Gladiata, Zhao, Qingyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2014

Zhao, Qingyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2014, A survey of linyphiid spiders from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China (Araneae, Linyphiidae), ZooKeys 460, pp. 1-181 : 16

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Linyphiidae

Genus Gladiata gen. n.

Type species.

Gladiata fengli sp. n.

Etymology.

The generic name is an arbitrary combination of letters. Gender is feminine.

Diagnosis.

The number of spines on tibia IV and the conformation of male palp implies that this genus should belong to subfamily Erigoninae, and the conspicuously large proximal cymbial projection resembles that in erigonine genera Minicia Thorell, 1875, Eskovia Marusik & Saaristo, 1999, Sintula Simon, 1884. The embolus in this new genus takes an anti-clockwise route to form a loop, in contrast with the distal suprategular apophysis turning clockwise (Fig. 33B), which is rare in other erigonines. The atrium in female’s epigyne resembles that in the genus Ketambea Millidge & Russell-Smith, 1992, Tapinocyba Simon, 1884, but the copulatory ducts follow a different route.

Description.

Median sized Erigoninae. Male with post-ocular area slightly elevated, with a row of setae along the axis from clypeus to the fovea (Fig. 33E). Chelicerae with 5 promarginal teeth, and 4 retromarginal teeth. Abdomen with distinct pattern. Chaetotaxy: tibial spine formula: 2-2-1-1. TmI ca 0.37, TmIV ca 0.65.

Male palp: tibia with 4 trichobothria, 2 retrolateral and two dorsal, tibia dorsally humped, equipped by a row of long setae (Fig. 32 A–B); cymbium with a prominent, pointed projection (Fig. 32 A–B); paracymbium ‘J’ -shaped, basally broad, with an extended distal end (Fig. 32B); distal suprategular apophysis basally broad, stretching along the tegulum then turning up to form a spine (Fig. 32B); radix straight, reduced (Fig. 32A); no obvious tailpiece present; embolus long, thread-like, starting from the prolateral side of the radix (Fig. 32A).

Epigyne: ventral fig bulge, dorsal fig tongue-shaped, with an obvious atrium lying in between (Fig. 34A); copulatory ducts long, twisted (Fig. 34C); spermathecae small (Fig. 34C).

Species composition.

Type species only: Gladiata fengli sp. n.

Distribution.

China.