Putaoa, 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 : 4-5

Putaoa New Genus

Type species: Putaoa huaping new species

Etymology: Derived from pu tao, grape in Chinese (using Pinyin as a system of representation of Standard Mandarin), analogous to how Weintrauboa is derived from the name Weintraub which in turn comes from the German word for grape (weintraube). The ending – oa follows that of other genera in the family Pimoidae . Putaoa is an undeclinable name and feminine in gender.

Diagnosis. Males of Putaoa species differ from other pimoids in having distinctively large macrosetae on the pedipalpal tibia and/or cymbium and by the absence of typical cuspules such as those found in Pimoa species. In addition, Putaoa species lack a median apophysis, have a relatively short embolus and the metatarsus I is unmodified (while sinuous in the males of most Weintrauboa species). Females are diagnosed by their relatively flat epigynum with lateral openings and medial fertilization ducts (the female of P. megacantha remains undescribed).

Description. Small to medium sized pimoid spiders, total length 3.70–4.27 in males, 3.15–4.25 in females (note that only the females of P. huaping are known). Carapace longer than wide, 1.95–2.35 long in males, 1.60–2.40 in females, with clearly discernable thoracic fovea ( Figs. 1 A, D). Sternum longer than wide, pointed in posterior region, slightly projecting between coxae IV ( Fig. 1 B). AME fairly close together, roughly similar in diameter to the rest ( Fig. 1 C); LE juxtaposed. Clypeus height 1.30-1.60 times an AME diameter. Chelicerae large ( Fig. 1 C, 7A), with three or four prolateral and three or four retrolateral teeth in males and with five prolateral and four retrolateral teeth in females; stridulatory striae absent ( Figs. 8 D, 9B). Legs slightly longer and slender in adult male; legs with dark annuli in both sexes. Femur I (male/female) 1.17-1.65/1.07 times the length of cephalothorax. Tibia I-IV with two dorsal spines. Trichobothrium metatarsus I 0.25-0.32; trichobothrium metatarsus IV present. Leg autospasy at patella-tibia junction. Abdomen ovoid, longer than wide, dark brown/gray with lighter marks and some guanine spots ( Figs. 1 A, 2B). Colulus large and fleshy, with setae. Spinnerets (studied in one male and one female of P. huaping ) typical of a “linyphioid” ( Hormiga 1994a, b)( Figs. 7 F, 9C-F). ALS with ca. 30 piriform spigots. PMS with two aciniform spigots between the cylindrical and the minor ampullate spigot. PLS with four to six aciniform spigots between cylindrical spigots; base of the peripheral cylindrical spigot larger than base of distal one. Flagelliform and aggregate spigots (the so-called “araneoid triplet”) are well developed in females ( Fig. 9 F), reduced to nubbins in adult males. Epiandrous fusules arranged linearly along posterior margin of epigastric furrow, most of them in groups of two to four fusules emerging from a common circular pit ( Figs. 7 C, E). Tracheal system morphology haplotracheate, consisting of two lateral tubes and two shorter medial ones ( Fig. 10 A, B). Female pedipalp with tarsal claw. Male pedipalp with large macrosetae on tibia and/or cymbium and without typical cuspules. Cymbium with an ectal marginal process. Paracymbium heavily sclerotized, linguiform and continuous with distally concave pimoid cymbial sclerite and connected to base of the cymbium by means of a membrane. Conductor tongue-like and without papillae, in a relatively apical position on the tegulum, narrowly connected to tegular cuticle, (in P. huaping the conductor is located at the edge of an apical region that is relatively less sclerotized than the rest of the tegular cuticle; Figs. 3 A-C, 6A-D). Median apophysis absent. Pimoid embolic process of varying morphology (see species descriptions and diagnoses for details). Embolus non filiform, relatively short, without embolic flap. Epigynum protruding less than its width, with lateral openings and medially oriented fertilization ducts ( Figs. 4 A-C).

Phylogenetics. The monophyly of Putaoa is supported by the following four unambiguous synapomorphies: large and long macrosetae on cymbium and on male pedipalpal tibiae (characters 4 and 41), absence of a median apophysis (character 23) and the relatively short embolus (character 27). The sister group of Putaoa is the genus Weintrauboa .

Natural History. See under Putaoa huaping new species.

Composition. Two species, Putaoa huaping new species and P. megacantha ( Xu & Li, 2007) new combination.

Distribution. Known from the Guangxi and Sichuan provinces of China (see map in Fig. 11 ).

Figures

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

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 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).