Cladolasma damingshan, Zhang, Chao & Zhang, Feng, 2013

Zhang, Chao & Zhang, Feng, 2013, Description of a new Cladolasma (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae: Ortholasmatinae) species from China, Zootaxa 3691 (4), pp. 443-452 : 444-446

Cladolasma damingshan sp. nov.

( Figs 1–24 )

Type material. Male holotype; CHINA, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Wuming County, Damingshan National Nature Reserve (23°30´N, 108°26´E), elevation 1231 m, 18. July 2012, C. Zhang leg. (MHBU-Opi- 12ZC030).

Diagnosis. Base of penis dorsoventrally compressed, truncus penis bent to ventral after proximal third ( Fig. 20 ). Glans with eight small spines and six large spines: small ones arranged around base of stylus; large ones situated on dorsal, lateral, and ventral side at the central and basal part of the glans ( Figs 22–24 ). Ocularium ( Figs 3 , 5–6 ) without circumocular keels (see Suzuki 1974: 123, fig. 1 for C. parvulum ; Schwendinger & Gruber 1992: 58, fig. 2 for C. angka ). The eyes at the highest part of the ocularium and the hood projections sloping slightly to ventral ( Fig. 6 ; in comparison to Suzuki 1974: 123, fig. 1; Schwendinger & Gruber 1992: 58, fig. 3). Abdominal scutum ( Fig. 6 ) without enlarged, dorsad-directed tubercles (compare Schwendinger & Gruber 1992: 58, fig. 3 for C. angka ).

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition, referring to the type locality.

Description. Male (holotype) habitus as in Figs 1–2 and 4–6 . Coloration in alcohol generally dark brown with yellow background color: dorsum with yellowish brown background ( Figs 1–2 ). Propeltidium with two brown lateral areas. Eye rings black, hood pale brown to yellow ( Fig. 3 ). Meso- and metapeltidium with a lighter median area in the center. Most of the opisthosomal scutum brown, only area V yellowish brown posteriorly, where thinning into tubercle structures. Venter dark brown, slightly lighter in ventral midline ( Fig. 4 ). Chelicerae dark brown. Pedipalpi pale brown except for dark brown trochanter. Legs yellowish brown except for dark brown trochanters, metatarsi and tarsi; femora of legs I, III and IV banded brown (base and center) and yellow.

Dorsum ( Figs 1–2 , 5 ). Entire body strongly sclerotized. Metapeltidium clearly separated from carapace and abdominal scutum ( Figs 2 , 5 ). Free tergites not visible from above. Surface covered with a network of interconnected anvil-shaped tubercles. Anterior border of carapace with one lateral conical process on each side of ocularium; central portion of carapace with four longitudinal rows of anvil-shaped tubercles connected with each other by transverse bridges; lateral margin of carapace smooth, without anvil-shaped tubercles. Metapeltidium with a transverse row of anvil-shaped tubercles ( Figs 2 , 5 ). Abdominal scutum with intricate lattice of interconnected anvil-shaped tubercles, its posterior margin with a fence-like row of 6 enlarged, posteriad-directed digitiform tubercles. Free tergites on caudal surface of body with low keels in transverse rows ( Figs 4 , 6 ).

Hood ( Figs 3 , 5–6 ) highly arched, with one median, unpaired and 4 lateral, paired digitiform tubercles, decreasing in length toward base of the hood; these digitiform tubercles usually with small basal cross-bars and decreasing in diameter from base to tip. Basal stem of the hood very short in comparison to other species, and hood projecting ventral and not bent in central part. Eyes thus located relatively high, not below the level of the hood if seen from lateral. No circumocular keels or lace-like elevations present.

Venter ( Fig. 4 ). Coxae with small wart-bearing setae on ventral surfaces and with dorso-distal rows of anvilshaped tubercles; a row of anvil-shaped tubercles along anterior and posterior margins of coxae II, III and IV; coxae I and II with distal digitiform processes retrolaterally; coxa IV with similar process prolaterally. Genital operculum short and tongue-shaped, surface with tubercles. Sternites with transverse rows of low keels, these reduced at the midline.

Chelicerae ( Figs 7–9 ). Basal segment without glandular area and dorsomedial tooth, only ventrally and dorsally with a few setae. Second segment with one basal, prodorsal tooth ( Fig. 7 ) and many long dorsal setae, and rows of short setae at base of fixed finger ( Figs 7, 9 ). Fingers short, with diaphanous teeth and dark subapical teeth: one dark tooth on movable finger, two dark teeth on fixed finger.

