Shearella sanya, Lin & Li, 2010

Lin, Yucheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2010, New armored spiders of the family Tetrablemmidae from China, Zootaxa 2440 (1), pp. 18-32 : 23-26

Shearella sanya sp. nov.

Figs 19–28 , 50

Type material: Holotype: male ( IZCAS), Liudaohai Hill at seacoast (Alt.: 5 m), Sanya City [18°11´N, 109°34´E, Hainan, China], 15 July 2007, S.Q. Li and C.X. Wang leg. Paratypes: 117 males and 145 females, same data as holotype ( IZCAS) .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. The new species seems similar to Shearella lilawati Lehtinen, 1981 but may differs by 1) the presence of a dichotomous apophysis at anterior surface of chelicera, 2) the shape of pedipalpal bulb, 3) the presence of a sharply horn behind ocular area in male, 4) the presence of a short fingerlike vulval stem and 5) the mesial curved inner vulval plate in female.

Description. Male: 1.28–1.33. Coloration reddish. Prosoma length 0.57–0.60, width 0.48–0.51, maximal height 0.49–0.52. Opisthosoma length 0.76–0.80, width 0.68–0.72. Six eyes in a group, ALE largest, and PME smallest, posterior eye row slightly recurved, ocular area black. Dorsal shield of prosoma finely retiform. A sharp horn located behind ocular area ( Fig. 19, 20 ). Cephalic pars flat. Thoracic pars strongly serrated along margin. Chelicera with a large dichotomous apophysis and a small tuber on anterior surface ( Fig. 20 ). Cheliceral fang basal swollen. Sternum length subequal to width, with retiform modification, at margin slight longitudinally striated and fused to dorsal shield of prosoma. All sections of legs, except patellae, with tiny transversely striated ornaments. Two small tubercles on Metatarsus I distally ( Fig. 22 ). Leg measurements: I 1.54 (0.50, 0.14, 0.40, 0.26, 0.24); II 1.40 (0.44, 0.14, 0.34, 0.26, 0.22); III 1.22 (0.36, 0.12, 0.28, 0.24, 0.22); IV 1.62 (0.50, 0.14, 0.42, 0.30, 0.26). Leg formula: 4-1-2-3. Of opisthosoma dorsal scutum sleek, long oval. Lateral scutum I short, no reached to the anterior brim of booklung opening. Ventral scutum irregular longitudinally striated. Preanal plate wide equal 2.2 times to long, and wider than postgenital plate.

Pedipalpal femur slightly swollen at base, prolaterally rugose. Patella short, subequal to a third femoral length. Pedipalpal tibia specially swollen, with a distally dorsal trichobothrium. Pedipalpal bulb wry pearshaped. Embolus thin and short, tip chisel-shaped. Sperm duct inflated in base and attenuated gradually ( Figs 23, 24 ).

Female: 1.38–1.43. Prosoma length 0.61–0.64, width 0.51–0.53, maximal height 0.47–0.48. Opisthosoma length 0.78–0.83, width 0.70–0.74. Modification same as in male, but without horn behind ocular area, dorsal shield of prosoma longer than in male, chelicerae normal. Leg measurements: I 1.44 (0.48, 0.14, 0.34, 0.24, 0.24); II 1.38 (0.36, 0.14, 0.32, 0.26, 0.22); III 1.24 (0.38, 0.12, 0.28, 0.24, 0.22); IV 1.60 (0.50, 0.14, 0.42, 0.30, 0.24). Leg formula: 4-1-2-3. Pulmonary plate anteriorly lateral granulate, mesial and posterior transversely striated. Epigynal plate bears a row of plumose setae at postmargin. Epigynal fold quite distinct. Postgenital plate covered anterior margin of and shorter a little than preanal plate. Perigenital plate mesially wide and laterally narrow.

Epigynal pit small. Central process short finger-shaped and obviously sclerotized, slightly curved toward ventrally. Vulval stem nearly rounded. Vulval duct broad, membranous and slightly sclerotized. Inner vulval plate claviform, thinner and longer than central process ( Fig. 28 ).

Natural history. The species are found living under leaf litter in the coastal bosket of tropic.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 50 ).

Figures

FIGURE 50. Locality records of tetrablemmid species in China.

FIGURES 19–24. Shearella sanya sp. nov. 19–21 Male prosoma (19 anterior, 20 lateral, 21 ventral view); 22 Leg I of male, prolateral view; 23–24 Male left pedipalp (23 prolateral, 24 retrolateral view). Scales: 0.1 mm

FIGURES 25–28. Shearella sanya sp. nov. 25–26 Female prosoma (25 dorsal, 26 lateral view); 27 Female opisthosoma, ventral view; 28 Female genital area (KOH-treated), ventral view. Scales: 0.1 mm