Psechrus jinggangensis Wang & Yin, 2001

Zhao, Dan-chen, Fei, Ming-hui, Zeng, Xin, Ying, Yuan-hao, Xiao, Yong-hong & Liu, Ke-Ke, 2021, First description of the male of Psechrus jinggangensis Wang & Yin, 2001 from China, ZooKeys 1056, pp. 1-15 : 1

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1056.68504
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7FDA4C79-495D-495A-9FB6-A5665F5C8252
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treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Psechrus jinggangensis Wang & Yin, 2001
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Treatment

Figures 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 , 9 View Figure 9

Psechrus jinggangensis Wang & Yin, 2001: 334, figs 11, 12; Bayer 2012: 112, fig. 61a, b.

Material examined.

China - Jiangxi Province • 1 ♂ (Pse-16), Ji’an City, Jinggangshan County Level City, Ciping Town, Dajing Village , Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve , 26°33'21.70"N, 114°07'20.08"E, 906 m, 3 Aug. 2020, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg.; 1 pre-subadult female (Pse-17), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 pre-subadult female (Pse-1), Shiliao Cave , same locality GoogleMaps , 3 Aug. 2019, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg.; 1 ♀ (Pse-2), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 pre-subadult female (Pse-4), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 pre-subadult female (Pse-9), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂ (Pse-12), same locality GoogleMaps , 1 Nov. 2019, Zhi-wu Chen and Dan-chen Zhao leg.; 1 pre-subadult female (Pse-14), same locality GoogleMaps , 22 Jul.2020, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg.; 1 pre-subadult female (Pse-18), same locality GoogleMaps , 4 Jul. 2020, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg.; 1 ♀ (Pse-22), same locality GoogleMaps , Xiaojing Village, Longtan Scenic Spot , 26°35'02.40"N, 114°08'02.4"E, 945 m, 31 May 2014, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg GoogleMaps .; 1 ♀ (Pse-34), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀ (Pse-23), same locality GoogleMaps , 26°35'06.0"N, 114°08'06.0"E, 989 m, 1 Jun. 2014; 1 ♀ (Pse-35), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀ (Pse-38), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀ (Pse-40), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀ (Pse-41), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀ (Pse-32), same locality GoogleMaps , 26°35'31.20"N, 114°08'13.2"E, 934 m, 2 Aug. 2014, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg.; 1 ♀ (Pse-39), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀ (Pse-36), same locality GoogleMaps , Huangyangjie Scenic Spot , 26°38'13.2"N, 114°05'02.4"E, 898 m, 3 Aug. 2014, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg GoogleMaps .; 1 ♂, 1 pre-subadult female (Pse-25), same locality GoogleMaps , Jingzhu Mountain , 26°29'45.60"N, 114°04'44.4"E, 1146 m, 20 Dec. 2015, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg.; 1 pre-subadult female (Pse-46), with same data as previous GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂ (Pse-26), Luofu Town, Changguling Forest Farm, 26°50'38.4"N, 114°14'09.6"E, 602 m, 29 May 2017, Ke-ke Liu et al. leg GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

The male of this species resembles both Psechrus changminae Zhang et al., 2016 (see Feng et al. 2016: 181, fig. 2b-d) and P. clavis Bayer, 2012 (see Bayer 2012: 121, fig. 66a-c) in having a membranous conductor with a triangular tip and the presence of five small denticles between cheliceral teeth (three in P. changminae ). It can be separated by a more elongated tegulum along the cymbial alveolus axis (relatively expanded in P. changminae and P. clavis ), an embolic base with a moderate constriction and a small apophysis (a strong constriction and a long embolic basal apophysis in P. changminae ; an indistinct constriction and without embolic basal apophysis in P. clavis ), and the embolus extending along the retrolateral part of the base (sub-centraxonial in P. changminae ; sub-retrolateral in P. clavis ). The female resembles those of P. changminae (see Feng et al. 2016: 181, fig. 2f, g) and P. tingpingensis Yin et al., 1985 (see Yin et al. 1985: 23, fig. 3C, D) in having an epigynal septum with a narrow anterior and a broad posterior part in the small globose spermathecae, but differs by the copulatory ducts separated by 1/10 of the anterior width of septum (more than 1/2 in P. changminae , closely touching in P. tingpingensis ) and without a strong medial folded part (clearly present in P. changminae and P. tingpingensis ), and the ratio> 1 between spermathecal head length and the spermathecal diameter (<1 in P. changminae ; = 1 in P. tingpingensis ) (Fig. 4C, D View Figure 4 ).

