Ternatus malleatus, Sun, Ning, Li, Bin & Tu, Lihong, 2012

Sun, Ning, Li, Bin & Tu, Lihong, 2012, Te rn atu s, a new spider genus from China with a cladistic analysis and comments on its phylogenetic placement (Araneae: Linyphiidae), Zootaxa 3358, pp. 28-54 : 46-47

Ternatus malleatus new species

Figs. 1 , 3 , 5 A–C, 6–7, 8A–D

Etymology. The species name comes from the Latin word malleatus (“wrought or beaten with a hammer”), in reference to the shape of the male prolateral tibial apophysis.

Types. Male holotype: Xiaojialu Village, Hongtan Station, Huaping National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Prov., N25.60931°, E109.95181°, Alt. 850m, Coll. Lihong Tu, 3 Nov. 2007. Paratypes: 2 males, 4 females, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. Males of the two new species can be easily distinguished by the prolateral tibial apophysis stout and dentate, strongly sclerotized in T. malleatus ( Fig. 7 D), but thumb-like without dentils in T. siculus ( Fig. 10 D). Females are distinguished by having the median plate longer than wide in T. malleatus , and wider than long in T. siculus ( Fig. 8 ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 2.49. Carapace 1.09 long, 0.69 wide. Abdomen 1.42 long, 0.87 wide. Chelicera with six promarginal and five retromarginal teeth ( Figs. 3 H, 6E). Length of legs: I 4.71 (1.40 + 1.52 + 1.06 + 0.73); II 4.32 (1.47 + 1.36 + 0.87 + 0.62); III 3.29 (1.19 +0.97 + 0.70 + 0.43); IV 4.41 (1.49 + 1.42 + 0.93 + 0.57).

Female (paratype): Total length 2.51. Carapace 1.22 long, 0.81 wide. Abdomen 1.45 long, 0.89 wide. Length of legs: I 5.39 (1.59 + 1.77 + 1.22 + 0.81); II 4.72 (1.49 + 1.40 + 1.09 + 0.74); III 3.56 (1.12 +1.23 + 0.70 + 0.51); IV 4.76 (1.61 + 1.53 + 1.00 + 0.62). Tm I 0.32. Tm IV absent.

For other somatic and genital characters see description for the genus.

Variation.

Males (n = 3). Total length 2.35–2.60. Carapace 0.96–1.22 long, 0.64–0.72 wide. Abdomen 1.14–1.52 long, 0.83–0.91 wide.

Females (n = 4). Total length 2.39–2.63. Carapace 0.93–1.28 long, 0.79–0.98 wide. Abdomen 1.17–1.52 long, 0.76–0.91 wide.

Distribution. China (Guangxi) (see map in Fig. 16 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ternatus malleatus n. sp. A, male, dorsal; B, female, dorsal; C, male, lateral; D, female epigynum, ventral; E, male palp, retrolateral; F, male palp, prolateral.

FIGURE 3. Ternatus malleatus n. sp. A, male prosoma; B, male palp, prolateral; C, male palp, retrolateral; D, tibia of right palp, retrolateral; E, male palp with embolic division removed, ventral; F, female tracheal system; G, embolic division, anterior; H, male chelicera, ventral.

FIGURE 5. Female epigynum. A – C, Ternatus malleatus n. sp. A, ventral; B, ventral, cleared, arrow indicates lateral loop of copulatory groove; C, dorsal, cleared. D – F, Ternatus siculus n. sp. D, ventral; E, ventral, cleared; F, dorsal, cleared.

FIGURE 7. Ternatus malleatus n. sp., male palp. A, prolateral; B, retrolateral; C, anterior; D, palpal tibia, dorsal. E – H, embolic division with distal suprategular apophysis. E, ventral, arrow indicates embolic socket; F, anterior, arrow indicates embolic socket; G, anteroectal; H, distal end of embolus, arrow indicates hook on embolus apex.

FIGURE 8. Female epigynum. A – H, Ternatus malleatus n. sp., A, ventral, arrow indicates opened copulatory groove; B, dorsal; C, inner, arrow indicates lateral loop of copulatory groove; D, caudal, arrow indicates opened copulatory groove. E – F, Ternatus siculus n. sp. E, caudal, arrow indicates opened copulatory groove; F, dorsal; G, inner; H, ventral.

FIGURE 10. Ternatus siculus n. sp., male palp. A, prolateral; B, ventral; C, retrolateral; D, palpal tibial, dorsal; E – H, embolic division. E, ventral; F, anterior; G, anteroectal; H, distal end of embolus, arrow indicates hook on embolus apex.

FIGURE 16. Collecting localities in China of Ternatus malleatus n. sp. (triangle: Huaping, Guangxi Province) and Ternatus siculus n. sp. (circle: Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province).