Lysiteles spirellus, Tang, Guo, Yin, Chang-Ming, Peng, Xian-Jin, Ubick, Darrell & Griswold, Charles, 2008

Tang, Guo, Yin, Chang-Ming, Peng, Xian-Jin, Ubick, Darrell & Griswold, Charles, 2008, The crab spiders of the genus Lysiteles from Yunnan Province, China (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 1742, pp. 1-41 : 31-32

Lysiteles spirellus sp. nov.

Figs 16 a–f , 22

Type material. Holotype: female, CHINA, Yunnan Province, Kunming City, North suburb, Kunming Institute of Botany [N25.13925º, E102.74145º], 1900 m, 30 July 2000, Heng-Mei Yan (HNU-Yan000730).

Paratype: 1 Ψ, same data as holotype (CAS-Yan000730).

Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin spirellus , meaning small helix-shaped and referring to the shape of the copulatory ducts, adjective.

Diagnosis. This species is very similar to L. auriculatus sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 a) in general appearance; the differences are discussed in the diagnosis of L. auriculatus .

Description. Female (holotype): Total length 3.50. Prosoma 1.60 long, 1.54 wide; opisthosoma 2.10 long, 1.52 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma blackish brown with some long setae, medially yellow. Eye tubercles grayish black. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.22, PLE 0.14, AME 0.10, PME 0.06, AME-AME 0.18, AME-ALE 0.16, PME-PME 0.30, PME-PLE 0.32; MOA 0.32 long, front width 0.39, back width 0.43. Sternum light yellow. Chelicerae, labium and gnathocoxae blackish brown. Legs grayish brown. Leg measurements: I: 6.20 (1.80, 2.10, 1.40, 0.90), II: 6.50 (1.90, 2.10, 1.50, 1.00), III: 3.80 (1.20, 1.30, 0.70, 0.60), IV: 4.00 (1.20, 1.40, 0.80, 0.60); formula 2, 1, 4, 3. Legs with some long spines, femora I with 3 prolateral spines, femora I–IV with 4 dorsal spines (1-1-0-1), tibiae and metatarsi I, II with 2 pairs of ventral spines, tibiae and metatarsi III, IV with 1 pair of ventral spine. Opisthosoma nearly oval, dorsum gray with many hairs; medially with pairs of white spots; anteriorly with a pair of zigzag black stripes; posteriorly with 2 pairs of transverse blackish markings; sides black; venter light yellow with a grayish black rectangle mark before spinnerets.

Epigyne-vulva ( Figs 16 c–f ). Epigyne with a translucent septum; copulatory openings large glassesshaped; copulatory ducts twisted, helix-shaped; spermathecae small oval.

Male: unknown.

Variation. Total length: females 3.40–3.50 (n = 2). The markings on the dorsal shield of prosoma vary in pigmentation ( Figs 16 a–b ).

Distribution. China (known only from the type locality).

Figures

FIGURES 2 a- – e. Lysiteles auriculatus sp. nov. a Female, habitus; b, d Epigyne; c, e Vulva; H hood. Scale bars: a = 1; b – e = 0.1.

FIGURES 16 a – f. Lysiteles spirellus sp. nov. a, b Female, habitus; c, e Epigyne; d, f Vulva; MS median septum. Scale bars: a – b = 1; e – f = 0.1.