Songthela longhui Zhang & Xu sp. nov.

Figs 4, 5

Type material.

Holotype: China · 1 ♂; Hunan Province, Shaoyang City, Longhui County, Jinshiqiao Town, Huangjinjing Village; 27.58°N; 110.90°E; alt. 550 m; 18 September 2021; Z.Y. Chen, X. Xu, Y. Zhan, Y. Zhang leg.; XUX-2021-275 (matured on 25 August 2022). Paratypes: China · 1 ♂, 5 ♀; same data as for the holotype, alt. 552 m; XUX-2021-278, 281, 282, 282A (matured on 25 August 2022), 283, 285A.

Diagnosis.

Male of S. longhui sp. nov. resembles those of S. dapo Li, Chen, Liu, Li & Xu, 2022, S. lingshang Li, Chen, Liu, Li & Xu, 2022, S. multidentata Li, Chen, Liu, Li & Xu, 2022, S. pluma and S. xiujian Li, Chen, Liu, Li & Xu, 2022 by conductor with needle-shaped apical spine (Fig. 4A, B, E, H-J), but can be distinguished from those of S. dapo and S. lingshang by tegulum with smaller dorsal extension of terminal apophysis (Fig. 4C, F), and conductor with slightly narrower base of apical spine (Fig. 4A, H-J); from S. multidentata by conductor with longer apical spine (Fig. 4A, B, E, H-J), and contrategulum with larger apophysis proximally (Fig. 4A, B, D); from S. pluma by tegulum with smaller terminal apophysis (Fig. 4F), and contrategulum with one irregular dentate margin (Fig. 4A, D); from S. xiujian by contrategulum with larger apophysis proximally (Fig. 4A, B, D); from S. anhua sp. nov. by apical spine of conductor needle-shaped (Fig. 4A, B, H-J), by tegulum with slightly smaller terminal apophysis and wider dorsal extension of terminal apophysis (Fig. 4C, F); from S. zhongpo sp. nov. by apical spine of conductor with slightly narrower base (Fig. 4A, H-J); from those of other species of Songthela multidentata -group by needle-shaped apical spine of conductor (Fig. 4A, E, H-J); from those of other Songthela species by middle part of the conductor with several small spines (Fig. 4A, B, E, H-J).

Females of S. longhui sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. anhua sp. nov. by Y-shaped median genital stalks, lateral receptacular clusters with distinct short genital stalks, and deeper depressions in dorsal view (Fig. 5A-C); from S. pluma by lateral receptacular clusters with slightly longer genital stalks, and two larger and deeper depressions in dorsal view (Fig. 5A-C); from S. zhongpo sp. nov. by median receptacular clusters with longer genital stalks (Fig. 5A-C); from those of other species of Songthela multidentata -group by median receptacular clusters with longer genital stalks, and Y-shaped median genital stalks, lateral ones with distinct genital stalks (Fig. 5A-C); from those of other Songthela species by four receptacular clusters located at dorsal side of bursa copulatrix and median genital stalks fused together basally (Fig. 5A-C).

Description.

Male (holotype). Carapace brown; opisthosoma yellow brown, with 12 brown tergites attached a pair of hard and thick bristles, the second to fifth larger than others and the fourth largest; sternum narrow, much longer than wide; a few pointed hairs running over ocular area; chelicerae robust with promargin of cheliceral groove with 11 denticles of variable size; legs with sturdy hairs and spines; 6 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 11.94, CL 5.36, CW 4.63, OL 5.91, OW 4.72; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; leg I 16.52 (4.72 + 2.10 + 3.32 + 4.05 + 2.33), leg II 16.34 (4.37+ 2.09 + 3.13 + 4.23 + 2.52), leg III 19.10 (5.17 + 2.07 + 3.37 + 5.47 + 3.02), leg IV 23.98 (5.80 + 2.44 + 4.65 + 7.31 + 3.78).

Palp. Paracymbium unpigmented and unsclerotised prolaterally, numerous setae and spines on the tip (Fig. 4A-C). Contrategulum with an arched apophysis proximally and irregular dentate edge (Fig. 4A, B, D). Tegulum with a semi-circular marginal apophysis and dentate dorsal extension of the terminal apophysis, and with a small terminal apophysis retrolaterally (Fig. 4C, F, G). Conductor having a long apical spine pointed to the one-third of opening of embolus proximally, the middle part covered with several small teeth, and the smooth base fused with embolus (Fig. 4A, B, E, H-J). Embolus largely sclerotized, with a wide and flat opening, several longitudinal ribs in middle and distal portion (Fig. 4A, B, D, E, G).

Female (XUX-2021-281; Fig. 1F). Carapace dark reddish brown and opisthosoma light brown, with 12 dark brown tergites attached a pair of thick bristles, the second to fifth larger than others and the fourth largest; sternum narrow, much longer than wide; a few pointed hairs running over ocular area; chelicerae robust with promargin of cheliceral groove with 12 denticles of variable size; legs with sturdy hairs and spines; 7 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 11.52, CL 5.20, CW 4.33, OL 5.73, OW 4.51; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; palp 9.41 (3.36 + 1.56 + 1.90 + 2.59), leg I 10.69 (3.41 + 1.72 + 2.12 + 2.03 + 1.41), leg II 10.56 (3.29 + 1.76 + 1.82 + 2.14 + 1.55), leg III 11.23 (3.22 + 1.80 + 1.97 + 2.58 + 1.66), leg IV 15.96 (4.56 + 2.07 + 2.82 + 4.22 + 2.29).

Female genitalia. Two pairs of receptacular clusters with distinctly genital stalks, situated on the dorsal wall of the bursa copulatrix; the median ones similar to or slightly larger than the lateral ones, the Y-shaped middle genital stalks; the posterior margin of the bursa copulatrix sclerotized, the posterior margin of the genital area wide, two deeper depressions in dorsal view (Fig. 5A-F).

Variation.

Males and females vary in body size, cheliceral teeth and spinnerets. Range of measurements in males (N = 2): BL 10.98-11.94, CL 4.95-5.36, CW 4.52-4.63, OL 5.60-5.91, OW 4.22-4.72. There are 6 or 7 spinnerets (N = 2). Females (N = 5): BL 5.56-11.86, CL 4.27-5.48, CW 3.61-4.58, OL 4.29-5.79, OW 3.27-4.60. The number of cheliceral teeth varies from 12 to 13 (N = 5). In addition, male palp and female genitalia also show intraspecific variations: in males, the middle part of conductor with more teeth (Fig. 4H, I) or less teeth (Fig. 4J); tegulum with a relatively larger terminal apophysis (Fig. 4C) or slightly smaller (Fig. 4E). In females, the middle Y-shaped genital stalk fused totally with only two receptacular clusters separated from each other (Fig. 5A, D) or fused basally and separated in the middle (Fig. 5B, C, E, F).

Etymology.

The species epithet, a noun in apposition, refers to the type locality.

Distribution.

Hunan (Longhui), China