Lysiteles auriculatus, Tang, Guo, Yin, Chang-Ming, Peng, Xian-Jin, Ubick, Darrell & Griswold, Charles, 2008

Tang, Guo, Yin, Chang-Ming, Peng, Xian-Jin, Ubick, Darrell & Griswold, Charles, 2008, The crab spiders of the genus Lysiteles from Yunnan Province, China (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 1742, pp. 1-41 : 6-7

Lysiteles auriculatus sp. nov. Figs 2 a–e, 21

Type material: Holotype: female, CHINA, Yunnan Province, Baoshan City, Mangkuan Township, Baihualing [N25.30890º, E98.79536º], 1515 m, 2 June 2005, Heng-Mei Yan and Ke-Ji Guo (HNU-GKJ03705).

Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin adjective auriculatus , meaning ear-shaped and referring to the shape of the epigynal hoods; adjective.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to another new species, L. spirellus sp. nov. ( Figs 16 a–b ), in general appearance, but can be separated from the latter by: the epigyne with a pair of hoods anteriorly (absent in L. spirellus ); copulatory opening diagonally split-shaped versus large circular in L. spirellus ; epigyne without septum found in L. spirellus . This species can also be separated from other members of this genus by the unique epigynal hoods ( Figs 2 b, e).

Description. Female (holotype): Total length 3.55. Prosoma 1.64 long, 1.40 wide; opisthosoma 1.94 long, 1.56 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma with some long setae, bilaterally with large blackish brown longitudinal markings. Eye tubercles grayish black. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.20, PLE 0.12, AME 0.09, PME 0.06, AME-AME 0.16, AME-ALE 0.15, PME-PME 0.26, PME-PLE 0.30; MOA 0.34 long, front width 0.35, back width 0.40. Sternum light yellow. Chelicerae and labium blackish brown, gnathocoxae yellow. Legs grayish brown with many spines. Leg measurements: I: 5.75 (1.70, 1.95, 1.30, 0.80), II: 6.00 (1.80, 2.00, 1.40, 0.80), III: 3.20 (1.10, 1.20, 0.50, 0.40), IV: 3.50 (1.20, 1.30, 0.60, 0.40); formula 2, 1, 4, 3. Femora I with 3 prolateral spines, femora I–IV with 3 (1-1-0-1) dorsal spines, tibiae and metatarsi I and II with 2 pairs of ventral spines, tibiae and metatarsi III and IV with 1 ventral spine. Opisthosoma nearly oval, dorsum gray with many hairs; anteriorly with a pair of longitudinal black stripes, muscular depressions visible, posteriorly with 2 pairs of transverse blackish markings, laterally grayish yellow with some small white spots; venter light yellow with small silver spots.

Epigyne-vulva ( Figs 2 b–e). Epigyne with a pair of hoods anteriorly, the posterior portion of epigyne transparent and rugose; copulatory opening diagonally split-shaped; copulatory ducts large with helix-shaped curve; spermathecae small, kidney-shaped.

Male: unknown.

Distribution. China (known only from the type locality).

Figures

FIGURES 2 a- – e. Lysiteles auriculatus sp. nov. a Female, habitus; b, d Epigyne; c, e Vulva; H hood. Scale bars: a = 1; b – e = 0.1.

FIGURES 16 a – f. Lysiteles spirellus sp. nov. a, b Female, habitus; c, e Epigyne; d, f Vulva; MS median septum. Scale bars: a – b = 1; e – f = 0.1.