Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 850 m, N25.60338°, E109.90554°, coll. L. Tu, 3 Nov. 2007 (#1386; Deposited in California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CAS). Paratypes: 1 female (same data as holotype, CAS); 1 male, 8 females, Longtangjie Village, Cujiang Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 802 m, N25.60405°, E109.90138°, coll. K. Liu, 6 Nov. 2007 (#1372; Deposited in Capital Normal University, Beijing); 1 male, 1 female, Xietangwan Village, Cujiang Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 804 m, N25.60235°, E109.90889°, coll. K. Liu, 4 Nov.2007 (#1354; deposited at Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University); 2 females, Xietangwan Village, Cujiang Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 804 m, N25.60235°, E109.90889°, coll. K. Liu, 4 Nov. 2007 (#1354; deposited at American Museum of Natural History, New York).

Diagnosis: Males of P. huaping can be most easily distinguished from other pimoid species by a series of extremely large and robust macrosetae on the pedipalpal tibia ( Figs. 3 A, 5B, C, E); these macrosetae are thicker and more numerous than those of its sister species, P. megacanthus . The unique shape of the PEP, highly bifurcated, is also diagnostic ( Fig. 3 B, 6A-C, F). Females of P. huaping are diagnosed by the rather flat epigynum with lateral openings ( Figs. 4 A-C).

Description.

Male (holotype; Figs. 1 A-D; see also genus description). Total length 3.82. Cephalothorax 2.00 long, 1.7 wide, 1.15 high. Sternum 1.03 long, 1.00 wide. Abdomen 2.00 long, 1.68 wide. AME diameter 0.15. Clypeus height 1.48 times one AME diameter. Carapace with deep longitudinal fovea ( Figs. 1 A, D). Chelicerae with three prolateral and four retrolateral teeth; stridulatory striae absent ( Fig. 8 D). Legs annulated. Femur I 2.33 long, 1.17 times the length of cephalothorax. Metatarsus I trichobothrium 0.25. Metatarsus IV trichobothrium present. Pedipalp as in Figs. 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 A, B. Pedipalpal tibia with one prolateral and two retrolateral trichobothria.

Female (paratype, same locality as male; Figs. 2 B, C). Total length 3.92. Cephalothorax 2.00 long, 1.43 wide, 1.13 high. Sternum 1.00 long, 0.93 wide. Abdomen 2.45 long, 1.90 wide. AME diameter 0.16. Clypeus height 1.30 times one AME diameter. Chelicerae with five prolateral and four retrolateral teeth; stridulatory striae absent ( Fig. 9 B). Legs annulated. Femur I 2.13 long, 1.07 times the length of cephalothorax. Metatarsus I trichobothrium 0.26. Epigynum as in Figs. 2 D, E, 4A-C and 8E, F.

Variation. Male cephalothorax length ranges from 1.95 to 2.35 (n = 4). Female cephalothorax length ranges from 1.60 to 2.40 (n = 23). Male total length ranges from 3.70 to 4.25 (n = 4). Female total length ranges from 3.15 to 5.10 (n = 23).

Natural History. Putaoa huaping has been collected in native forests in China at altitudes between 700 and 1,000 m. Their webs are horizontal, thin and flat, built on the rock walls found on the side of mountain’s roads, usually covered by mosses. During day time the spiders normally hide under the adjacent mosses. Distribution. Known from the Guangxi province, in south China.

Additional specimens studied (all deposited in Capital Normal University, Beijing): 2 females, Mt. Maozhushan, Fuping Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 942 m, N25.60328°, E109.95941°, coll. L. Tu, 30 Oct. 2007 (#1310); 1 male, 1 female, Square-bamboo Forest, Hongtan Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 828 m, N25.60760°, E109.94751°, coll. L. Tu, 31 Oct. 2007 (#1314); 2 females, Xiaojialu Village, Hongtan Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 936 m, N25.60931°, E109.95181°, coll. L. Tu, 1 Nov. 2007 (#1340); 1 male, 1 female, Bijiahe River, Hongtan Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 932 m, N25.60876°, E109.94865°, coll. L. Tu, 1 Nov. 2007 (#1345); 1 female, Hongmaochong Village, Cujiang Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 688 m, N25.59757°, E109.90448°, coll. K. Liu, 5 Nov. 2007 (#1361); 1 male, 6 females, Cathaya argyrophylla Forest, Cujiang Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., alt. 992 m, N25.60403°, E109.91103°, coll. K. Liu, 7 Nov. 2007 (#1382).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Putaoa huaping new species. Male from Huaping National Nature Reserve. A, dorsal; B, ventral; C, anterior; D, prosoma, dorsal.

FIGURE 2. Putaoa huaping new species. Male (A) and female (B-E) from Huaping National Nature Reserve. A, lateral; B, dorsal; C, ventral; D, epigynum, ventral; E, caudal.

FIGURE 3. Putaoa huaping new species. Male pedipalp. A, ectal; B, ventral; C, dorsomesal (arrows point out to apical ends of pimoid embolic process). Scale bar, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Putaoa huaping new species. Epigynum. A, ventral; B, dorsal (cleared); C, ventral (cleared). Scale bar, 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Putaoa huaping new species. Male pedipalp. A, ectoventral (right point arrows indicate distal end of pimoid embolic process; left pointing arrow indicates pimoid cymbial sclerite); B, ectal; C, dorsoectal (left arrow points cymbial process; right arrow points pimoid cymbial sclerite); D, caudoventral; E, tibial macrosetae (note pore on macroseta at the center of image); F, paracymbium, pimoid cymbial sclerite and tibial macrosetae (arrow points to row of enlarged cymbial macrosetae).

FIGURE 6. Putaoa huaping new species. Male pedipalp. A, mesoapical (right pointing arrows indicate pimoid embolic process); B, apical; C, apicoventral (arrow points out to conductor); D, conductor and part of pimoid embolic process; E, dorsal; F, mesal (arrows indicate embolic process).

FIGURE 7. Putaoa huaping new species. Male. A, Prosoma, anterior; B, prosoma, dorsal; C, E, epiandrous fusules; D, eye region, anterodorsal; F, PLS with six aciniform spigots (right) and PMS with minor ampullate and two aciniform spigots (left).

FIGURE 8. Putaoa huaping new species. Male (A-D) and female (E-F). A, basoectal cymbial margin macrosetae (arrows point out to enlarged macrosetae basis); B, ectal cymbial process; C, cephalic region, lateral; D, chelicera, ectal; E, epigynum, caudal; F, epigynum, ventral.

FIGURE 9. Putaoa huaping new species. Female. A, prosoma, anterior; B, chelicera, ectal; C, left spinnerets; D, ALS; E, PMS; F, PLS.

FIGURE 10. Tracheal system of Putaoa huaping new species (female) after dissection and digestion with potassium hydroxide. A, general view; B, detail.

FIGURE 11. Collecting localities in China of Putaoa huaping new species (triangle; Guangxi Province) and Putaoa megacantha (circle; Sichuan Province).