Talaus triangulifer Simon, 1886

Li, Cong-zheng, Yao, Yan-bin, Xiao, Yong-hong, Xu, Xiang & Liu, Ke-ke, 2024, Notes on species of Talaus Simon, 1886 (Araneae, Thomisidae) from China, with descriptions of two new species, ZooKeys 1190, pp. 195-212 : 195

Talaus triangulifer Simon, 1886

Figs 6 , 7

Talaus triangulifer Simon, 1886: 172); Benjamin 2020: 414, figs 2C, H-J, 4E, 7A-B.

Talaus xiphosus Zhu & Ono, 2007: 81, figs 1-5; Benjamin 2020: 415 ("probably a synonym of T. triangulifer "). syn. nov.

Other material examined.

3 ♂: China, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongzuo City , Longzhou County, Nonggang National Nature Reserve , Sanlian Station , Longdan , 22.53470°N, 106.83697°E, 307 m, 31 October 2017, Ai-lan He, Ke-ke Liu, Qu Cai, Ji-he Liu, Jin-xin Liu & Zong-guang Huang leg. (Tho-029, HNU) ; 1 ♀, 30 October 2017, other data as previous ; 14 ♂ 11 ♀, Nonggang Station, Boarded-up Houses , 22.46444°N, 106.92359°E, 188 m, 28 October 2017, other data as previous ; 5 ♂ 11 ♀, Core Area , 22.46415°N, 106.93238°E, 228 m, 26 October 2017, other data as previous ; 4 ♂ 3 ♀, 27 October 2017, other data as previous ; 6 ♂ 6 ♀, Longjiang Ligatures , 22.4770°N, 106.90921°E 204 m, 28 October 2017, other data as previous ; 12 ♂ 1 ♀, 27 October 2017, other data as previous ; 12 ♂ 8 ♀, Longhengtun , 22.47450°N, 106.98307°E, 270 m, 29 October 2017, other data as previous ; 1 ♂ 3 ♀, 22.47166°N, 106.97051°E, 163 m, other data as previous ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Nanning City, Wuming County, Damingshan National Nature Reserve , Sanbao Station , Chaoyang , 23°31'13.679"N, 108°23'4.560"E, 3 November 2018, 593 m, Ai-lan He, Ke-ke Liu, Hui-juan Sheng, Ji-he Liu, Jin-xin Liu & Zong-guang Huang leg. ; 9 ♂ 1 ♀, Ganlan Station , 23°34'15.380"N, 108°25'16.284"E, 7 November 2018, 485 m, other data as previous ; 1 ♂ 2 ♀, Shanglin County, Zhaojiang Station , 23°27'1.8"N, 108°23'32.639"E, 6 November 2018, 263 m, other data as previous ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Jilong Station 23°26'5.279"N, 108°26'32.639"E, 591 m, 5 November 2018, other data as previous ; 17 ♂ 28 ♀, Chongzuo City, Jiangzhou District, Zuozhou Town , Guanghe Village , Hecuntun , Nongyao , 22°36.318'N, 107°25.677'E, 224 m, 9 September 2015, Bing Zhou, Wang Liu, Ji-he Liu, Qu Cai, Xian-feng Huang & Da Li leg. ; 8 ♂ 7 ♀, Longmitun, Nongxing , 22°34.190'N, 107°26.283'E, 272 m, 7 September 2015, other data as previous ; 11 ♀, Hecuntun, Nongteng , 22°35.074'N, 107°25.430'E, 235 m, 4 September 2015, other data as previous ; 1 ♂ 11 ♀, Nongdan , 22°34.054'N, 107°24.295'E, 296 m, 30 August 2015, other data as previous ; 2 ♂, 12 ♀, Pairutun , 22°34.911'N, 107°25.684'E, 226 m, 3 September 2015, other data as previous ; 7 ♂, 26 ♀, Nongheng , along the mountain road, 22°34.740'N, 107°24.915'E, 271 m, 29 August 2015, other data as previous ; 2 ♂ 4 ♀, Duolu Town, Duobai Village, Longquantun , Nongquan , 22°32.392'N, 107°27.221'E, 145 m, 10 September 2015, other data as previous .

