Mallinella zhui, Zhang, Feng, Zhang, Bao-Shi & Jia, Xiao-Mei, 2012

Zhang, Feng, Zhang, Bao-Shi & Jia, Xiao-Mei, 2012, Two new species of the genus Mallinella Strand, 1906 (Araneae: Zodariidae) from China, Zootaxa 3241, pp. 64-68 : 65-66

Mallinella zhui sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 )

Type material. Holotype: 3, CHINA, Guangxi Province: Wuming County (23°10ʹN, 108°12ʹE), Nanning City, 12 May 2006, M.S. Zhu leg. Paratype: 13, CHINA, Guizhou Province: Leigong Mountain (26°18ʹN, 108°15ʹE), 15 September 2005, Z.S. Zhang leg.

Diagnosis. Males resemble some species from China, Japan and Vietnam, and can be distinguished from them by the narrow and long median apophysis, the lateral ramus shorter than mesal ramus of the bifurcated embolus and the shape of subterminal folds of each embolic ramus. They differ from M. vandermarlierei (Bosmans & van Hove, 1986) by the shape of subterminal embolic folds and wide baso-retrolateral fold of median apophsis, from M. vittiventris Strand, 1913 by the shape of embolic base and the median apophysis, from M. nomurai Ono, 2003 by the thin subterminal embolus, from M. hoosi (Kishida, 1935) by the almost equal width of each embolic ramus, and from M. maolanensis Wang, Ran & Chen, 1999 by the longer embolus, the blunt embolic apices, and the shape of conductor and the pattern of dorsal opisthosoma ( Figs 1–5 ).

Etymology. The species name is an eponymous noun in the genitive case in honour of late Prof. Mingsheng Zhu (Hebei University, China).

Description. Male holotype total length 8.06; prosoma 4.39 long, 3.16 wide; opisthosoma 3.88 long, 2.75 wide.

Color. Carapace ( Fig. 1 ) black. Clypeus black. Chelicerae, endites and labium dark brown, apices yellow. Sternum dark brown. Femora II–IV of legs distinctly brown, distal half dark brown, coxae and trochantera yellowish, other leg segments brown. Dorsum of opisthosoma black, with three pairs of white lateral patches, followed by three transverse white median patches; lateral part gray, with black diagonal stripes; venter gray, posterior median with two longitudinal black stripes, in front of epigastric furrow brown. Spinnerets brown.

Prosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Carapace longer than wide, only anterior part and clypeus with several black setae. AER slight procurved and PER procurved in dorsal view. Diameters of eyes: AME 0.13, ALE 0.10, PME 0.08, PLE 0.10. Interdistances of eyes: AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.04, ALE–ALE 0.54, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.15, PLE–PLE 0.65, ALE–PLE 0.03. MOA 0.26 long, front width 0.29, back width 0.26. Clypeus height 0.71. Fang of chelicera very short. Apices of chelicerae and endites covered with dense black scopula. Labium triangular, 0.61 long, 0.59 wide. Sternum 1.63 long, 1.63 wide and furnished with sparse black setae, lateral margin with small, pointed extensions fitting in coxal concavities of legs.

Legs. Metatarsi II–IV with ventral hair tufts in apical part. Measurements of legs: leg I 11.12 (2.86, 1.02, 2.55, 2.75, 1.94), II 10.72 (2.86, 1.02, 2.35, 2.65, 1.84), III 10.40 (2.75, 1.02, 2.14, 2.86, 1.63), IV 12.74 (3.26, 1.12, 2.65, 3.98, 1.73). Leg formula: 4123.

Opisthosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Oval, longer than wide, covered with black short hair. Dorsal scutum indistinct. Posterior ventral spines thin, arranged in a single row.

Male palp ( Figs 2–5 ). RTA digitiform, slightly wider at base, gradually tapering towards its blunt apex; cymbial fold fairly broad, approximately half length of cymbium; apex of median apophysis bifid, with sharply pointed tip on both ends, baso-retrolateral fold wide, almost triangular; apex of conductor beak-shaped, sharp, pointing downwards; embolus bifurcated, lateral ramus shorter than mesal ramus, both rami with subterminal folds, their apices blunt.

Distribution. China (Guangxi, Guizhou).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Mallinella zhui sp. nov., 1, habitus, dorsal view; 2, left male palp, ventral view; 3, same, retrolateral view; 4, embolus, ventral view; 5, median apophysis, ventral view. Scale bars: 1, 1 mm; 2 – 5, 0.5 mm.