Sudesna digitata, Zhang, Zhi-Sheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2011

Zhang, Zhi-Sheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2011, On four new canopy spiders of Dictynidae (Araneae) from Xishuangbanna Rainforest, China, Zootaxa 3066, pp. 21-36 : 35

Sudesna digitata sp. nov.

Figs 11–12

Type material. Holotype: Female, CHINA: Yunnan Province, Mengla County, primary tropical seasonal rain forest, 21°54.390ʹ N, 101°16.811ʹ E, alt. 612± 15 m, 10 August 2007, G. Zheng leg. Paratype: 1 female, same data as for holotype.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word ‘ digitatus’, meaning ‘digitate’ or ‘finger-like’ and refers to the finger-like spermathecal heads of the epigyne; adjective.

Diagnosis. Female of the new species similar to S. hedini ( Schenkel, 1936) ( Figs 7 A–E) in having widely separated copulatory openings, short copulatory ducts and small spermathecal heads ( Figs 7 G–H, 11A–B, 12F–G); but distinguished by the small copulatory openings, the finger-like spermathecal heads and the curved spermathecae of epigyne.

Description. Female. Total length 1.60–1.89. Holotype ( Figs 12 A–C): total length 1.89. Prosoma 0.77 long, 0.73 wide; opisthosoma 1.24 long, 0.80 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma white, with greyish markings and high cephalic area. Fovea obsolete. Cervical groove distinct, while radial furrow indistinct. Anterior eye row almost straight and posterior eye row procurved. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.023, ALE 0.057, PME 0.068, PLE 0.069; AME–AME 0.082, AME–ALE 0.055, PME–PME 0.056, PME–PLE 0.078, ALE–PLE 0.026. MOA 0.17 long, the front width 0.13, the back width 0.16. Clypeus height 0.039. Chelicerae white yellowish, with yellow small lateral condyles and three promarginal, one retromarginal teeth. Gnathocoxae yellowish, longer than wide. Labium dark yellow, as long as wide. Sternum yellowish. Legs yellowish, without spine. Length of calamistrum about 4/5 of metatarsus IV. Leg measurements: I 3.03 (0.96, 1.10, 0.60, 0.37), II 2.95 (0.93, 1.03, 0.59, 0.40), III 2.53 (0.81, 0.83, 0.53, 0.36), IV 2.80 (0.87, 0.93, 0.65, 0.35). Leg formula: 1243. Opisthosoma oval. Dorsum white, with several black shuttle-like setae on the middle and posterior parts. Some white scale-like markings located laterally. Venter yellowish. Cribellum narrower than the distance including ALS.

Epigyne with small and widely separated copulatory openings. Copulatory ducts short. Spermathecal heads small, fingerlike, located near the spermathecae anterior-laterally. Spermathecae distinctly curved ( Figs 11 A–B, 12F–G).

Male unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the rainforest canopy of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Sudesna hedini (Schenkel, 1936) from Guizhou. A. Female habitus, dorsal view; B. Eyes and chelicerae, frontal view; C. Chelicerae, ventral view; D. Epigyne, ventral view; E. Vulva, dorsal view; F. Male left palp, ventral view; G. Same, retrolateral view; H. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURE 11. Sudesna digitata sp. nov., holotype female. A. Epigyne, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; FD = fertilization duct; S = spermatheca; SH = spermathecal head.

FIGURE 12. Sudesna digitata sp. nov., holotype female. A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Eyes and chelicerae, frontal view; D. Chelicerae, ventral view; E. Metatarsus IV, showing calamistrum, retrolateral view; F. Epigyne, ventral view; G. Vulva, dorsal view.