Asceua digitata, Li & Liu & Peng, 2022

Li, Song-Lin, Liu, Ping & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2022, Three new species of the genus Asceua Thorell, 1887 (Araneae: Zodariidae) from Yunnan Province, China, Zootaxa 5190 (1), pp. 56-68 : 61-63

Asceua digitata sp. nov.

Figures 4 , 5 , 9

Type material. Holotype ♂: CHINA, Yunnan Province: Longyang County, Bawan Township, Nankang forest station, 24.82260ºN, 98.78201ºE, 2060 m, 23 May 2005, Heng-mei Yan and Ke-ji Guo leg. (GKJ018)

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin “ digitata ” (finger-shaped), referring to the fingershaped ventral ramus of RTA, adjective.

Diagnosis. The male of this new species resembles males of A. menglun Song & Kim, 1997 (see Song & Kim, 1997, figs 11, 12) and A. similis Song & Kim, 1997 (see Song & Kim, 1997, figs 16, 17) in having a bifurcate VTA and a V-shaped RTA, but can be distinguished from them by: (1) dorsal ramus of RTA much shorter than ventral ramus in retrolateral view in A. digitata sp. nov. ( Fig 5B ) (vs. dorsal ramus longer than ventral ramus); (2) median apophysis spoon-shaped, distal end located in the inner side of cymbium in ventral view in A. digitata sp. nov. ( Fig 5C ) (vs. hook-shaped, distal end beyond the lateral margin of cymbium).

Description. Male (holotype) ( Fig. 4 ). Total length 3.47; carapace 1.60 long, 1.12 wide; abdomen 1.66 long, 1.26 wide. Carapace brown, with a V-shaped dark patch medianly; fovea and radial grooves distinct, cervical grooves indistinct. Clypeus 0.37 high. Eye sizes and interdistances:AME 0.07, ALE 0.09, PME 0.08, PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.11, MOA 0.28 long, anterior width 0.18, posterior width 0.29. Chelicerae yellowish brown, with two promarginal teeth and with one retromarginal tooth. Endites yellow. Labium yellowish brown, triangular. Sternum yellowish brown, edge slightly darker. Legs yellow. Measurements of legs: I, 5.30 (1.49, 1.79, 1.28, 0.74); II, 4.34 (1.22, 1.44, 1.08, 0.60); III, 4.22 (1.21, 1.33, 1.11, 0.57); IV, 5.94 (1.55, 1.83, 1.75, 0.81). Leg formula: 4123. Abdomen oval, dorsum dark brown, median portion with two pairs of light patches medianly, posterior ones much smaller than anterior ones, posterior portion with three transversal light bands medianly; venter yellow, with dense field of short setae anteriorly, a dark chevron posteriorly and one pair of longitudinal dark patches laterally. Spinnerets pale yellow.

Palp ( Fig. 5 ). Tibia with two apophyses and a dentation medially; VTA bifurcate, all rami thumb-shaped; RTA bifurcate, ventral ramus longer and finger-shaped, dorsal ramus shorter and dentiform. Median apophysis with two lateral processes. Conductor membranous, with expanded tip and a tooth basally. Embolus slender and whip-shaped, distal portion cross over the conductor in retrolateral view extending clockwise.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 9 ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Asceua digitata sp. nov. A. Male holotype, habitus, dorsal view; B. Ditto, ventral view.

FIGURE 5. Asceua digitata sp. nov. A. Male holotype, left palp, prolateral view; B. Ditto, retrolateral view; C. Ditto, ventral view, the black arrow points to the tooth at the base of conductor; D. Median apophysis, the white arrows indicate two lateral processes; E. Tibia, ventral view; F. Ditto, retrolateral view, the black arrow points to the central dentation. Abbreviations: C, conductor; E, embolus; MA, median apophysis; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; VTA, ventral tibial apophysis; VVTA, ventral ramus of VTA.

FIGURE 9. Collection localities of Asceua calciformis sp. nov., Asceua digitata sp. nov. and Asceua forcipiformis sp. nov..