Pristidia ramosa Yu, Sun & Zhang, 2012

Yu, Hao, Zhang, Jianshuang & Chen, Jian, 2017, Taxonomy of the genus Pristidia Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 (Araneae: Clubionidae) in China, Zootaxa 4306 (3), pp. 411-418 : 413-416

Pristidia ramosa Yu, Sun & Zhang, 2012

Figs 9–17

Pristidia ramosa Yu, Sun & Zhang, 2012: 45 , f. 1–16. (male holotype; 6 male and 2 female paratypes from China, Jiangxi Province, Mt. Jinggang )

Clubiona expansa Huang & Chen, 2012: 55 , f. 15A–G. (male holotype; 1 male and 1 female paratypes from China, Taiwan Province, New Taipei City). Syn. N.

Material examined. CHINA: Taiwan, New Taipei City, District Pinglin (24o55’55.78"N, 121°42′41.10"E, 210m), 19 July 2013, F. Liu and W.Gan leg., 1 male (HUBU-TW- 130177) and 1 female (HUBU-TW- 130178) ; Guizhou, Mt. Fanjing, Taiping village (24o55’55.78"N, 121o42’41.10"E, 634m), 24 May 2015, M. Yan and J.Li leg., 1 female (HUBU-GZ- 150249) .

Diagnosis. Pristidia ramosa can be easily distinguished from P. cervicornuta sp. nov. by the embolus distinctly longer, the presence of basal teeth on the RTA, RTA expanded, with a blunt tip, and by the absence of TA ( Figs 13, 14 ). Yu, Sun & Zhang (2012: 45) highlighted the differences of this species from P. prima .

Description. See Yu, Sun & Zhang (2012).

Intraspecific variation. There is almost no difference between the male from Taiwan (HUBU-TW- 130177, Figs 10 , 12–14 ) and the holotype from Jiangxi ( Yu, Sun & Zhang 2012: figs 1–7, 12–14). However, some intraspecific variation is exhibited by females from different localities, mostly related to different degrees of sclerotization. The female from Taiwan (HUBU-TW- 130178, Fig. 11 ) is distinctly larger in size and darker in color than the paratype from Jiangxi ( Yu, Sun & Zhang, 2012: fig. 8). Furthermore, in HUBU-TW- 130178, the epigynal ventral plate is more sclerotized ( Fig. 15 ) than in the paratype ( Yu, Sun & Zhang 2012: fig. 9); both spermathecae and bursae are totally transparent in HUBU-TW- 130178 ( Fig. 16 ), while more sclerotized in the paratype ( Yu, Sun & Zhang 2012: figs 10, 16).

Natural history. The spiders inhabit forests in low mountain areas (210–800 m). This is in accordance with data of the type locality provided by Yu, Sun & Zhang (2012) and Huang & Chen (2012).

Distribution. Mt. Jinggang in Jiangxi, Mt. Fanjing in Guizhou and New Taipei City in Taiwan, China. The present data showed the extension of the known range of this species of about 560 km to the northwest (Mt. Fanjing) and of 750 km to the southeast ( Taiwan) from the type locality ( Fig. 17 ).

Remark. Although we have not examined the type specimens of C. expansa , the long filiform embolus, the expanded RTV with a subapical flange, the bell-shaped atrium, and the course of vulvar duct system shown in the original illustrations ( Huang & Chen 2012, fig. 15A–G), leave no doubts on this synonymy. Huang & Chen (2012) was published in May, 2012 (day of publication not specified), while Yu, Sun & Zhang (2012) was published in May, 3, 2012. According to the article 21.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the publication date of Huang & Chen (2012) must be specified as May, 31, 2012. Consequently, C. expansa is here considered as a junior synonym of P. ramosa .

Figures

FIGURE 17. Records of Pristidia species in China: circle, P. cervicornuta sp. nov.; squares, P. ramosa Yu, Sun & Zhang, 2012.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Pristidia ramosa Yu, Sun & Zhang, 2012: 9 left chelicera, ventral view; 10 male, habitus, dorsal view; 11 female, habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm (9); 0.5 mm (10 – 11).

FIGURES 12 – 16. Pristidia ramosa Yu, Sun & Zhang, 2012: 12 left male palp, prolateral view; 13 same, ventral view; 14 same, retrolateral view; 15 epigyne, ventral view; 16 vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviatures: A, epigynal atrium; BS, bursa; CF, cymbial flange; CO, copulatory opening; E, embolus; ID, insemination duct; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; SP, spermathecae; ST, subtegulum; T, tegulum. Scale bars = 0.5 mm (12 – 14); 0.2 mm (15 – 16).