Phycosoma labialis ( Zhu, 1998 ) Zhu, 1998

Zhang, Feng & Zhang, Bao-Shi, 2012, Spiders of the genus Phycosoma O. P. - Cambridge, 1879 (Araneae: Theridiidae) from Hainan Island, China, Zootaxa 3339, pp. 30-43 : 38-39

Phycosoma labialis ( Zhu, 1998) new combination

( Figs 20 – 24 )

Dipoena labialis Zhu, 1998: 241 , f. 158A – D; Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 112, f. 55A – B.

Type material. Holotype Ƥ, CHINA, Hainan Island: Jianfengling Mountain, 9 August 1990, M. B. Gu leg., deposited in MHBU, examined.

Other material examined. CHINA, Hainan Island: 1 3, 3 Ƥ, Jianfengling Mountain, 27 May 2009, C. Zhang leg.; 1 3, 3 Ƥ, Bawangling Town, 23 May 2009, C. Zhang leg.; 1 3, Limu Mountain, 21 November 2008, G. X. Han leg.; 1 Ƥ, Limu Mountain, 20 August 2007, F. Zhang leg.; 3 Ƥ, Diaoluo Mountain, 5 June 2009, C. Zhang leg.; 1 3, 1 Ƥ, Qixianling Mountain, Baoting County, 8 June 2009, C. Zhang leg.; 1 3, Huangzhu Town, Ding’an County, 23 November 2008, G. X. Han leg.; 1 Ƥ, Fanjia Town (19°19ʹN, 109°33ʹE), Danzhou County, 15 May 2009, C. Zhang leg.

Diagnosis. Males can be distinguished from other Phycosoma species by the nearly rectangular elevated ridge on tegulum ( Figs 21–22 ). Females can be distinguished from all other Phycosoma species except P. hainanensis by the wide, semicircular scapus and is separated from P. hainanensis by the long copulatory ducts ( Figs 23–24 ).

Redescription. Male total length 2.80–3.30 (n=5). A male (from Jianfengling Mountain) total length 2.80: prosoma 1.33 long, 1.12 wide, 0.61 high; opisthosoma 1.53 long, 1.02 wide.

Color. Carapace ( Fig. 20 ) yellowish, with thin brown annular patch around each seta, antero-median part grayish. Thoracic groove black. Each eye with a black ring. Clypeus yellow, with two darkish stripes in front view. Chelicerae yellowish, with a darkish stripe in front view. Endites yellowish, gray distally. Labium and sternum yellowish. Legs yellowish, femora, patellae and tibiae with darkish annulations. Opisthosoma dorsally yellowish, with thin annular brown patch around each seta and irregular large black patches; venter yellowish and with a wide median black stripe. Spinnerets yellowish.

Prosoma ( Fig. 20 ). Carapace oval, longer than wide, anterior part with several long brown setae; clypeus concave below AME. Thoracic groove deep. AER recurved and PER almost straight in dorsal view. Eye measurements: AME 0.15, ALE 0.10, PME 0.10, PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.16, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.50, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.10, PLE–PLE 0.58, ALE and PLE contiguous. MOA 0.28 long, anterior width 0.32, posterior width 0.26. Clypeus 0.41 high, with scattered brown setae. Labium 0.16 long, 0.22 wide. Sternum 0.64 long, 0.61 wide, with scattered black setae.

Legs. With sparse long spines. Measurements: leg I 3.88 (1.22, 0.41, 0.82, 1.02, 0.41), II 3.56 (1.12, 0.41, 0.71, 0.92, 0.41), III 3.47 (1.12, 0.41, 0.71, 0.82, 0.41), IV 4.49 (1.33, 0.31, 1.22, 1.12, 0.51). Leg formula: 4123.

Opisthosoma ( Fig. 20 ). Oval, longer than wide, with scattered long setae.

Male palp ( Figs 21–22 ). Tegulum with a large, rectangular elevated ridge. Embolus and conductor small, TTA S-shaped in ventral view.

Female. Total length 3.98–4.28 (n=13). A female (from Jianfengling Mountain) total length 4.28: prosoma 1.43 long, 1.33 wide, 0.82 high; opisthosoma 2.96 long, 1.94 wide.

Color. Carapace yellowish, median stripe gray. Clypeus dark. Chelicerae yellow. Endites yellow, lighter shade of yellow distally. Labium and sternum yellow. Legs yellow, femora and tibiae with darkish annulations.

Prosoma. Carapace with high head region, head protruding forward and beyond clypeus, anterior part with several short black setae; thoracic groove reduced AER recurved and PER almost straight in dorsal view. Eye measurements: AME 0.15, ALE 0.10, PME 0.12, PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.55, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.13, PLE–PLE 0.60, ALE and PLE contiguous. MOA 0.30 long, anterior width 0.33, posterior width 0.28. Clypeus 0.51 high. Labium 0.18 long, 0.23 wide. Sternum 0.92 long, 0.82 wide.

Legs. Measurements: leg I 5.62 (1.84, 0.51, 1.33, 1.43, 0.51), II 4.79 (1.63, 0.51, 1.02, 1.12, 0.51), III 4.59 (1.43, 0.51, 1.02, 1.12, 0.51), IV 6.62 (1.94, 0.51, 1.73, 1.73, 0.71). Leg formula: 4123.

Opisthosoma. The characters identical to holotype.

Female genitalia ( Figs 23–24 ). Epigynum lightly sclerotized, posterior part with a semicircular scapus and a shallow circular atrium; copulatory ducts long and bent slightly, copulatory copulatory openings with the posterior spermathecae.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Comments. While examining specimens from Hainan Island we found three samples where males were captured together with females, the color pattern of males are same as female. As the females are P. labialis , the males can reasonably be expected to be conspecific. The male is described here for the first time.

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 24. Phycosoma labialis (Zhu, 1998) 20 – 22, male. 20, body, dorsal; 21, male left palp, ventral; 22, same, prolateral; 23 – 24, female. 23, epigynum, ventral; 24, vulva, dorsal. Scale bars: 20, 0.5 mm; 21 – 24, 0.2 mm.