Nesticella gazuida, Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016

Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, A survey of the spider family Nesticidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Asia and Madagascar, with the description of forty-three new species, ZooKeys 627, pp. 1-168 : 19-20

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Nesticidae

Nesticella gazuida sp. n. Figs 15, 82

Type material.

Holotype ♀ (IZCAS), CHINA: Guizhou Province, Kaili City, Zhouxi Town, Gazuida Cave (27.48642°N, 107.92362°E, 680 m), 21.III.2011, H. Chen & Z. Zha leg.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the name of the cave where the species was collected; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Females of Nesticella gazuida sp. n. are easily distinguished from those of the other species belonging to the brevipes -group, with the exception of Nesticella caeca sp. n. (Fig. 11 A–G), by their pale coloration and the reduced eyes (Fig. 15A). Nesticella gazuida sp. n. can be separated from Nesticella caeca sp. n. by the smaller spermathecae and especially by the longer fertilization (Fd) and copulatory (Cd) ducts, clearly bent in the middle, which are shorter, more compact and straighter in the latter species (Fig. 15F vs. Fig. 11G).

Description.

Habitus as in Fig. 15 A–C. Carapace pale yellow. Cephalic area with several long setae along the midline and the cervical groove. Ocular area reduced to white eyespots. Six eyes grouped in two triads, AME absent. Cervical groove and fovea indistinct. Mouthparts and labium pale yellow. Sternum with sparse long setae (Fig. 15B). Legs and female palps pale yellowish, metatarsi and tarsi distally darker. Opisthosoma pale grey. Spinnerets and colulus pale yellow.

Epigyne (Fig. 15 D–F): pale yellow, translucent (Fig. 15D). Scape short, translucent, slightly protruding at the epigastric groove (Fig. 15D), about two times wider than the diameters of the spermathecae (Fig. 15E). Spermathecae small, separated by at least 2.5 diameters (Fig. 15 E–F). Fertilization ducts thin and long, coiling about 3.5 times before reaching the spermathecae (Fig. 15F). Copulatory ducts thick and short, curved in the middle (Fig. 15E).

Female (holotype). Total length 2.83. Carapace 1.17 long, 1.16 wide. Opisthosoma 1.75 long, 1.34 wide. Clypeus height 0.22. Sternum 0.68 long, 0.66 wide. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Male unknown.

Habitat.

Cave.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 82).