Description.

Male. Habitus as in Figure 1A, B View Figure 1 . Total length 13.57. Prosoma (Fig. 1A View Figure 1 ) length 6.32, width 4.72, densely covered white feathery scales. Eye (Fig. 1A View Figure 1 ) sizes and interdistances: AME 0.23; ALE 0.31; PME 0.37; PLE 0.39; AME-AME 0.18; AME-ALE 0.12; PME-PME 0.29; ALE-ALE 0.91; PME-PLE 0.28; PLE-PLE 1.58; ALE-PLE 0.29; AME-PME 0.48; AME-PLE 0.71. MOA: 0.99 long; 0.71 front width, 1.04 back width. Chelicerae (Fig. 1C, D View Figure 1 ) covered by dense setae, with three promarginal teeth and four retromarginal teeth and including five small denticles between teeth. Endites (Fig. 1B View Figure 1 ),> 2 × wider than their length, ectally with many long setae, median part clearly with a constriction. Labium (Fig. 1B View Figure 1 ) tongue-shaped, anteriorly with a row of strong setae, anterior margin procurved, subposterior part with a strong constriction. Sternum (Fig. 1B View Figure 1 ) oval, covered with dense setae, lateral margins with intercoxal extensions between coxae I and II, II and III, III and IV, posteriorly prolonged. Leg measurements: I 56.3 (14.73, 1.77, 16.09, 16.79, 6.92); II 43.2 (12.05, 1.95, 11.91, 12.59, 4.7); III 29.26 (8.72, 1.53, 7.28, 8.04, 3.69); IV 43.56 (11.98, 1.75, 11.56, 12.92, 5.35). Leg formula 1423. Opisthosoma length 7.46, width 3.69, hardened, with abundant short setae and feathery scales.

Colouration and pattern. Prosoma, anteriorly with a brown, procurved stripe along AER, lateral margins with an arched light stripe, from PER to posteromedial part with an oval dark area, subposteriorly with four paired radial striae around fovea. Chelicerae, endites, and labium red-brown. Sternum, medially with a clear coniform brown stripe from anterior margin extending to posteromedial part. Legs from yellow to brown. Opisthosoma, dorsum from yellow to greyish black, medially with light longitudinal cardiac stripe, lateral margins with three pairs of dark-brown stripes and white stripes, with the former separated by the latter; venter with a medial, longitudinal, yellow stripe from posterior part of pedicel extending to anterior area of cribellum, and two lines of shallow depressions from bilateral part of epigastric groove extending to sub-posterior part of opisthosoma.

Palp (Figs 1C-F View Figure 1 , 2A-I View Figure 2 , 3A-D View Figure 3 ). Palpal cymbium dorsally with very dense scopula, covering almost 1/2 of cymbium. Tegulum more than 2 × longer than wide, with a clear constriction in subapical part, near the embolic base. Subtegulum strongly sclerotized, subtegular length less than tegular length in prolateral view, slightly less than posterior tegular width in ventral view. Sperm duct with V-shaped posterior part or absent in ventral view. Conductor membranous, with very dense denticles on the rough surface, slightly longer than embolus, arising from submedial part of tegulum, slightly curved retrolaterally and then pointing at the cymbial apex forming a triangular apex, with a groove on its tip. Embolic base broad, strongly sclerotized, with a small apophysis pointing retrolaterally. Embolus spine-like, extending from the subapical part of tegulum to cymbial subapex, retrolateral part strongly sclerotized, with a single row of serrula.

