Flexicrurum longispina, Tong & Li, 2007

Tong, Yanfeng & Li, Shuqiang, 2007, First Records Of The Family Ochyroceratidae (Arachnida: Araneae) From China, With Descriptions Of A New Genus And Eight New Species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 55 (1), pp. 63-76 : 64-65

Flexicrurum longispina , new species

( Figs. 1E–H , 3A–D , 10 )

Material examined. – Holotype: male ( IZCAS), Xian’an’shilin Cave (18 ° 36'N 109 ° 25'E), Maogan Town, Baoting County, Hainan Island, China, coll. Y. Tong, 13 Apr.2005.

Diagnosis. – The new species is similar to F. flexicrurum , new species, and F. minutum , new species, but can be distinguished from these two species by the deep pigmented tibia and tarsus, the relatively straight lateral margin of carapace, the different patterns of ventral and dorsal abdomen, and the presence of a long spine-shaped protuberance on latero-dorsal surface of palpal bulb.

Description. – Male: Total length 1.81. Carapace 0.92 long, 0.76 wide; abdomen 1.13 long, 0.54 wide. Pattern of carapace as F. minutum , new species, but with relatively straight lateral margin. Clypeus as F. minutum , new species, but relatively short. The ratio of carapace to clypeus is about 3.5: 1. Chelicerae creamy. Cheliceral promargin without teeth, retromargin with 2 small teeth. The posterior surface of fang provided with 15–17 small denticles. Maxillae light pigmented, labium as F. minutum , new species. Sternum dark. Abdomen is nearly perpendicular to carapace in lateral view, and with complicated patterns on dorsal and ventral surfaces. Femora brown, the other segments light brown, without distinct annulations. Leg measurements: I 9.60 (2.60, 0.25, 2.85, 2.70, 1.20); II 6.93 (1.98, 0.25, 1.93, 1.89, 0.88); III 5.21 (1.50, 0.25, 1.25, 1.51, 0.70); IV 8.51 (2.33, 0.23, 2.45, 2.45, 1.05). Leg formula: 1 4 2 3. Palp measurements: 1.37 (0.61, 0.19, 0.35, 0.22), bulb 0.37 long. Palpal femur, patella and tibia modified as F. flexicrurum , new species. Distal tibia and most area of tarsus strongly dark pigmented. Palpal tarsus with a strong lateral protrusion. Bulb with a slender apophysis, and on dorso-lateral surface with a single long spine-shaped protuberance. Conductor complicated.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. – The specific name is from the Latin “ long, and spina = spine”, and refers to the long spine-shaped protuberance on latero-dorsal surface of palpal bulb.

Figures

Fig. 1. Flexicrurum flexicrurum, new species: A–D; Flexicrurum longispina, new species: E–H; Flexicrurum minutum, new species: I–L. A, E, F, carapace of male; B, F, J, male in lateral view; C, G, K, abdomen of male in dorsal view; D, H, L, abdomen of male in ventral view.

Fig. 3. Flexicrurum longispina, new species: A, left palp, prolateral view (the arrow refers to the bulbal apophysis); B, chelicerae, posterior view (the arrow refers to the small denticles); C, left palpal bulb, dorsal view (the arrow refers to the long spine on bulbal latero-dorsal surface); D, left palp, retrolateral view (the arrow refers to the embolus). Scale bars: A, D = 0.2 mm, B, C = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 10. Collection localities of Chinese Ochyroceratidae.