Nesticella yui Wunderlich

Grall, Elena & Jäger, Peter, 2016, Four new species of the spider genus Nesticella Lehtinen & Saaristo, 1980 from Laos, Thailand and Myanmar and the first description of the male of Nesticella yui Wunderlich & Song, 1995 with a proposed new diagnostic character for the family Nesticidae Simon, 1894 (Arachnida, Araneae), Zootaxa 4085 (2) : -

Nesticella yui Wunderlich & Song, 1995

Figs 6–9 , 24–25 , 40

Material examined. 1 male , 1 female LAOS: Luang Nam Tha Province: Nam Ha Protected Area , 21°09 ' 0 7.2 " N, 101°19 ' 47.9 " E, 848 m elevation, secondary forest, leaf litter, close to stream, P. Jäger leg. by sieving, 0 7.03.2008 ( SMF).

Extended diagnosis. Nesticella yui is similar to Nesticella connectens Wunderlich, 1995 in having a conductor with two apices and a bifurcate paracymbium whose ventral process is subdivided ( Fig. 6 ). It can be distinguished by the longer embolus and the absence of a terminal apophysis, present in N. connectens . Females may be identified by the functional receptaculum with 2.5 windings ( Figs. 8–9 ).

Description. Male: Total length 2.00; cephalothorax 1.05 long, 0.90 wide; abdomen 1.10 long, 0.80 wide. Eye measurements: AME 0.05; ALE 0.11; PME 0.10; PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.05; AME–ALE 0.02; PME–PME 0.07; PME–PLE 0.03; AME–PME 0.06; ALE–PLE 0.00; clypeus–AME 0.18; clypeus–ALE 0.17. Leg formula: I, IV, III [II missing]; measurements of palp and legs: palp: 1.44 (0.52, 0.21, 0.18, 0.53); I: 6.42 (1.80, 0.46, 1.80, 1.60, 0.76); III: 3.69 (1.10, 0.34, 0.82, 0.89, 0.54); IV: 5.28 (1.50, 0.42, 1.40, 1.30, 0.66).

Cephalothorax light yellowish with black patterning from fovea to eyes. Abdomen light yellowish with paired dark spots, the latter posteriorly fused, laterally dark in anterior half, white spot in front of anal tubercle ( Fig. 24 ). Legs pale white, Ti I with greyish band. Ti and Mt III with light greyish band. Fe, Pa, Ti and Mt IV with one black distal band.

Palp as in diagnosis. Long, semicircular embolus. Conductor with two apices. Paracymbium bifurcate, dorsal process wide and thickened, ventral process subdivided. In retrolateral view dorsal branch of the ventral process finger-shaped, basally thickened, dorsal process split. In ventral view lateral branch of the ventral process thicker than median branch.

Redescription. Female: Total length 2.40; cephalothorax 1.05 long, 0.90 wide; abdomen 1.30 long, 1.20 wide. Eye measurements: AME 0.05; ALE 0.10; PME 0.08; PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.05; AME–ALE 0.02; PME–PME 0.08; PME–PLE 0.04; AME–PME 0.06; ALE–PLE 0.00; clypeus–AME 0.20; clypeus–ALE 0.18. Leg formula: I, IV, II, III; measurements of palp and legs: palp: 1.50 (0.46, 0.21, 0.26, 0.57); I: 5.50 (1.65, 0.47, 1.50, 1.20, 0.68); II: 4.25 (1.20, 0.43, 1.10, 0.93, 0.59); III: 3.33 (1.00, 0.36, 0.74, 0.70, 0.53); IV: 4.93 (1.55, 0.44, 1.30, 1.03, 0.61).

Cephalothorax light brown with black patterning from fovea to eyes. Laterally with brownish patterning. Abdomen light greyish with large, matched, dark spots, posterior ones fused. Laterally dark in anterior half, white spot in front of anal tubercle. Legs whitish-grey. Ti and Mt I with one black band. Ti II with two black bands, Mt II with one black band. Ti III with two black bands, Pa III and Mt III with one black band. Fe, Pa and Mt IV with one black band and Ti IV with two black bands ( Fig. 25 ).

Epigynum as in diagnosis. Long copulatory ducts. Functional receptaculum with 2.5 windings. Apical chamber of receptaculum laterally with glands, these latero-anteriad, and with apical glandular pores. Fertilization ducts situated dorsally.

Distribution. China, Laos.

Figures

FIGURE 40. Map with distributional records of Nesticella spp. Blue triangle— N. yui, green squares— N. beccus new species, brown stars— N. laotica new species, red circle— N. foelixi new species, black diamond— N. michaliki new species.

FIGURES 6 – 9. Nesticella yui 6 – 7, Male palp (6, ventral; 7, retrolateral). 8, Epigynum, ventral. 9, Vulva, dorsal. AC, apical chamber of functional receptaculum; C, conductor; CD, copulatory duct; DP, dorsal process of paracymbium; E, embolus; FD, fertilization duct; G, glands; GP, glandular pores; Ta, terminal apophysis; VP, ventral process of paracymbium; WD, wound ducts of functional receptaculum.

FIGURES 24 – 32. Nesticella new species, habitus, dorsal. 24 – 25, Nesticella yui; 26 – 27, Nesticella beccus n. sp.; 28, Nesticella foelixi n. sp.; 29 – 30, Nesticella laotica n. sp.; 31 – 32, Nesticella michaliki n. sp. (24, 26, 28, 29, 31 male, 25, 27, 30, 32 female).