Female. Habitus as in Figure 4A, B View Figure 4 . As in male, except as noted. Total length 18.89. Prosoma (Fig. 4A View Figure 4 ) length 8.11, width 5.55. Eye sizes and interdistances (Fig. 4A View Figure 4 ): AME 0.4; ALE 0.43; PME 0.45; PLE 0.43; AME-AME 0.23; AME-ALE 0.11; PME-PME 0.32; ALE-ALE 1.12; PME-PLE 0.54; PLE-PLE 2.07; ALE-PLE 0.58; AME-PME 0.67; AME-PLE 0.98. MOA: 1.41 long; 0.95 front width, 1.22 back width. Chelicerae (Fig. 4A, B View Figure 4 ) with six small denticles between teeth. Leg (Fig. 4A, B View Figure 4 ) measurements: I 49.43 (13.88, 2.72, 14.42, 12.82, 5.59); II 39.82 (11.65, 2.64, 10.81, 9.75, 4.97); III 27.51 (8.75, 2.02, 6.74, 6.41, 3.59); IV 39.55 (11.63, 2.77, 9.98, 10.23, 4.94). Leg formula 1243. Opisthosoma length 10.07, width 5.16.

Colouration and pattern. Darker than male. Coxae and trochanters I-IV with clear, dark, yellow-brown stripe.

Epigynum (Figs 4C, D View Figure 4 , 7A, B View Figure 7 ). Median septum, lateral margins strongly sclerotized, anterior part covered the copulatory openings, anterior width slightly less than 1/2 of maximum epigynal width, subposterior width almost as long as 1/2 of maximum epigynal width, posterior part with a clear constriction. Copulatory openings large, converging to median. Lateral lobe with a slightly sclerotized posterior margin. Copulatory ducts, anterior part bugle-shaped, medial part S-shaped, spiralling backwards and extending posterolaterally, posterior part tube-shaped, connecting with the spermathecae. Spermathecae globose, medially connecting with spermathecal heads, separated by <2 × spermathecal diameter. Spermathecal heads with many pores on surface, relatively long, extending forward from mesial part of spermathecae to the turn of copulatory duct. Fertilisation duct relatively broad, medially located at the spermathecae.

Habitat and biology.

Specimens occurred near both sides of a ditch and at the entrance areas of caves. They were usually collected by hand or by sweeping in microhabitats which included as stones, soil cracks, and plant roots. These spiders usually hang upside down on lace-sheet webs or rests on tube-shaped entrances of its web. At a slightest disturbance, they run back to their retreat with extreme speed, or they fall to the ground to feign death. This species is not easy to catch by hand and with tools.

Distribution.

Known only from Jiangxi Province, China (Fig. 9 View Figure 9 ). This species is widely distributed in Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve in Jiangxi Province, where the nature reserve abuts Yanling County in Hunan Province.

Variability.

Four males and 20 females were collected by us from Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve. Our detailed study of these specimens reveals that they differ in the number of denticles present between the cheliceral teeth, as well as in their body sizes, eye sizes, eye interdistances, and leg length (Table 1 View Table 1 ). Variability was also observed in the male palp (Figs 1C-F View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 ) and the epigynal field (Figs 4C, D View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 - 7 View Figure 7 ), such as dense scopula covering from 1/2 to 2/3 of cymbium (almost 1/2 (Pse-12 and Pse-16),> 1/2 (Pse-25),> 2/3 (Pse-26)), embolic basal apophysis from indistinct (Pse-12) to distinct (Pse-16, Pse-25, and Pse-26), anterior part of embolic base from unexpanded (Pse-26) to expanded (Pse-16, Pse-12 and Pse-25), anterior part of female epigynal septum from narrow (Pse-33) to relatively broad (Pse-34, Pse-35, Pse-36, Pse-37, Pse-23, and Pse-32), each copulatory duct from touching (Pse-33) to clearly separated (others) and with (Pse-34, Pse-35, Pse-37, Pse-23, Pse-32 and Pse-33) or without a strong turn (Pse-36), and spermathecal heads extending to the turn of copulatory ducts (Pse-34, Pse-23, and Pse-32) or not (Pse-35, Pse-37, and Pse-33). The variability observed in above may be the result of environmental factors, such as temperature, food, elevation, or habitat. Those specimens collected from stones usually had larger body sizes than specimens from other microhabitats.