Cicurina bifurca Liao & Xu, 2022

Liao, Rongrong, Yin, Haiqiang, He, Ailan & Xu, Xiang, 2022, Description of three new species of the genus Cicurina Menge, 1871 from Guangdong, China (Araneae, Hahniidae), Zootaxa 5188 (5), pp. 477-488 : 480

Cicurina bifurca Liao & Xu , spec. nov.

(二歧洞叶Ħ)

Figures 2–3 , 8

Type material. Holotype male ( HNU608 ): China, Guangdong Province, Shaoguan City, Shixing County, Chebaling National Nature Reserve , 24°42.19'N, 114°09.29'E, 532 m, 3 September 2020, Ailan He, Jinxin Liu, Huijuan Sheng, Jia Tang and Yun Liang leg.; Paratypes: 2 males ( HNU609–610 ), with the same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective “ bifurca ”, meaning “bifurcated”, referring to the shape of the apical part of conductor.

Diagnosis. The male of this new species is similar to that of Cicurina calyciforma Wang & Xu, 1989 . The palps of both species show similar retrolateral tibial apophysis and embolus morphology but are distinguished by the form of the apical end of the conductor: in C. bifurca spec. nov. the apical end is very strongly bifurcate ( Figs 2D–F , 3A–C ) versus only weakly bifurcate (nearly “normal”) in C. calyciforma (figs 11C–E in Wang et al. 2019).

Description. Male (Holotype): Total length 4.78, carapace 2.56 long, 2.00 wide, opisthosoma 2.10 long, 1.73 wide. Carapace brown, with light brown thoracic region, and width of eye area equal to half widest part of carapace. AME smaller than other eyes, anterior eye row straight and posterior eye row procurved slightly ( Fig. 2C ). Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.01, ALE 0.15, PME 0.13, PLE 0.14; AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.09, PME–PLE 0.05, ALE–PLE 0.05. MOA 0.27 long, anterior width 0.06, posterior width 0.33. Clypeus height 0.20. Chelicerae yellowish-brown, 3 promarginal and 7 retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: I 7.78 (2.20, 0.76, 2.07, 1.78, 0.97); II 7.13 (1.94, 0.72, 1.71, 1.78, 0.98); III 6.01 (1.91, 0.59, 1.39,1,30, 0.82); IV 7.81 (2.44, 0.61, 1.94, 1.72, 1.10). Opisthosoma yellowish, with one pair of brown sigilla dorso-medially.

Palp ( Figs 2D–F , 3A–C ). Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) well developed, distally extended to nearly half of cymbium length, and with a typical Cicurina rolled and thickened retrolateral margin. Spur slightly triangular. Cymbium slightly slender and elongate (length to width ratio about 2:1). Embolus (E) originating at approximately 6 o’clock position, with the first 1/4 wide and the apical 3/4 filamentous, and circling for approximately 270 degrees around tegulum. Conductor (C) well developed, spiraled, and with a bifurcated apical end.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, China (Guangdong) ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

FIGURES 2A–F. Cicurina bifurca spec. nov., holotype male. A–C Habitus (A dorsal, B ventral, C frontal). D–F Left palp (D prolateral, E ventral, F retrolateral). Scale bars: A–B 1 mm, C 0.5 mm, D–F 0.25 mm. Abbreviations: C—conductor, E— embolus, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis, Sr—spur, T—tegulum.

FIGURES 3A–C. Cicurina bifurca spec. nov., holotype male. A–C Left palp (A prolateral, B ventral, C retrolateral). Scale bars: A–C 0.25 mm. Abbreviations: C—conductor, E—embolus, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis, Sr—spur, T—tegulum.

FIGURE 8. Collection localities for three new Cicurina spp. in China.