Three new species of the spider genus Meotipa Simon, 1895 from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China (Araneae: Theridiidae) Liang, Yun Yin, Haiqiang Xu, Xiang European Journal of Taxonomy 2024 2024-11-05 968 156 173 Liang & Yin & Xu 2024 [642,848,1260,1286] Arachnida Theridiidae Meotipa Animalia Araneae 10 166 Arthropoda species tortuosa sp. nov.   urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7EC551E7-6F53-4FC3-9EF3-309181D45FE5  Figs 7–11, Tables 1–3    Diagnosis The female of this new species is similar to that of  M. capacifaba Li et al., 2020in having a deep, membranous atrium and large, sclerotized S (compare Figs 7D−F, 8 with Li et al.2020: figs 2a, 3a), but can be distinguished from the latter by having an oval abdomen in lateral view, a horse hoof-shaped atrium with equal-width margin, and visible CO; whereas the abdomen is near trapezoidal in lateral view, atrium ring-shaped with widened area that is strongly sclerotized but abruptly becoming slender as well as indistinct CO hidden by anterior margin of atrium in  M. capacifaba(compare Figs 7D−F, 8 with Li et al.2020: figs 1c, 2a–b). The male of this new species is similar to that of  M. pulcherrima( Mello-Leitão, 1917)in having a broad, large and sclerotized C (compare Figs 9E, 10Ewith Yoshida 2003: fig. 213), but can be distinguished from the latter by an extremely twisted E hidden by C in ventral view and C distinctly extending beyond cymbium; whereas E is straight, short, and uncovered in ventral view as well as C slightly extending beyond cymbium in  M. pulcherrima(compare Figs 9D−F, 10 with Yoshida 2003: fig. 213).    Etymology The specific name is derived from the Latin word ‘ tortuosa’, meaning ‘twisted ’, referring to the shape of the embolus, and is an adjective, feminine.    Type material    Holotype CHINA•  ♀; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongzuo City, Jiangzhou District, Zuozhou Town, Guanghe Village; 22°34′ N, 107º25′ E; alt.  281 m;  6 Sep. 2015; B. Zhou, W. Liu, J. Liu, Q. Cai, X. Huangand D. Lileg.; HNU813.    Paratypes CHINA• 2 ♂♂; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongzuo City, Nongang Nature Reserve, Nonggang Station; 22° 27′ N, 106° 55′ E; alt.  188 m;  25 Oct. 2017; A. He, K. Liu, J. Liu, Q. Cai, J. Liuand Z. Huangleg.; HNU814–815.    Description  Female( holotypeHNU813) Total length 2.9, carapace 1.06 long, 0.87 wide, 0.41 height, abdomen 1,84 long, 1.13 wide, 1.29 height. Carapace yellowish, with a pale gray longitudinal stripe, and round fovea, indistinct radial furrow ( Fig. 7A). Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.08, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.02, PME–PME 0.07, PME–PLE 0.05. Clypeus height 0.24. Clypeus bulged outwards. Chelicerae yellowish, three promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Pedipalp yellowish, patellae and tibiae with one black flattened spine each. STL 0.62, STW 0.53. Sternum yellowish, shield-shaped. Labium nearly rectangular. Legs yellowish, long and slender, patellae and tibiae have one or two black flattened spines. Leg measurements: I 10.15 (2.96, 0.69, 2.31, 3.20, 0.99); II 6.18 (2.01, 0.43, 1.27, 1.76, 0.71); III 3.85 (1.27, 0.35, 0.65, 1.03, 0.55); IV 7.2 (2.45, 0.46, 1.57, 2.05, 0.67). Leg formula I IV II III. Abdomen oval, yellowish, with snowy patches and six transverse black stripes. Caudal region and region above spinnerets with black flattened spines ( Fig. 7C). Venter of abdomen yellowish ( Fig. 7B).  EPIGYNE( Figs 7D−F, 8). Atrium membranous, divided into two parts by ES, each part resembling a horse hoof. Margin of atrium and ES strongly sclerotized. CO distinct. CD sclerotized, width approximately ½ width of S, and terminal portion fused with S. S sclerotized, adjacent to each other, and extending horizontally. FD relatively long, comma-shaped, with sclerotized basal portion and membranous distal portion, arising from posterior margin of S.  Male( paratypeHNU814) Total length 2.33, carapace 1.01 long, 0.93 wide, 0.51 height, abdomen 1.32 long, 0.74 wide, 0.80 height. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.07, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.03, PME–PME 0.08, PME–PLE 0.05. Clypeus height 0.29. STL 0.56, STW 0.52. Leg measurements: I 6.75 (1.97, 0.30, 1.41, 1.84, 1.23); II 4.21 (1.50, 0.20, 0.84, 1.24, 0.43); III 2.6 (0.89, 0.16, 0.49, 0.81, 0.25); IV 4.57 (1.54, 0.23, 1.02, 1.34, 0.44). Leg formula I IV II III. Black flattened spines present on dorsum of abdomen, and between caudal region and region above spinnerets. Body size of male much smaller than that of female, and color patterns paler than those of female. Other characteristics similar to those of female.   Fig. 8.  Meotipa tortuosa sp. nov., ♀, holotype (HNU813). A. Epigyne, ventral view. B. Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.  PEDIPALPUS( Figs 9D−F, 10). Metatarsus with long hairs along distal margin. Cymbium pod-shaped. T broad, sclerotized, joining with C. St relatively large, sclerotized, located on lower of bulb. C robust, well-developed, approximately ⅔ size of bulb. C mostly sclerotized but basal ⅔ membranous in retrolateral view. E long, wide, and flat, exhibiting ribbon-like twist, situated between C and E, originating in position of 6 o’clock and terminating in position of 12 o’clock. MA triangular, situated between C and cymbium.    Remarks It should be noted that  M. tortuosa sp. nov.includes one femaleand two malespecimens found in this study, but female and male specimens were not collected in the same locality, nor at the same time. The distance between the two locations is less than 100 kilometers and the time span was nearly two months. In addition, both sexes are similar in appearance. We assumed that the male and female specimens were of the same species, and conducted a molecular analysis using the H3 gene mark to verify our hypothesis. Detailed information about the specimens used for DNA barcoding is shown in Table 1.    Distribution Known only from the typelocality, China( Guangxi) ( Fig. 11). 4983421307 2015-09-06 HNU B. Zhou & W. Liu & J. Liu & Q. Cai & X. Huang & D. Li China 281 22.566668 Jiangzhou District 1259 107.416664 Chongzuo City 11 167 HNU813 1 1 Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region holotype 4983421301 2017-10-25 HNU A. He & K. Liu & J. Liu & Q. Cai & Z. Huang China 188 22.45 Nongang Nature Reserve 1260 106.916664 Chongzuo City 11 167 HNU814-815 2 2 Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region paratype