Sphingius hainan Zhang, Fu & Zhu, 2009

Feng, Zhang & Fu, Jianying, 2010, A new species of the genus Sphingius (Araneae, Liocranidae) from China, and first description of the female: Sphingius hainan Zhang, Fu & Zhu, 2009, ZooKeys 49 (49), pp. 23-31 : 27-30

Sphingius hainan Zhang, Fu & Zhu, 2009

Figs. 8–13

Sphingius hainan Zhang, Fu & Zhu, 2009: 34 , f.1–8.

Material examined. 3 3 2♀, CHINA: Hainan Province, Mt. Jianfengling [N 18.62°, E 108.98°], May 28, 2009, S. T. Guo and X. X. Zhang leg. ( MHBU) ; 1 3 (holotype), CHINA: Hainan Province, Changjiang County, Mt. Bawangling , November 5, 2008, M. S. Zhu leg. ( MHBU) .

Diagnosis. In comparing Chinese Sphingius species, such as S. sinensis ( Schenkel, 1963) and S. zhangi Zhang, Fu & Zhu, 2009 , with the female of S. hainan , we find the epigyne of S. hainan has a large anterior hood (Fig. 9) while S. sinensis with two small anterior hoods ( Zhang et al. 2009: fig. 18); and additionally, the epigynal hood of S. hainan is half-oval shaped (Fig. 9), while S. zhangi has a hood nearly rectangle-shaped ( Zhang et al. 2009: fig. 27).

Figures 8–Ι3. Sphingius hainan Zhang, Fu & Zhu, 2009 . 8 Female body, dorsal view 9 Epigyne, ventral view Ι0 Vulva, dorsal view ΙΙ Left male palp, prolateral view Ι2 Same, ventral view Ι3 Same, retrolateral. b bursa c conductor co copulatory opening e embolus h hood ma median apophysis s spermatheca sd sperm duct st subtegulum t tegulum ta tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 1 mm (8); 0.5 mm (9–13).

Comparing S. hainan with the seven Sphingius species with known females found in nearby south east Asian countries, S. hainan can be distinguished from S. penicillus ( Thailand) , by having a large anterior hood (Fig. 9) while S. penicillus with a small anterior hoods ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: fig. 850). S. hainan is also very similar to S. vivax ( Thorell, 1897) ( Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines) in the conformation of the male palpal organ, but can be distinguished from S. vivax by having a longer and thicker male palpal retrolateral tibial apophysis (Fig. 13), by the bulb with apical membranous conductor (Fig. 12), and by the shape of the median apophysis (Fig. 12). S. hainan can also be distinguished from S. songi ( Thailand) , S. gothicus ( Thailand) and S. punctatus ( Thailand, Indonesia), by having a half-oval shaped epigynal hood (Fig. 9) while epigynal hood M-shaped in S. songi , triangle-shaped in S. gothicus , and nearly rectangle-shaped in S. punctatus ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: figs. 855, 845, 866). S. hainan can be distinguished from S. octomaculatus ( Myanmar) and S. gracilis ( Myanmar) , by having a large anterior hood (Fig. 4) while the latter two without anterior hood ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: figs. 861, 837).

Comparing S. hainan with the seven Sphingius species with known females found in nearby south east Asian countries, S. hainan can be distinguished from S. penicillus ( Thailand) , by having a large anterior hood (Fig. 9) while S. penicillus with a small anterior hood ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: fig. 850). S. hainan can also be distinguished from S. songi ( Thailand) , S. gothicus ( Thailand) , S. vivax ( Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines) and S. punctatus ( Thailand, Indonesia), by having a half-oval shaped epigynal hood (Fig. 9) while the epigynal hood rather ‘M-shaped’ in S. songi ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: fig. 855), triangle-shaped in S. gothicus ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: fig. 845), large and dome shaped in S. vivax ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: fig. 842) and nearly rectangle-shaped in S. punctatus ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: fig. 866). S. hainan can be distinguished from S. octomaculatus ( Myanmar) and S. gracilis ( Myanmar) , by having a large anterior hood (Fig. 4) while the latter two without anterior hood ( Deeleman-Reinhold 2001: figs. 861, 837).

Description. Female. Body length 5.00–5.53. One specimen was measured, total length 5.53: carapace 2.52 long, 2.07 wide; abdomen 3.01 long, 1.80 wide. Carapace ovoid in dorsal view (Fig. 8), deep reddish brown, with numerous small granulations, lateral and posterior margins with angular granulations. Eyes in two transverse rows; AER slightly recurved, PER straight or slightly recurved in dorsal view and longer than AER. Eye diameters: AME 0.13, ALE 0.12, PME 0.14, PLE 0.13. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.19, PME–PME 0.50, PME–PLE 0.17; MOA 0.33 long, front width 0.29, back width 0.28. Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth, anterior side with a tubercle. Endites brown, longer than wide, constricted at middle on lateral margin, anterior edge with clear serrula and scopula. Labium slightly rectangular, anterior margin with a slight concavity centrally. Sternum light brown, shield-shaped, covered with sparse granulations, posterior margin slightly extending between coxae IV, lateral margin with precoxal triangles and intercoxal sclerites. Space above the coxae and below the carapace with longitudinal, sclerotized pleural bars. Legs brown, anterior tibiae and metatarsi spineless, tarsi I–III almost as long as metatarsi. Leg spination: femora I-II with one small dorsal spines, tibia III v2-2-2, p 0-1-1, r 0-0-1; metatarsus III v 2-0-0; tibia IV v 1-1- 1, p0-0-1, r 0-0-1, metatarsus IV p0-1-0, v 2-1-0, r 0-1-0. Leg formula: 4123 ( Table 2).

Abdomen ovoid (Fig. 8), dark brown, light brown centrally; dorsal scutum covering nearly all, and dorsum with one pair of muscular impression on middle part. Venter of abdomen yellow brown, epigastric scutum tripartite (to some degree, at least in the color) divided into a central plate and two lateral plates, postgenital scutum relatively small, about two thirds of abdomen length, venter with two rows of longitudinal lines of spots.

Epigyne as illustrated (Figs. 9–10). Epigynal plate oval-rectangular, anterior half concave and posterior half convex. Anterior atrial hood arch-shaped (Fig. 9). Copulatory openings situated in the corners of the depression, leading through funnel-shaped ducts to the spermathecae and bursae. Spermathecae posteriorly (Fig. 10), large, globose; bursae anteriorly, smaller globose, thin-walled; a short connecting tube between the anterior bursa and posterior spermatheca.

Male (holotype). The male has been described by Zhang et al. (2009). Male palp as illustrated (Figs. 11–13).

Distribution. Hainan.