Tmarus subqinlingensis, Zhang & Zhang, 2023

Zhang, Rui & Zhang, Feng, 2023, Diversity of the genus Tmarus Simon, 1875 from Xiaolong Mountains in western China (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 5301 (1), pp. 75-93 : 85

Tmarus subqinlingensis sp. nov.

Figs 34–42

Type material. Holotype ♁: CHINA: Gansu Province: Qingshui County, Tiancheng Town , 34°42′29″N, 106°28′7″E, 1444m, 20 May 2021, Rui Zhang leg. Paratypes: 2♀, with same data as holotype; 2♁, Qingshui County, Tiancheng Town , 34°43′29″N, 106°25′8″E, 1613m, 20 May 2021, Rui Zhang leg. ; 2♀ 1♁, Qingshui County, Shanmen Town, Shanmen Forest Farm , 34°40′43″N, 106°23′59″E, 1735m, 22 May Zhaoyi Li leg.

Etymology. The specific name is adjective, referring to the similarity to T. qinlingensis Song & Wang, 1994 .

Diagnosis. Males of this new species strongly resemble those of T. qinlingensis Song & Wang, 1994 ( Song & Wang 1994: 48, figs 3A–C) in having long embolus, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following combination of characters: (1) embolus distally curved in retrolateral view (vs. straight in T. qinlingensis ); (2) acute angle between embolus and tegulum (vs. slight right angle in T. qinlingensis ); (3) RTA blunt (vs. cuspate in T. qinlingensis ). Females of T. subqinlingensis sp. nov. are also similar to those of T. qinlingensis in having reniform spermathecae, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: (1) copulatory openings close to each other (vs. separated by ca. 1/3 of vulva width); (2) with a V-shaped hood in atrium (vs. hood absence in T. qinlingensis ).

Description. Male (Holotype): ( Figs 35, 36 ) total length 3.90. Prosoma 1.78 long, 1.67 wide; opisthosoma 2.12 long, 1.35 wide. Median longitudinal band of carapace yellowish, 1/3 of carapace width, darker on two sides, ca 2/3 of carapace width, length almost equal to width, and covered with small setae. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.12, PME 0.07, PLE 0.09, AME–AME 0.20, AME–ALE 0.18, PME–PME 0.26, PME–PLE 0.38, AME–PME 0.25, ALE–PLE 0.25. MOA 0.26 long, front width 0.30, back width 0.40. Forehead taller than anterior middle eye spacing. The sternum yellow, with many small black spots. Sternum slightly longer than wide. Leg measurements: I 7.62 (2.34, 0.89, 1.84, 1.57, 0.98); II 8.24 (2.47, 0.84, 2.19, 1.77, 0.97); III 4.41 (1.38, 0.61, 1.11, 0.70, 0.61); IV 4.61 (1.54, 0.52, 1.05, 0.83, 0.67). Leg formula: 2143. Abdomen with many small black spots, dorsally greyish white in the center, greyish black on the sides, scattered with long spine-like hairs arranged in pairs. Ventral black centrally, pale on two sides.

Palp ( Figs 39, 40 ). RTA thick and short, ca. 1/3 of tibia length, nearly triangular in retrolateral view, distally blunt. VTA long and digitiform, as long as tibia length, distally slightly curved in ventral view. Tegulum oval, longer than wide. Spermophor around the whole tegulum, bending ~1 o’clock position. Embolus thick, bending retrolaterally. Embolar base inserted about 1 o’clock position of tegulum; embolar tip, terminated at approximately 4 o’clock position relative to tegulum, apex slightly curved and sharp.

Female: total length 4.73. Prosoma 1.76 long, 1.68 wide; opisthosoma: 2.97 long, 1.96 wide. Both eye rows recurved. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.09, PME 0.05, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.22, AME–ALE 0.21, PME–PME 0.26, PME–PLE 0.35, AME–PME 0.22, ALE–PLE 0.25. MOA 0.24 long, front width 0.31, back width 0.36. Leg measurements: I 5.63 (1.58, 0.76, 1.66, 1.06, 0.57); II 5.88 (1.57, 0.83, 1.64, 1.16, 0.68); III 3.72 (1.18, 0.50, 0.86, 0.65, 0.53); IV 3.78 (1.35, 0.54, 0.93, 0.43, 0.53). Leg formula: 2143. Body colour slightly lighter than male, other characteristics as in male.

Epigyne ( Figs 41, 42 ) plate wider than long. Atrium longitudinal. Anterior margin of epigyne with transparent sclerotized, V-shape hood. Copulatory openings hidden bilaterally in the posterior of hood. Copulatory ducts short and thick. Spermatheca reniform, longer than wide, the two spermathecae separated by about 1/2 diameters. Fertilisation ducts acicular, membranous, located terminally on spermathecae.

Distribution. China (Gansu).

Figures

FIGURES 34–38. Tmarus subqinlingensis sp. nov. 35–36 Male habitus (35 dorsal, 36 ventral); 34, 37–38 Female habitus (34 lateral, 37 dorsal, 38 ventral).

FIGURES 39–42. Tmarus subqinlingensis sp. nov. 39–40 Left male palp (39 ventral, 40 retrolateral); 41 Epigynum, ventral view; 42 Vulva, dorsal view. A = atrium; CD = copulatory duct; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; H = hood; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; S = spermatheca; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis.