Lysiteles distortus, 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 : 17-18

Lysiteles distortus sp. nov.

Figs 8 a–e , 22

Type material: Holotype: male, CHINA, Yunnan Province, Longling County, Zhen’an Township, Bangbie Village [N24.81333°, E98.83280°], 1545–1560 m, 24 May 2005, Charles Griswold (HNU-CGY11801).

Paratypes: 2 ɗ, same data as holotype (HNU-CGY11801). Tengchong County: 2 ɗ, Wuhe Township, Tongjiazhuang Village, Longchuanjiang River [24.89284ºN, 98.67439ºE], 1210 m, 24 May 2005, Heng-Mei Yan and Ke-Ji Guo (CAS-GKJ02007).

Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin distortus , meaning twisted and referring to the shape of the base of the embolus, adjective.

Diagnosis. The species is similar to L. torsivus Zhang, Zhu & Tso, 2006 ( Figs 18 ) in general appearance, but can be separated from the latter by: the embolus much longer and slender, twisted in anticlockwise (thick and twisted in clockwise in L. torsivus ); embolus originated at the position of 9:00 o’clock versus 12 o’clock in L. torsivus ; RTA almost as long as VTA in ventral view versus almost two times longer than VTA in L. torsivus .

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 3.15. Prosoma 1.55 long; 1.43 wide; opisthosoma 1.81 long, 1.52 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma brown, with a large “n”-shaped black marking. Ocular area black, eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.20, PLE 0.14, AME 0.09, PME 0.06, AME-AME 0.18, AME-ALE 0.18, PME-PME 0.27, PME-PLE 0.32; MOA 0.29 long, front width 0.38, back width 0.40. Sternum yellow, cordiform. Chelicerae, labium and gnathocoxae blackish brown. Legs yellow, distal parts of tarsi blackish brown. Leg measurements: I: 5.60 (1.70, 1.80, 1.20, 0.90), II: 6.00 (1.80, 1.90, 1.30, 1.00), III: 4.00 (1.30, 1.40, 0.70, 0.60), IV: 4.30 (1.40, 1.50, 0.80, 0.60); formula 2, 1, 4, 3. Legs with short spines, femora I with 3 prolateral spines, femora I–IV with 4 dorsal spines, tibiae and metatarsi I, II with 2 pairs of ventral spines, tibiae and metatarsi III, IV with 1 pair of ventral spines. Opisthosoma dorsum brown; anteriorly with 3 small white medial spots and a pair of longitudinal grayish black bilateral markings; posteriorly with 2 pairs of transverse black stripes; laterally with some black lines; venter grayish yellow.

Palp ( Figs 8 b–e ). VTA apically curved; RTA stout with many black denticles, each denticle with a short hair, RTA with 2 sharp apophyses; cymbium wide; embolus slender, the base twisted.

Female: unknown.

Variation. Total length: males 2.50–3.30 (n = 5). Two specimens with three pairs of black transverse stripes on opisthosoma dorsum posteriorly.

Distribution. China (recorded from Longling and Tengchong Counties of Yunnan Province).

Figures

FIGURES 8 a – e. Lysiteles distortus sp. nov. a Male, habitus; b – e Left palp (b prolateral, c – d ventral, d retrolateral view). Scale bars: a = 1; b – e = 0.1.

FIGURES 18 a – e. Lysiteles torsivus Zhang, Zhu & Tso, 2006. a Male, habitus; b – e Left palp (b prolateral, c – d ventral, e retrolateral view). Scale bars: a = 1; b – e = 0.1.