Macrothele washanensis Wu & Yang, 2022

Wu, Yaying, Li, Zhimin, Yang, Yan & Yang, Zizhong, 2022, Two new species of the genus Macrothele Ausserer, 1871 (Araneae, Macrothelidae) from China, Biodiversity Data Journal 10, pp. 90967-90967 : 90967

Macrothele washanensis Wu & Yang sp. n.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Zizhong Yang, Yongming You and Jiasen Wei ; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: D04682CE-CED5-56AC-A410-7702384D544D; Taxon : scientificName: Macrothele washanensis; order: Araneae ; family: Macrothelidae ; genus: Macrothele ; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Yunnan; county: Cangyuan county ; municipality: Lincang ; verbatimLatitude: 23°14′5′′N; verbatimLongitude: 99°17′48′′E; Event: year: 2021; month: 5; day: 10; Record Level: institutionCode: DUIER-MWa 11 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Zizhong Yang, Yongming You and Jiasen Wei ; individualCount: 5; sex: 2 males, 3 females; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 591EC1BF-750A-582E-9048-CB6B879AA1AE; Taxon : scientificName: Macrothele washanensis; order: Araneae ; family: Macrothelidae ; genus: Macrothele ; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Yunnan; county: Cangyuan county ; municipality: Lincang ; verbatimLatitude: 23°14′5′′N; verbatimLongitude: 99°17′48′′E; Event: year: 2021; month: 5; day: 10; Record Level: institutionCode: DUIER-MWa21-MWa 25 Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Zizhong Yang, Chenggong Li and Wenjie Zhang ; individualCount: 6; sex: 4 males, 2 females; lifeStage: 2 males juveniles, 2 females juveniles; occurrenceID: 1CB3C2AB-A8F3-597A-B327-116255DB7C73; Taxon : scientificName: Macrothele washanensis; order: Araneae ; family: Macrothelidae ; genus: Macrothele ; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Yunnan; county: Gengma county ; municipality: Lincang ; locality: Mengjian Town ; verbatimLatitude: 23°43'0.772″N; verbatimLongitude: 99°20'14.784"E; Event: year: 2017; month: 9; day: 15; Record Level: institutionCode: DUIER-MWa26-MWa 211 Type status: Other material. Occurrence: recordedBy: Zizhong Yang, Chenggong Li and Wenjie Zhang ; individualCount: 23; sex: females; lifeStage: 22 females juveniles; occurrenceID: C8434D9A-AFE5-5421-BEB6-35D4F206CE28; Taxon : scientificName: Macrothele washanensis; order: Araneae ; family: Macrothelidae ; genus: Macrothele ; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Yunnan; county: Gengma county ; municipality: Lincang ; locality: Lixin village ; verbatimLatitude: 23 º 15′31.90″N; verbatimLongitude: 99 º 17′22.45″E; Event : year: 2018; month: 7; day: 25; Record Level : institutionCode: DUIER-MWa212-MWa234

Description

Male (holotype, DUIER-MWa11, Fig. 1 ). Total length 24.56: cephalothorax 10.89 long, 6.98 wide; opisthosoma 8.14 long, 5.64 wide. Carapace dark, gray hairs. Fovea concave. Both eye rows recurved. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.55, ALE 0.64, PME 0.48, PLE 0.49; ALE-AME 0.14, AME-AME 0.17, ALE-PLE 0.18, PLE-PME 0.07, PME-PME 0.88. Eye area 1.11 long, 2.21 wide. Chelicerae black, with 15 stout promarginal teeth, 13 small retromarginal teeth, and 15 tiny teeth within fang furrow (Fig. 1 F). Labium and maxillae chestnut, with grey bristles and patch of cuspules on anterior half part (Fig. 1 K); maxillae area length 2.58, and cuspules area length 1.45. Sternum with three pairs of sigilla (Fig. 1 J). Palp: tibia grey, 4.34 long, with four long prolateral spines (Fig. 1 G), palpal trochanter without lyral spines; embolus 4.76 long, apex curved and hook shaped (Fig. 1 B-E).

