Songthela longhui Zhang & Xu, 2023

Zhang, Yan, Chen, Zhaoyang, Li, Daiqin & Xu, Xin, 2023, Three new species of the primitively segmented spider genus Songthela (Mesothelae, Liphistiidae, Heptathelinae) from Hunan Province, China, ZooKeys 1154, pp. 17-31 : 17

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1154.98273
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B1C06376-F175-41F4-B772-DB50278C5C76
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EBBC224B-1404-41B6-B08B-EC8D3A5749AB
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:EBBC224B-1404-41B6-B08B-EC8D3A5749AB
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Songthela longhui Zhang & Xu
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Songthela longhui Zhang & Xu sp. nov.

Figs 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5

Type material.

Holotype: China · 1 ♂; Hunan Province, Shaoyang City, Longhui County, Jinshiqiao Town, Huangjinjing Village; 27.58°N; 110.90°E; alt. 550 m; 18 September 2021; Z.Y. Chen, X. Xu, Y. Zhan, Y. Zhang leg.; XUX-2021-275 (matured on 25 August 2022). Paratypes: China · 1 ♂, 5 ♀; same data as for the holotype, alt. 552 m; XUX-2021-278, 281, 282, 282A (matured on 25 August 2022), 283, 285A.

Diagnosis.

Male of S. longhui sp. nov. resembles those of S. dapo Li, Chen, Liu, Li & Xu, 2022, S. lingshang Li, Chen, Liu, Li & Xu, 2022, S. multidentata Li, Chen, Liu, Li & Xu, 2022, S. pluma and S. xiujian Li, Chen, Liu, Li & Xu, 2022 by conductor with needle-shaped apical spine (Fig. 4A, B, E, H-J View Figure 4 ), but can be distinguished from those of S. dapo and S. lingshang by tegulum with smaller dorsal extension of terminal apophysis (Fig. 4C, F View Figure 4 ), and conductor with slightly narrower base of apical spine (Fig. 4A, H-J View Figure 4 ); from S. multidentata by conductor with longer apical spine (Fig. 4A, B, E, H-J View Figure 4 ), and contrategulum with larger apophysis proximally (Fig. 4A, B, D View Figure 4 ); from S. pluma by tegulum with smaller terminal apophysis (Fig. 4F View Figure 4 ), and contrategulum with one irregular dentate margin (Fig. 4A, D View Figure 4 ); from S. xiujian by contrategulum with larger apophysis proximally (Fig. 4A, B, D View Figure 4 ); from S. anhua sp. nov. by apical spine of conductor needle-shaped (Fig. 4A, B, H-J View Figure 4 ), by tegulum with slightly smaller terminal apophysis and wider dorsal extension of terminal apophysis (Fig. 4C, F View Figure 4 ); from S. zhongpo sp. nov. by apical spine of conductor with slightly narrower base (Fig. 4A, H-J View Figure 4 ); from those of other species of Songthela multidentata -group by needle-shaped apical spine of conductor (Fig. 4A, E, H-J View Figure 4 ); from those of other Songthela species by middle part of the conductor with several small spines (Fig. 4A, B, E, H-J View Figure 4 ).

Females of S. longhui sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. anhua sp. nov. by Y-shaped median genital stalks, lateral receptacular clusters with distinct short genital stalks, and deeper depressions in dorsal view (Fig. 5A-C View Figure 5 ); from S. pluma by lateral receptacular clusters with slightly longer genital stalks, and two larger and deeper depressions in dorsal view (Fig. 5A-C View Figure 5 ); from S. zhongpo sp. nov. by median receptacular clusters with longer genital stalks (Fig. 5A-C View Figure 5 ); from those of other species of Songthela multidentata -group by median receptacular clusters with longer genital stalks, and Y-shaped median genital stalks, lateral ones with distinct genital stalks (Fig. 5A-C View Figure 5 ); from those of other Songthela species by four receptacular clusters located at dorsal side of bursa copulatrix and median genital stalks fused together basally (Fig. 5A-C View Figure 5 ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Carapace brown; opisthosoma yellow brown, with 12 brown tergites attached a pair of hard and thick bristles, the second to fifth larger than others and the fourth largest; sternum narrow, much longer than wide; a few pointed hairs running over ocular area; chelicerae robust with promargin of cheliceral groove with 11 denticles of variable size; legs with sturdy hairs and spines; 6 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 11.94, CL 5.36, CW 4.63, OL 5.91, OW 4.72; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; leg I 16.52 (4.72 + 2.10 + 3.32 + 4.05 + 2.33), leg II 16.34 (4.37+ 2.09 + 3.13 + 4.23 + 2.52), leg III 19.10 (5.17 + 2.07 + 3.37 + 5.47 + 3.02), leg IV 23.98 (5.80 + 2.44 + 4.65 + 7.31 + 3.78).

Palp. Paracymbium unpigmented and unsclerotised prolaterally, numerous setae and spines on the tip (Fig. 4A-C View Figure 4 ). Contrategulum with an arched apophysis proximally and irregular dentate edge (Fig. 4A, B, D View Figure 4 ). Tegulum with a semi-circular marginal apophysis and dentate dorsal extension of the terminal apophysis, and with a small terminal apophysis retrolaterally (Fig. 4C, F, G View Figure 4 ). Conductor having a long apical spine pointed to the one-third of opening of embolus proximally, the middle part covered with several small teeth, and the smooth base fused with embolus (Fig. 4A, B, E, H-J View Figure 4 ). Embolus largely sclerotized, with a wide and flat opening, several longitudinal ribs in middle and distal portion (Fig. 4A, B, D, E, G View Figure 4 ).

Female (XUX-2021-281; Fig. 1F View Figure 1 ). Carapace dark reddish brown and opisthosoma light brown, with 12 dark brown tergites attached a pair of thick bristles, the second to fifth larger than others and the fourth largest; sternum narrow, much longer than wide; a few pointed hairs running over ocular area; chelicerae robust with promargin of cheliceral groove with 12 denticles of variable size; legs with sturdy hairs and spines; 7 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 11.52, CL 5.20, CW 4.33, OL 5.73, OW 4.51; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; palp 9.41 (3.36 + 1.56 + 1.90 + 2.59), leg I 10.69 (3.41 + 1.72 + 2.12 + 2.03 + 1.41), leg II 10.56 (3.29 + 1.76 + 1.82 + 2.14 + 1.55), leg III 11.23 (3.22 + 1.80 + 1.97 + 2.58 + 1.66), leg IV 15.96 (4.56 + 2.07 + 2.82 + 4.22 + 2.29).

Female genitalia. Two pairs of receptacular clusters with distinctly genital stalks, situated on the dorsal wall of the bursa copulatrix; the median ones similar to or slightly larger than the lateral ones, the Y-shaped middle genital stalks; the posterior margin of the bursa copulatrix sclerotized, the posterior margin of the genital area wide, two deeper depressions in dorsal view (Fig. 5A-F View Figure 5 ).

Variation.

Males and females vary in body size, cheliceral teeth and spinnerets. Range of measurements in males (N = 2): BL 10.98-11.94, CL 4.95-5.36, CW 4.52-4.63, OL 5.60-5.91, OW 4.22-4.72. There are 6 or 7 spinnerets (N = 2). Females (N = 5): BL 5.56-11.86, CL 4.27-5.48, CW 3.61-4.58, OL 4.29-5.79, OW 3.27-4.60. The number of cheliceral teeth varies from 12 to 13 (N = 5). In addition, male palp and female genitalia also show intraspecific variations: in males, the middle part of conductor with more teeth (Fig. 4H, I View Figure 4 ) or less teeth (Fig. 4J View Figure 4 ); tegulum with a relatively larger terminal apophysis (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ) or slightly smaller (Fig. 4E View Figure 4 ). In females, the middle Y-shaped genital stalk fused totally with only two receptacular clusters separated from each other (Fig. 5A, D View Figure 5 ) or fused basally and separated in the middle (Fig. 5B, C, E, F View Figure 5 ).