Lysiteles minimus ( Schenkel, 1953 )

Hu, Dong-Sheng & Zhang, Feng, 2011, First description of the female of Lysiteles minimus (Araneae: Thomisidae) from Liupan Mountains, Ningxia, China, Zootaxa 3013, pp. 65-68 : 65-68

Lysiteles minimus ( Schenkel, 1953)

( Figs 1–7 )

Xysticus minimus Schenkel, 1953: 55 , figs 27a–b. [Holotype: male, from southeastern Gansu, presumably lost, not examined] Lysiteles minimus (Schenkel) . Ono 1979: 106; Song 1995: 125; Song and Zhu 1997: 126, figs 89A–B; Song, Zhu and Chen 1999: 482, fig. 278M.

Lysiteles xianensis Song and Wang, 1991: 2 , figs 2A–C. [Synonymized with the present species by Song (1995)]

Material examined. CHINA: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region: Liupanshan Natural Reserve Region: Jingyuan County: 2Ƥ, Jingheyuan Town [N35°24', E 106°23'], 21 June 2008, Chao Zhang leg; 335Ƥ, Erlonghe Forest Farm [N35°20, E 106°20'], 24 June 2008, Chao Zhang leg; 233Ƥ, Hongxia Forest Farm [N35°29', E 106°17'], 25 June 2008, Chao Zhang leg; 1131Ƥ, Xixia Forest Farm [N35°30', E 106°15'], 27 June 2008, Chao Zhang leg; 13, Dongshanpo Forest Farm [N35°35', E 106°14'], 4 July 2008, Chao Zhang leg; 1Ƥ, Longtan Forest Farm [N35°22', E 106°21'], 19 August 2008, Guo-Dong Ren leg; 23, Dongshanpo Forest Farm, 6 July 2009, Dong-Sheng Hu leg; 33, Erlonghe Forest Farm, 8 July 2009, Dong-Sheng Hu leg; 23, Longtan Forest Farm, 10 July 2009, Dong-Sheng Hu leg; 13, Xixia Forest Farm, 12 July 2009, Dong-Sheng Hu leg; 5Ƥ, Erlonghe Forest Farm, 31 July 2010, Dong- Sheng Hu leg; 2Ƥ, Longtan Forest Farm, 3 August 2010, Dong-Sheng Hu leg. Longde County: 131Ƥ, Fengtai Forest Farm [N35°40 E 106°12], 29 June 2008, Chao Zhang leg; 433Ƥ, Sutai Forest Farm [N35°26, E 106°12'], 2 July 2008, Chao Zhang leg; 13, Fengtai Forest Farm, 2 August 2010, Dong-Sheng Hu leg.

Diagnosis. Among the congeners, the new species is very similar to L. niger Ono, 1979 in similar body coloration, as well as in male and female genitalia, but it differs from the latter by: embolus thick and strong ( Figs 6–7 ; pointed and thinner in L. niger ); retrolateral tibial apophysis wide, tip biforked, dorsal branch with two denticulations ( Fig. 7 ; tip not biforked in L. niger ); the distance of two COs about half of the width of the TSP ( Figs 3–4 ; the distance of the COs is almost same width of the TSP in L. niger ).

Description. Male: Total length 2.76–3.01; male from Erlonghe Forest Farm, Jingyuan County (No. Ar-2008- 07245): body length 2.90; prosoma 1.43 long, 1.28 wide; opisthosoma 1.79 long, 1.17 wide. Carapace ( Fig. 1 ) reddish brown, medially yellow. Carapace with long setae. Both eye rows recurved. Eye tubercles blackish brown with white rim. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.18, PME 0.08, PLE 0.13; AME–AME 0.18, AME– ALE 0.13, PME–PME 0.23, PME–PLE 0.25. MOA 0.38 long, anterior width 0.35, posterior width 0.40. Clypeus height 0.13. Chelicerae yellow, promargin without teeth, retromargin with a denticle. Endites and labium yellow. Sternum heart-shaped, the front margin slightly recurved, the back end relatively acute. Legs yellowish and spinous. Leg measurements: I 4.89 (1.53, 0.51, 1.12, 1.02, 0.71); II 5.10 (1.58, 0.51, 1.28, 1.02, 0.71); III 3.32 (1.07, 0.41, 0.77, 0.56, 0.51); IV 3.72 (1.17, 0.46, 0.87, 0.66, 0.56). Leg formula: 2143. Femora I–IV with two dorsal spines; femur I with three prolateral spines. Tibiae I –IV with two dorsal spines; tibiae I –II with two pairs of ventral, two prolateral, two retrolateral spines; tibiae III –IV with one ventral, one prolateral, one retrolaterla spine. Metatarsi I–IV with two prolateral, two retrolateral spines; metatarsi I –II with two pairs of ventral spines; metatarsi III –IV with one pairs of ventral spines. Opisthosoma nearly oval, cardiac pattern and muscular depressions visible; dorsum with a black brown markings; lateral sides with discontinuous white spots; venter grayish yellow.

Palpus ( Figs 5–7 ). VTA digitiform, hooked apically; RTA wide, with tip biforcated, dorsal branch with two denticulations; tegulum flat, and sperm ducts round along the tegular margin; embolus thick and strong, bent.

Female: Total length 3.42–3.77; female from Erlonghe Forest Farm, Jingyuan County (No. Ar-2008-07247): body length 3.52; prosoma 1.33 long, 1.17 wide; opisthosoma 2.35 long, 2.19 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.15, PME 0.05, PLE 0.13; AME–AME 0.18, AME–ALE 0.15, PME–PME 0.23, PME–PLE 0.0.23; MOA 0.35 long, anterior width 0.33, posterior width 0.40. Clypeus height 0.15. Leg measurements: I 2.91 (0.92, 0.31, 0.61, 0.56, 0.51); II 3.78 (1.12, 0.51, 0.87, 0.77, 0.51); III 2.61 (0.82, 0.26, 0.66, 0.41, 0.46); IV 2.76 (0.87, 0.31, 0.71, 0.41, 0.46). Leg formula: 2143. Opisthosoma nearly round, dorsum with a big brown marking centrally ( Fig. 2 ). Other characters as in male.

Epigynum ( Figs 3–4 ). TSP wide; copulatory openings centrally; copulatory ducts thick and short; spermathecae spherical.

Distribution. China (Ningxia, Gansu, Shaanxi).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Lysiteles minimus (Schenkel, 1953). 1 Male body, dorsal view; 2 Female body, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 3 – 7. Lysiteles minimus (Schenkel, 1953). 3 Epigynum, ventral view; 4 Vulva, dorsal view; 5 – 7. Left male palp (5 prolateral, 6 ventral, 7 retrolateral). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.