Leg spines. I: femur with 1 prolateral near base; patella 2 prolateral distally; tibia 2 prolateral, 2 retrolateral, 9 ventral (Fig. 2 A); metatarsus with 19 ventral spines (Fig. 2 B), and two comb-like organs near distad, among them, prolateral with 2 spines, retrolateral with 3 spines (Fig. 3 A-B); tarsus with 3 prolateral and 3 retrolateral. II: femur 1 prolateral near distad; patella 2 prolateral; tibia 1 prolateral, and 3 ventral, 1 spine near distad, 2 near basal (Fig. 2 C); metatarsus with 1 prolateral, 10 ventral (Fig. 2 D), two comb-like organs near distad, among them, prolateral with 3 spines, retrolateral with 4 spines (Fig. 3 C-D); tarsus with 6 prolateral, 6 retrolateral. III: femur 1 prolateral and 1 retrolateral; patella 2 prolateral, 1 retrolateral; tibia 3 prolateral, 2 retrolateral, and 3 ventral; metatarsus 2 ventral, 4 prolateral, 3 retrolateral, two comb-like organs near distad, among them, prolateral with 3 spines, retrolateral with 4 spines (Fig. 3 E-F); tarsus with 4 prolateral, 5 retrolateral. IV: femur 1 prolateral and retrolateral near distal end; patella with 2 prolateral, 1 retrolateral; tibia with 2 prolateral, 1 retrolateral, 3 ventral near distal end; metatarsus with 2 dorsal, 3 prolateral, 3 retrolateral, 7 ventral, and two comb-like organs near distad, among them, prolateral with 3 spines, retrolateral with 5 spines (Fig. 3 G-H); tarsus with 7 prolateral, 6 retrolateral.

Measurements of palp and legs: palp: 9.63 (2.28, 6.12, 1.23); I: 22.79 (6.14, 7.66, 5.58, 3.41); II: 25.80 (6.72, 8.75, 6.84, 3.49); III: 24.69 (6.14, 7.89, 6.93, 3.73); IV: 29.75 (7.37, 9.35, 8.68, 4.35). Leg formula: 4231.

Abdomen gray brown, hairy. Spinnerets, PMS one segment, 1.87 long, 0.48 wide, PMS-PMS 0.78; PLS three segments, PLS 10.65 long (3.20, 3.19, 4.26).

Female (DUIER-MWa21, Fig. 4 ). Total length 28.39: cephalothorax 11.67 long, 6.66 wide; opisthosoma 9.11 long, 6.54 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.52, ALE 0.71, PME 0.50, PLE 0.51; AME-AME 0.26, ALE-AME0.24, ALE-PLE 0.12, PME-PME 0.91, PLE-PME 0. Eye area 1.13 long, 2.24 wide. Chelicerae brown, with 15 stout promarginal teeth, 12 small retromarginal teeth, and 13 tiny teeth within fang furrow (Fig. 4 B). Labium and maxillae dark yellow, with dark brown bristles and patch of cuspules on anterior half part (Fig. 4 C); maxillae area length 2.34, and cuspule area length 1.58. Sternum with three pairs of sigilla (Fig. 4 D); palpal trochanter without lyral spines.

Leg spines. I: femur with 1 prolateral near distad; patella 1 prolateral; tibia with 1 prolateral; metatarsus with 7 ventral, and two comb-like organs near distad, prolateral with 3 spines, retrolateral with 2 spines (Fig. 5 A-B); tarsus with 3 prolateral, 4 retrolateral. II: femur 1 prolateral near distad; patella 2 prolateral; tibia 1 prolateral, 2 ventral; metatarsus 1 prolateral, 6 retrolateral, and two comb-like organs near distad, among them, prolateral with 3 spines, retrolateral with 4 spines (Fig. 5 C-D); tarsus with 5 prolateral, 3 retrolateral. III: femur with 1 dorsal; patella 2 prolateral and 1 retrolateral; tibia 3 prolateral, and 2 retrolateral, 3 ventral distally; metatarsus with 2 dorsal, 5 prolateral, 4 retrolateral, 6 ventral, and two comb-like organs near distad, among them, prolateral with 3 spines, retrolateral with 3 spines (Fig. 5 E-F); tarsus with 5 prolateral, 6 retrolateral. IV: femur 1 prolateral near distad, 1 retrolateral; patella 2 prolateral, 1 retrolateral; tibia 3 prolateral, and 2 retrolateral, 3 ventral near distad; metatarsus with 2 dorsal, 3 prolateral, 4 retrolateral, 7 ventral, and two comb-like organs near distad, prolateral with 3 spines, retrolateral with 6 spines (Fig. 5 G-H); tarsus with 9 prolateral, 7 retrolateral.

Measurements of palp and legs: palp: 12.07 (3.07, 4.80, 4.20); I: 20.65 (5.80, 7.47, 4.85, 2.53); II: 21.99 (5.81, 7.92, 5.33, 2.93); III: 22.24 (5.39, 7.25, 6.33, 3.27); IV: 25.37 (6.24, 8.35, 7.54, 3.24). Leg formula: 4321.

Receptacula apically teardrop shaped, the ratio of the length of the T to the length of the CD is almost 1:6 (Fig. 6 A-B). Spinnerets: PMS one segment, PMS 2.78 long, 0.58 wide, PMS-PMS 1.63; PLS three segments, PLS 11.11 long (2.91, 3.75, 4.45).

Diagnosis

Males of Macrothele washanensis sp. n. resemble M. arcuata Tang, Zhao & Yang, 2020 by having similar bulb shape, but they can be distinguished by the BH no protrusion in prolateral view, embolus tapers from base to apex, and hook-shaped, the ratio of the length of the BH to the length of the E is almost 1: 4 (Fig. 1 B-E); the four tibial spines visible in prolateral view (Fig. 1 G-I); tibia I with nine spines visible in ventral view, tibia II straight, with three ventral spines (Fig. 2 ) (vs tibia with three prolateral spines, and three ventral spines, embolus with visible protrusion, joint of embolus and bulb is strongly bent, embolus needle shaped, the ratio of the length of the BH to the length of the E is almost 1: 5; tibia I with 26 spines, tibia II with retrolateral bend and 15 ventral spines in M. arcuata ). Females of M. washanensis sp. n. can be differentiated from M. arcuata by the receptacula apically teardrop shaped, the ratio of the length of the T to the length of the CD is almost 1: 6 (Fig. 6 ) (vs copulatory duct long, shape of the English letter “G”; receptacula apically oval, the ratio of the length of the T to the length of the CD is almost 1: 8 in M. arcuata ).

Etymology

The species epithet is a noun in apposition referring to the type locality.

Distribution

China, Yunnan Province (Cangyuan, Gengma) (Fig. 15 )

Ecology

Spinning large funnel web on crevices. Female often stays in the entrance of funnel tube, when the sheet part of funnel web was hit by other animals, she quickly rush out, to catch the prey, or attack the enemy (Fig. 7 B). If the male of the same species comes, releasing some chemical clue or sending vibration via the web, female accepted the clue and walk out for further communication and copulation (Fig. 7 A). After some days of copulation, female will lay several dozens of eggs, packaged in a silk-sac, then carried it under her ventral side with cheliceral fang (Fig. 7 C).

Variation

Male (holotype and two male paratypes, n = 3): total length 23.30-24.56; maxillary cuspules 220-269, labial cuspules 53-59. Female (paratypes, n = 3): total length 23.43-28.39; maxillary cuspules 260-297, labial cuspules 61-70.

Figures

Figure 1. Macrothele washanensis sp. n., male holotype. A. Male body, dorsal view; B. Embolus, prolateral view; C. Same, ventral view; D. Same, retrolateral view; E. Same, the end; F. Left chelicerae, ventral view; G. Left palp tibia, prolateral view; H. Same, dorsal view; I. Same, retrolateral view; J. Sternum; K. Maxillae and labium.

Figure 2. Macrothele washanensis sp. n., male holotype, left leg. A. Tibia I, ventral view; B. Metatarsus I, ventral view; C. Tibia II, ventral view; D. Metatarsus II, ventral view.

Figure 3. Macrothele washanensis sp. n., male holotype, comb-like organs. A. Metatarsus I, prolateral comb-like organs; B. Same, retrolateral comb-like organs; C. Metatarsus II, prolateral comb-like organs; D. Same, retrolateral comb-like organs; E. Metatarsus III, prolateral comb-like organs; F. Same, retrolateral comb-like organs; G. Metatarsus IV, prolateral comb-like organs; H. Same, retrolateral comb-like organs.

Figure 4. Macrothele washanensis sp. n., female paratype. A. Female, body, dorsal view; B. Left chelicerae, ventral view; C. Maxillae and labium; D. Sternum.

Figure 5. Macrothele washanensis sp. n., female paratype. A. Metatarsus I, prolateral comb-like organs; B. Same, retrolateral comb-like organs; C. Metatarsus II, prolateral comb-like organs; D. Same, retrolateral comb-like organs; E. Metatarsus III, prolateral comb-like organs; F. Same, retrolateral comb-like organs; G. Metatarsus IV, prolateral comb-like organs; H. Same, retrolateral comb-like organs.

Figure 6. Macrothele washanensis sp. n., female paratype. A-B. Genitalia, Cangyuan county.

Figure 7. Macrothele washanensis sp. n. A. Spider shelter and spiders; B. Living female; C. Female spider with eggs.

Figure 15. Distribution records of the Macrothele in Yunnan Province. 1. M. bannaensis Xu & Yin, 2001; 2. M. cangshanensis Yang et al., 2018; 3. M. undata Tang, Zhao & Yang, 2020; 4. M. jinlin Yang et al., 2018; 5. M. jingzhao Chen, Jiang & Yang, 2020; 6. M. multispine Wang, Li & Yang, 2019; 7. M. sanheensis Tang, Zhao & Yang, 2020; 8. M. yani Xu, Yin & Griswold, 2002, Shi et al. 2018; 9. M. yongshengensis Yang, Zhao & Yang, 2019; 10. M. menglunensis Li & Zha, 2013; 11. M. yunlingensis Yang, Zhao & Yang, 2019; 12. M. arcuata Tang, Zhao & Yang, 2020; 13. M. yunnanica Zhu & Song, 2000; 14. M. washanensis sp. n.; 15. M. wuliangensis sp. n.