Indoxysticus tangi Jin and Zhang

Jin, Chi & Zhang, Feng, 2012, Re-examination of the crab spider species Oxytate minuta Tang, Yin et Peng, 2005 (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 3588, pp. 64-67 : 64-67

Indoxysticus tangi Jin and Zhang , comb. nov. et replacement name

( Figs 1–10 )

Replacement name for Oxytate minuta Tang, Yin et Peng, 2005: 733 , figs 1–3 (preoccupied by Indoxysticus minutus ( Tikader, 1960) : 173, figs 1a–b).

Diagnosis. The female of this species is similar to I. minutus in general appearance, but differs in the position of the transverse hood of the epigyne, which is on the posterior margin of the chambers (hood on the anterior margin of the chambers in I. minutus ). The male can be easily separated from I. minutus by the RTA with hooked tip (RTA with conical tip in I. minutus ), and by the bulb with no projecting subtegular prong prolaterally (bulb with subtegular prong in I. minutus ).

Description. Male (from Wuyi Mountain). Total length 3.27. Prosoma 1.43 long, 1.43 wide; opisthosoma 1.84 long, 1.28 wide ( Fig. 3 ). Dorsal shield of prosoma slightly convex, dark yellowish-brown, sides black brown, with long setae sparsely. Clypeus height 0.13, clypeus with 7 long setae and a small white marking.

Eyes diameters: AME 0.05, ALE 0.15, PME 0.04, PLE 0.14; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.28, AME–ALE 0.13, PME–PME 0.20, PME–PLE 0.35. MOA length 0.30 with front width 0.38 and back width 0.33. Chelicerae and labium yellowish-brown, endites yellow and distal margin white, sternum yellow. Legs yellow with unconspicuous black annuli. Leg spination: femur I prolateral 1-1-1, I–IV dorsal 1-1; patellae I–IV dorsal 1-1; tibiae I–II dorsal 1-1, pro- and retrolateral 0-1, ventral 1-2; metatarsi I–II ventral 2-2-2. Leg measurements: I 4.95 (1.55, 0.65, 1.05, 1.00, 0.70); II 5.85 (1.78, 0.73, 1.53, 1.08, 0.73); III 3.82 (1.18, 0.48, 0.93, 0.75, 0.48); IV 3.55 (1.13, 0.38, 0.83, 0.73, 0.48), leg formula: 2134. Opisthosoma dorsally yellow with transverse grayish markings, white spots and long setae; sides grayish; venter yellow.

Palp as in Figs 5–8 . VTA broad digitiform, RTA extremely extend with hooked tip and the tip directed dorso-laterally; embolus (starting at 8 o’clock position) large and thick, its tip heavily sclerotized, twisted, triangle shaped in ventral view; tegulum membranous.

Female. Total length 4.23–4.74; the following measurements refer to one specimen: body length 4.23. Prosoma 1.73 long, 1.73 wide. Opisthosoma 2.50 long, 1.94 wide ( Fig 1 ). Eyes diameters: AME 0.08, ALE 0.18, PME 0.05, PLE 0.15; eyes interdistances: AME–AME 0.33, AME–ALE 0.13, PME–PME 0.28, PME–PLE 0.48. MOA length 0.38 with front width 0.50 and back width 0.38. Clypeus height 0.13. Legs yellow with black annuli. Leg spination: femur I prolateral 1-1-1, I–IV dorsal 1-1; patellae I–IV dorsal 1-1; tibiae I–II dorsal 1-1, ventral (prolateral) 1-1-1; metatarsi I–II ventral 2-2-2. Leg measurements: I 6.04 (1.80, 0.83, 1.45, 1.13, 0.83); II 6.59 (1.83, 0.90, 1.68, 1.33, 0.85); III 4.76 (1.53, 0.60, 1.20, 0.80, 0.63); IV 4.67 (1.45, 0.58, 1.23, 0.83, 0.58), leg formula: 2134.

Epigyne as in Figs 2, 4 , 9–10 . Atrium oval shaped, wider than long, with sclerotized posterior margin forming kind of hood; copulatory openings invisible from the ventral view and located on lateral sides of hood; copulatory duct very short, spermatheca oval and twisted.

Material examined. Type material: male holotype and 2 male paratypes, Mt. Huping, Hunan Province, China, 6 July 2003, Guo Tang (College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, examined).

Other material examined: CHINA: Fujian Province: 1 male, 2 females, Wuyi Mountain, Lianhua Peak, N 27º41', E 117º57', 12 August 2010, Feng Zhang ( MHBU).

Distribution. China (Fujian, Hunan).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Indoxysticus tangi. 1 female habitus, dorsal view; 2 epigyne, ventral view; 3 male habitus, dorsal view; 4 vulva; 5 left male palp, ventral view; 6. same, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (1, 3); 0.2 mm (2, 4 – 6).

FIGURES 7 – 10. Indoxysticus tangi. 7 left male palp, ventral view; 8 same, retrolateral view; 9 epigyne, ventral view; 10 vulva. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. CO = copulatory opening; E = embolus; FD = fertilization duct; H = hood; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; S = spermatheca; ST = subtegulum; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis.