Zodarion planum, Zhang, Bao-Shi & Zhang, Feng, 2019

Zhang, Bao-Shi & Zhang, Feng, 2019, Three new species of the genus Zodarion (Araneae, Zodariidae) from China, ZooKeys 813, pp. 67-87 : 69-72

Zodarion planum sp. n. Figures 4, 5

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (Z-Shaanxi-198606-22), Baoji City (34°22'N, 107°09'E), Shaanxi Province, China, 22 June 1986, Mingsheng Zhu leg.

Diagnosis.

The male of Z. planum is very similar to those of Z. sytchevskajae Nenilin & Fet, 1985, Z. chaoyangense Zhu & Zhu, 1983, and Z. furcum Zhu, 1988, as all have dorsolateral processes extending from the middle part of the retrolateral tibial apophysis, though Z. planum can be distinguished from the others by the wide and fluent margins of the dorsolateral process (obviously curving in the other three species) (Figs 4 C–E, 5 A–C).

Etymology.

The specific name is from the Latin planum, in reference to the dorsolateral hook-shaped process of the retrolateral tibial apophysis; adjective.

Description.

Male (holotype): total length 2.22; carapace 1.20 long, 1.00 wide; opisthosoma 1.02 long, 0.74 wide. Carapace (Fig. 4A) declining, longer than wide, yellow-brown, furnished with inconspicuous black netlike stripes. Clypeus 0.16 high, yellow-brown. Anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior eye row strongly procurved in dorsal view. Ocular area black. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.08, PME 0.07, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.06, ALE–ALE 0.42, AME–PME 0.08, PME–PME 0.16, PME–PLE 0.02, PLE–PLE 0.42, ALE–PLE 0.02. MOQ 0.26 long, anterior width 0.28, posterior width 0.29. Mouthparts (Fig. 4B): chelicerae yellow-brown, with two anterior and one posterior teeth on margins of fang furrows, terminal part with row of black scopulae, fangs short; endites yellowish, apices paler and provided with dense black scopula; labium triangular, 0.16 long, 0.25 wide, yellow-brown. Sternum (Fig. 4B) 0.70 long, 0.64 wide, white, lateral margin dark, provided with sparse black setae, its lateral margin with inter- and intra-coxal triangles. Legs (Fig. 4A, B) yellow-brown; femora with dorsal spines. Leg measurements: leg I 5.32 (0.98 + 0.51 + 1.47 + 1.66 + 0.70), II 2.78 (0.78 + 0.38 + 0.65 + 0.59 + 0.38), III 4.41 (0.92 + 0.38 + 1.54 + 1.00 + 0.57), IV 5.79 (1.12+ 0.58 + 1.31 + 1.70 + 1.08). Opisthosoma (Fig. 4A, B) covered with black short setae. Dorsum of opisthosoma black; venter white, median part with wide dark gray band. Spinnerets (Fig. 4B) white, laterally with blackish patches.

Palp (Figs 4C, D, 5 A–C). Coxae of palps white, other sections yellow; length to width ratio of femur 2.7, length to width ratio of patella 1.2; retrolateral tibial apophysis about 2.5 times the tibial length, thin apex finger-shaped, dorsolateral hook-shaped apophysis long and flat; cymbium with terminal spine, tutaculum obvious; tegular apophysis of moderate size, retrolaterally with flat and wide extension, tegular apophysis hook nearly straight in prolateral view; membranous conductor long, lamellate, and running almost along whole course of embolus; basal embolus almost triangular.

Female unknown.

Distribution.

China (Shaanxi).

Remarks.

The two new species Z. apertum sp. n. and Z. planum sp. n., together with most known East Asian and Central Asian species of the Zodarion (i.e. Z. asiaticum Tyschchenko, 1970, Z. bekuzini Nenilin, 1985, Z. chaoyangense Zhu & Zhu, 1983, Z. continentale Andreeva & Tyschchenko, 1968, Z. furcum Zhu, 1988, Z. mongolicum (Marusik & Koponen, 2001), Z. nenilini Eskov, 1995 (also distributed in European area and Urals of Russia), Z. proszynskii Nenilin & Fet, 1985, Z. schmidti (Marusik & Koponen, 2001), Z. spasskyi Charitonov, 1946, Z. hunanense Yin, 2012, Z. sytchevskajae Nenilin & Fet, 1985, Z. volgouralensis (Ponomarev, 2007) (also distributed in Astrakhan of Russia), and Z. zebra Charitonov, 1946) appear to comprise an undescribed group with the following common characters: the long and thin embolus rising at the prolateral or basal part of the tegulum; tegular apophysis wide and strong, with a downwardly-directed hook; a modified apical portion of the retrolateral tibial apophysis turning dorsally; cymbium with tutaculum; epigyne with incised posteromedian margin and median hood; apical parts of spiraled spermathecae converging. They are different from the lutipes group ( Bosmans 2009) in having a long conductor, the tutaculum of the cymbium, and the converging apex of the spermathecae.

Zodarion hunanense was described based only on a female specimen from Hunan province of China. The possibility exists that Z. planum sp. n. is conspecific with Z. hunanense .