Paramolotra Tong & Li, 2021

Cheng, Weihua, Bian, Dongju, Tong, Yanfeng & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, A new genus and two new species of oonopid spiders from Tibet, China (Araneae, Oonopidae), ZooKeys 1052, pp. 55-69 : 55

Paramolotra Tong & Li gen. nov.

Type species.

Paramolotra pome sp. nov.

Etymology.

The generic name refers to the similarities of this genus with Promolotra Tong & Li and is feminine in gender.

Diagnosis.

Paramolotra gen. nov. resembles Promolotra Tong & Li, 2020 in having the heavily sclerotized dorsal and ventral abdominal scuta, the long spines on legs I and II, the cone-shaped protuberance on anterior face of male chelicerae, and the completely fused bulb and cymbium, but can be distinguished by the embolar region which have several protrusions that distinctly extend beyond the tip of the cymbiobulbus (Figs 2 , 5 , 7A-D ), the indented labium (Fig. 8A, G ) of both sexes, and the stick-shaped anterior arm of T-shaped sclerite (tsc) of endogyne (Fig. 9B, D ). The embolar region of Promolotra consists of brush-like structures and 3 broad lobes, which barely extends beyond the tip of the cymbiobulbus ( Tong and Li 2020: figs 1H-J, 2, 5H-J, 6), the labium deeply incised ( Tong and Li 2020: fig. 3E, 7E), the endogyne consists of canopy-shaped anterior arm of T-shaped sclerite (tsc) and horseshoe-shaped sclerite ( Tong and Li 2020: fig. 4G).

Description.

Male. Body: yellow-brown, legs yellow. Carapace (Figs 1B, H , 4B, F ): broadly oval in dorsal view, without any pattern; pars cephalica slightly elevated in lateral view, with rounded posterolateral corners, posterolateral edge without pits, posterior margin not bulging below posterior rim, anterolateral corners without extensions or projections, posterolateral surface without spikes, thorax without depressions, fovea absent, without radiating rows of pits; surface finely reticulated (anterolateral surface striated in P. metok sp. nov.), lateral margin with small blunt denticles, marginal setae present. Eyes (Figs 1B, I , 4B, G ): 6, well-developed, arranged in a compact group; ALE largest, PME, PLE subequal; ALE separated by less than their radius, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME touching each other; posterior row straight from above, procurved from front. Clypeus (Figs 1I , 4G ): margin unmodified, sinuous in front view, vertical in lateral view. Mouthparts (Figs 1I , 4G , 7E-H , 8A-L ): chelicerae straight, anterior face strongly swollen, with cone-shaped protuberance in lateral view; with large tooth on promargin; with slit sensillum on distal part of cheliceral paturon; labium rectangular, anterior margin indented, not fused to sternum; endites same as sternum in sclerotization. Sternum (Figs 1D , 4D ): uniformly orange-brown, not fused to carapace; longer than wide, with radial furrows between coxae, surface rugose; setae sparse, dark, needlelike, evenly scattered. Abdomen (Figs 1F, G , 4H, I ): ovoid, rounded posteriorly; booklung covers large, brown, without setae, anterolateral edge unmodified; pedicel tube medium-sized, ribbed, scutum not extending far beyond dorsum of pedicel, lacking plumose hairs; sperm pore small, oval, rebordered, situated between posterior spiracles; anterior and posterior spiracles not connected by grooves; dorsal scutum strongly sclerotized, covering full length of abdomen, no soft tissue visible from above, separate from epigastric scutum; epigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel; postgastric scutum strongly sclerotized, covering nearly full length of abdomen, fused to epigastric scutum, with posteriorly directed lateral apodemes; spinneret scutum present as incomplete ring, with fringe of setae; colulus represented only by setae. Legs (Figs 1A, C , 4A, C ): yellowish brown; leg spines: tibiae I-II with 4 pairs of ventral spines; metatarsi I-II with 2 pairs of ventral spines, legs III and IV without spines. Palp (Figs 2 , 5 , 7A-D ): femur, patella and tibia brown, cymbiobulbus yellow; cymbium completely fused with bulb; embolar region consists of a basal protrusion, an anterior protrusion and a posterior protrusion, which distinctly extend beyond the tip of the cymbiobulbus.

