Phycosoma hana ( Zhu, 1998 ) Zhu, 1998

Zhang, Feng & Zhang, Bao-Shi, 2012, Spiders of the genus Phycosoma O. P. - Cambridge, 1879 (Araneae: Theridiidae) from Hainan Island, China, Zootaxa 3339, pp. 30-43 : 36-38

Phycosoma hana ( Zhu, 1998) new combination

( Figs 15 – 19 )

Dipoena hana Zhu, 1998: 237 , f. 155A – C; Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 110, f. 54E – F.

Type material. Holotype Ƥ, CHINA, Hainan Island: Jianfengling Mountain, 9 August 1990, M. B. Gu leg., deposited in MHBU, examined.

Other material examined. CHINA, Hainan Island: 4 3, 1 Ƥ, Jianfengling Mountain, 11 November 2008, G. X. Han leg.; 2 3, 3 Ƥ, Jianfengling Mountain, 29 May 2009, C. Zhang leg.; 3 3, 4 Ƥ, Bawangling Mountain, 21 May 2009, C. Zhang leg.; 2 Ƥ, Bawangling Mountain, 5 November 2008, G. X. Han leg.; 1 Ƥ, Diaoluo Mountain, 5 June 2009, C. Zhang leg.; 1 3, Qixianling Mountain, Baoting County, 8 June 2009, C. Zhang leg.; 1 3, Limu Mountain (19°10ʹN, 109°39ʹE), 21 November 2008, G. X. Han leg.; 2 3, Xichang Town, Tunchang County, 11 June 2009, C. Zhang leg.

Diagnosis. Males can be distinguished from other Phycosoma species by the opisthosoma colour pattern ( Figs 16–17 ). Females can be distinguished from all other Phycosoma species except P. flavomarginatum , P. hainanensis and P. digitula by the wide, U-shaped scapus. It differs from P. flavomarginatum by the short, thick subcopulatory ducts, from P. hainanensis by the locations where copulatory ducts connect to spermathecae and from P. digitula by the short copulatory ducts ( Figs 18–19 ).

Redescription. Male (Jianfengling Mountain) total length 1.73: prosoma 0.71 long, 0.51 wide, 0.41 high; opisthosoma 1.12 long, 0.71 wide. Size range: Male total body length 1.73–1.80 (n=13).

Color. Carapace ( Fig. 15 ) yellow, antero-median part darkish. Thoracic groove dark brown. Each eye with a black ring. Clypeus yellow, with a wide darkish stripe from AME to the margin. Chelicerae yellowish, with a darkish stripe in front view. Endites and labium yellowish, gray distally. Sternum yellowish. Legs yellow, femora, patellae, tibiae and metatarsi with darkish patches. Opisthosoma dorsally yellowish and covered with five pairs of black patches laterally and a black patch medially; venter dark brown and with irregular brown patches. Spinnerets yellowish.

Prosoma ( Fig. 15 ). Carapace oval, longer than wide, head protruding forward and beyond clypeus. Thoracic groove deep. Both eye rows recurved in dorsal view. Eye measurements: AME 0.08, ALE 0.06, PME 0.06, PLE 0.06; AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.30, PME–PME 0.04, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.32, ALE and PLE contiguous. MOA 0.18 long, anterior width 0.22, posterior width 0.18. Clypeus 0.31 high, with scattered black setae. Labium 0.06 long, 0.08 wide. Sternum 0.50 long, 0.48 wide, with scattered black setae.

Legs. With scattered thin setae and spines. Measurements: leg I 2.46 (0.82, 0.31, 0.51, 0.51, 0.31), II 2.04 (0.61, 0.20, 0.41, 0.51, 0.31), III 1.94 (0.61, 0.20, 0.41, 0.41, 0.31), IV 2.56 (0.82, 0.31, 0.61, 0.51, 0.31). Leg formula: 4123.

Opisthosoma ( Fig. 15 ). Oval, longer than wide, with scattered long brown setae.

Male palp ( Figs 16–17 ). Tegulum with a tubercle; embolus and conductor thin and small.

Female (Jianfengling Mountain). Total length 1.98: prosoma 0.79 long, 0.73 wide, 0.73 high; opisthosoma 1.39 long, 0.89 wide. Size range: Female total body length 1.98–2.25 (n=11).

Color. Carapace yellow, median stripe wide, darkish. Legs yellow, femora, patellae and tibiae with brown annulations.

Prosoma. Carapace with high head region, head protruding forward and beyond clypeus. Both eye rows recurved in dorsal view. Eye measurements: AME 0.08, ALE 0.08, PME 0.08, PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.32, PME–PME 0.05, PME–PLE 0.05, PLE–PLE 0.33, ALE and PLE contiguous. MOA 0.23 long, anterior width 0.23, posterior width 0.18. Clypeus 0.32 high. Labium 0.06 long, 0.08 wide. Sternum 0.53 long, 0.51 wide.

Legs. Measurements: leg I 2.38 (0.76, 0.31, 0.48, 0.53, 0.30), II 2.25 (0.69, 0.30, 0.49, 0.50, 0.27), III 2.26 (0.69, 0.30, 0.43, 0.50, 0.34), IV 2.90 (0.89, 0.41, 0.65, 0.59, 0.36). Leg formula: 4132.

Opisthosoma. The characters identical to holotype.

Female genitalia ( Figs 18–19 ). Epigynum lightly sclerotized, posterior part with a scapus extending beyond epigastric furrow, atrium circular; the diameter of first seminal receptacle twice that of second seminal receptacle; copulatory ducts short and straight.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Comments. While examining specimens from Hainan Island we found three samples where males were captured together with females, the color patterns of males are same as female. As the females are P. hana , the males can reasonably be expected to be conspecific. The male is described here for the first time.

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 19. Phycosoma hana (Zhu, 1998) 15 – 17, male. 15, body, dorsal; 16, male left palp, ventral; 17, same, prolateral; 18 – 19, female. 18, epigynum, ventral; 19, vulva, dorsal. Scale bars: 15, 0.5 mm; 16 – 19, 0.1 mm.