Meizhelan, Lin & Li, 2023

Lin, YeJie & Li, Shuqiang, 2023, On nine ground spiders from Xishuangbanna, China (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), including two new genera and seven new species, ZooKeys 1174, pp. 141-174 : 141

Genus Meizhelan gen. nov.

Type species.

Meizhelan muhong sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

Meizhelan gen. nov. resemble the Apodrassodes Vellard, 1924 (see Platnick and Shadab 1983) by the long, slender embolus (Fig. 9D ), membranous conductor (Fig. 9A, B ), sperm duct with S-shaped turn (Fig. 9B, C ), copulatory duct membranous (Fig. 10B ) and spermathecae located posteriorly (Fig. 10B ). But it differs in the following: retrolateral tibial apophysis longer than tibia (Fig. 9C ) (vs shorter or as long as tibia), absence of tegular apophysis (Fig. 9B ) (vs present) and embolus start at the middle of bulb (Fig. 9B ) (vs start at posterior of bulb), in the female, spermathecae with two chambers (Fig. 10B ) (vs spermathecae oval) and absent of scape and primary spermatheca (Fig. 10A, B ) (vs present).

Description.

Male (Fig. 11A, C, E-H ). Total length 3.19. Carapace yellow brown, covered with brown setae. Fovea longitudinal. Clypeus brown, covered with several plumose setae. Chelicerae yellow-brown, with two promarginal and one retromarginal teeth. Endites pale yellow. Labium pale yellow, covered with brown setae. Sternum colored as endites, covered with brown setae. Legs yellow, without preening comb on metatarsi III and IV, with scopula under claw. Opisthosoma oval, venter pale brown with setae, dorsal scutum almost 1/2 the length of the opisthosoma. Spinnerets pale brown.

Palp as in Fig. 9A-D . Palpal femur almost 4 × longer than patella. Tibia 0.6 × shorter than patella. Retrolateral tibial apophysis almost 3 × longer than tibia. Cymbium almost 3 × longer than wide, with fold for retrolateral tibial apophysis. Subtegulum (ST) almost oval in prolateral view. Tegulum almost oval. Sperm duct (SD) with S-shaped turns in ventral and retrolateral view. Tegular apophysis (TA) absent. Conductor (C) membranous, huge, with serrations. Embolus (E) long and slender, with a paraembolic process.

Female (Fig. 11B, D ). Total length 2.70. Habitus similar to those of male.

Epigynal plate (Fig. 10A, B ) with pair of lateral pockets (P), almost triangle shape. Copulatory openings (CO) hidden under anterior edge of epigynal plate, separated by median septum (MS). Copulatory duct (CD) membranous, connect the middle of spermatheca. Spermathecae (S) located posteriorly, with two chambers. Fertilization ducts (FD) start at posterior of spermathecae.

Etymology.

The genus is named after Meizhelan , nickname for one of the 108 outlaws in the classical Chinese novel 'Outlaws of the Marsh’; masculine in gender.

Composition.

The new genus currently includes only one species: Meizhelan muhong sp. nov.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan).

Comments.

This genus belongs to the subfamily Echeminae Simon, 1893.

Figures

Figure 9. Meizhelan muhong sp. nov., holotype male A prolateral view B ventral view C retrolateral view D embolus. Abbreviations: C = conductor, E embolus, PP = paraembolic process, RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis, SD = sperm duct, ST = subtegulum.

Figure 10. Meizhelan muhong sp. nov., paratype female A epigyne, ventral view B vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct, CO = copulatory opening, FD = fertilization duct, GA = glandular appendage, MS = median septum, P = pocket, S = spermatheca.

Figure 11. Meizhelan muhong sp. nov., male holotype (A, C, E-H) and female paratype (B, D) A, B habitus, dorsal view C, D eye area E chelicerae F spinnerets G metatarsus IV H shallow indentation on trochanter.