Pedipalpi ( Figs 10–12 ). Coxae with one ventral setiferous tubercle. Trochanters with two ventral setiferous tubercles. Femora with few clavate hairs. Patellae medially with many clavate hairs and laterally with few clavate hairs. Tibiae and tarsi densely covered with clavate hairs.

Legs ( Figs 13–18 ). All trochanters prodorsally and retrodorsally with one enlarged tubercle. Femora, patellae and tibiae without pseudoarticulations, with distinctive microsculpture as shown in Fig. 18 , composed of broad, thick, conical, slightly inclined denticles. Metatarsi and tarsi without annulations and microsculpture, only with setae. Tarsal segments I–IV: 4 (2+2), 5 (3+2), 6 (2+2+2), 6 (2+2+2).

Penis ( Figs 19–24 ) slender; no clear distinction between shaft, glans and stylus. Shaft with nearly parallel sides for most of its length (seen from dorsal and ventral), then tapering distally; in proximal portion dorsoventrally compressed and ventrally flattened (best seen from lateral), in median portion elliptical and wider than long in cross-section, in distal portion elliptical and longer than wide in cross-section, close to glans almost circular. Base of truncus drawn out in two large lobe-like roots, containing the muscles. Glans strongly bulged ventrally and slightly bulged dorsally ( Fig. 20 ); distal part of glans with eight small spines at the base of the stylus and basal part with six large spines, the latter arranged as follows: two dorsal, two lateral, and two ventral ( Figs 22–24 ). Stylus simple, straight, slightly inclined towards dorsal side, without torsion; tip of stylus slightly bent towards ventral side.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements. Male holotype: Total length (including hood and posterior tubercles) 3.15. Prosoma 0.75 long, 1.35 wide. Opisthosoma 1.23 long, 1.31 wide. Median hood process 1.00 long, 0.82 wide. Basal segment of chelicerae 0.55 long, 0.22 wide; second segment of chelicerae 0.60 long, 0.18 wide. Measurements of left pedipalpus and right legs as in Table 1 .

Habitat. The single specimen was collected by sieving leaf litter in a sub-tropical evergreen broad-leaved forest.

Distribution. This species is so far known only from the type locality, the Damingshan National Natural Reserve in Guangxi Province, China.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Cladolasma damingshan sp. nov. Photographs of holotype male. 1. Entire animal, dorsal view. 2. Body and parts of appendages, dorsal view. 3. Hood, dorsal view. 4. Body and parts of appendages, ventral view. Scale bars: 2 mm (Fig. 1); 0.5 mm (Figs 2, 4); 0.2 mm (Fig. 3).

FIGURES 5 – 6. Cladolasma damingshan sp. nov. Holotype male, drawings. 5. Body, dorsal view. 6. Body, lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 18. Cladolasma damingshan sp. nov. Holotype male. 7. Left chelicera, prolateral view. 8. Ditto, retrolateral view. 9. Second and third segment of chelicera, dorsal view. 10. Left pedipalp, prolateral view. 11. Ditto, retrolateral view. 12. Tarsus of pedipalpus, prolateral view. 13. Right leg I, retrolateral view, showing distribution of ornamentation. 14 – 17. Right legs, retrolateral view. 14. Leg I. 15. Leg II. 16. Leg III. 17. Leg IV. 18. Microsculpture of femur leg II. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (Figs 7 – 9, 12, 18); 0.5 mm (Figs 10 – 11); 1 mm (Figs 13 – 17).

FIGURES 19 – 24. Cladolasma damingshan sp. nov. Holotype male, penis. 19. Dorsal view. 20. Lateral view. 21. Ventral view. 22. Penis tip, dorsal view. 23. Ditto, lateral view. 24. Ditto, ventral view. DS, dorsal spines; LS, lateral spines; SS, small spines; VS, ventral spines. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (Figs 19 – 21); 0.05 mm (Figs 22 – 24).

Tables

TABLE 1. Pedipalpus and legs measurements of the Cladolasma damingshan sp. nov. holotype; length / width given for femora.

	Trochanter	Femur	Patella	Tibia	Metatarsus	Tarsus	Total
Pedipalpus	0.37	0.70/0.10	0.38	0.48		0.32	2.25
Leg I	0.34	1.27/0.23	0.55	0.96	0.33	0.60	4.05
Leg II	0.40	3.00/0.18	1.00	2.50	1.30	1.48	9.68
Leg III	0.34	1.40/0.23	0.55	1.03	0.32	0.65	4.29
Leg IV	0.34	1.85/0.23	0.65	1.72	0.40	0.70	5.66