Diagnosis.

The species can be easily differentiated from other Talaus species by the long straight xiphoid embolus [vs curved in T. beccarii (Benjamin, 2020: 406, fig. 1A); short in T. opportunus ( Benjamin 2020: 411, fig. 6A, B); flagelliform and curved in other species]. Females resemble those of T. opportunus ( Benjamin 2020: 411, fig. 6C, D) in having a pair of question-mark-like copulatory ducts, but can be easily distinguished from it by the oval spermathecae (vs irregular in T. opportunus ). The females are similar to those of T. sulcus ( Tang and Li 2010: 93, fig. 72C-F) in having a semi-circular epigynal scape and the swollen spermathecae, but can be separated from it by the question-mark-like copulatory ducts (vs S-shaped or spiral in T. sulcus ).

Description.

Male habitus as in Fig. 6A, B , eyes as in Fig. 6C , palp as in Fig. 6D-G . Palp: tibia with two apophyses: the ventral one bird-head-like in ventral view, with a sharp, narrowed apex directed retrolaterally; retrolateral one horn-like, well sclerotized, longer than ventral one; tegular ridge arising from ~ 1 o’clock position; embolus (Em) xiphoid, arising from 8 o’clock and ending at ~ 12 o’clock. Female habitus as in Fig. 7A, B , epigyne as in Fig. 7D, E . Epigyne: copulatory openings small, directed backwards, separated by half width of spermathecae; epigynal hood located posteriorly, semi-circular; copulatory ducts question-mark-like; spermathecae nearly oval, swollen, anterior part nearly touching, posterior part separated by less than half of spermathecal width.

Distribution.

Known from Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra; WSC 2023), Malaysia (Sabah; Benjamin 2020), and China (new records, Yunnan and Guangxi provinces; Fig. 12 ).

Remarks.

According to Zhu and Ono (2007), the original materials of Talaus xiphosus were collected from Longzhou County, Chongzuo City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Of these specimens, some were collected from Chongzuo City, the others from Nanning City. Although there is 100 km from the locality of the holotype (Ningming County in Chongzuo City) to the nearest point of the locality of our specimens, and there is intraspecific variation in the abdomen color in the specimens from Zhu and Ono (2007), we did not find any noticeable differences in the male palps or in the female epigynes and therefore confirm Benjamin’s (2020) proposal that T. xiphosus is a junior synonym of T. triangulifer . The results presented here suggest that this species has a wide distribution in Southeast Asia.

Figures

Figure 6. Talaus triangulifer Simon, 1886, male A habitus, dorsal view B habitus, ventral view C prosoma, dorsal view D palp, prolatero-ventral view E palp, ventral view F palp, retrolateral view G palp, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Em - embolus, RTA - retrolateral tibial apophysis, TR - tegular ridge, VTA - ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, B); 0.1 mm (C-G).

Figure 7. Talaus triangulifer Simon, 1886, female A habitus, dorsal view B habitus, ventral view C prosoma, dorso-frontal view D epigyne, ventral view E epigyne, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD - copulatory duct, CO - copulatory opening, EH - epigynal hood, FD - fertilization duct, Spe - spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, B); 0.1 mm (C-E).

Figure 12. Distributional records of Talaus dulongjiang Tang, Yin, Ubick & Peng, 2008 (yellow circles), T. niger Tang, Yin, Ubick & Peng, 2008 (black circle), T. sulcus Tang & Li, 2010 (red triangles), T. triangulifer Simon, 1886 (green circles), T. yuyang sp. nov. (blue circles) and T. zhangjiangkou sp. nov. (red square) from China.