Female. As in male except as noted. Chelicerae without cone-shaped protrusion. Postgastric scutum rectangular, not fused to epigastric scutum. Epigastric area (Figs 3G , 6H , 9A, C ): surface with conspicuous genital atrium. Endogyne (Fig. 9B, D ): with a T-shaped sclerite; apodemes well-developed; receptaculum present.

Composition.

Paramolotra pome sp. nov. (♂♀), P. metok sp. nov. (♂♀).

Distribution.

China (Tibet).

Figures

Figure 1. Paramolotra pome sp. nov., male holotype (SYNU- 435) A, C, E habitus in dorsal, ventral, and lateral views B, D, H, I prosoma in dorsal, ventral, lateral, and anterior views F, G abdomen in lateral and ventral views. Scale bars: 0.8 mm (A, C, E); 0.4 mm (B, D, F-I).

Figure 2. Paramolotra pome sp. nov., male left palp, SEM A, B, D prolateral, retrolateral, and dorsal views C, E, F distal part of cymbiobulbus, prolateral, retrolateral, and dorsal views. Abbreviations: ap = anterior protrusion; bp = basal protrusion; dp = distal protrusion; pp = posterior protrusion. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, B, D); 0.02 mm (C, E, F).

Figure 3. Paramolotra pome sp. nov., female paratype (SYNU- 438) A, B, E habitus in dorsal, ventral, and lateral views C, D, F, H prosoma in dorsal, ventral, lateral, and anterior views G abdomen in ventral view. Scale bars: 0.8 mm (A, B, E); 0.4 mm (C, D, F-H).

Figure 4. Paramolotra metok sp. nov., male holotype (SYNU- 441) A, C, E habitus in dorsal, ventral, and lateral views B, D, F, G prosoma in dorsal, ventral, lateral, and anterior views H, I abdomen in ventral and lateral views. Scale bars: 0.8 mm (A, C, E); 0.4 mm (B, D, F-I).

Figure 5. Paramolotra metok sp. nov., male left palp, SEM A, B, D prolateral, retrolateral, and dorsal views C, E, F distal part of cymbiobulbus, prolateral, retrolateral, and dorsal views. Abbreviations: am = anterior membrane; ap = anterior protrusion; bp = basal protrusion; pm = posterior membrane; pp = posterior protrusion. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, B, D); 0.02 mm (C, E, F).

Figure 6. Paramolotra metok sp. nov., female paratype (SYNU- 443) A, C, E habitus in dorsal, ventral, and lateral views B, D, F, G prosoma in dorsal, ventral, lateral, and anterior views H abdomen in ventral view. Scale bars: 0.8 mm (A, C, E); 0.4 mm (B, D, F, G); 0.2 mm (H).

Figure 7. Paramolotra pome sp. nov. A, B, E, F, male holotype (SYNU- 435); Paramolotra metok sp. nov. C, D, G, H male holotype (SYNU- 441) A, C left palp, prolateral view B, D left palp, retrolateral view E, G left chelicerae, anterior view F, H left chelicerae, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A-D); 0.1 mm (E-H).

Figure 8. Paramolotra pome sp. nov. A-F male holotype (SYNU- 435); Paramolotra metok sp. nov. G-L male holotype (SYNU- 441) A, G labium and endite, ventral view B, H left endite, ventral view C, I, E, K, F, L left chelicerae, lateral, posterior, and anterior views D, J left chelicerae, posterior magnified views. Abbreviations: ami = anterior median indentation; csp = cone-shaped protuberance; lt = large tooth; ss = slit sensillum. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A, C, E-G, I, K, L); 0.04 mm (B, D, H, J).

Figure 9. Paramolotra pome sp. nov. A, B female paratype (SYNU- 438); Paramolotra metok sp. nov. C, D female paratype (SYNU- 443) A, C copulatory organ, ventral view B, D copulatory organ, dorsal view. Abbreviations: apo = apodemes; pr = posterior receptaculum; tls = tube-like structure; tsc = T-shaped sclerite. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.