Nesticella caeca, 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 : 17

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Nesticidae

Nesticella caeca sp. n. Figs 10, 11, 82

Type material.

Holotype ♂ and paratypes 2♀ (IZCAS), CHINA: Guizhou Province, Tianzhu County, Liuhe Village, Jinshanrongdong Cave (26.96115°N, 109.20617°E, 476 m), 24.III.2011, H. Chen & Z. Zha leg.

Etymology.

The epithet derives from the Latin word “caecus” = blind, referring to the vestigial eyes; adjective.

Diagnosis.

Males and females of Nesticella caeca sp. n. can be easily recognized from those of the other species belonging to the brevipes -group, with the exception of Nesticella gazuida sp. n. (Fig. 15 A–F), by the vestigial eyes (Fig. 11A, 11C); further differences can be found in the shape of the ventral (Va) and distal (Dp) processes of the paracymbium (Fig. 10 A–B, D) and in the epigynal scape. Nesticella caeca sp. n. can be separated from Nesticella gazuida sp. n. by the different configuration of the fertilization (Fd) and copulatory ducts (Cd) (straighter, thicker and shorter in Nesticella caeca sp. n. than in Nesticella gazuida sp. n.) (Fig. 11G vs. Fig. 15F).

Description.

Habitus as in Fig. 11 A–D. Carapace pale yellow. Six vestigial eyes, AME absent, the others strongly reduced. Cervical groove and fovea indistinct. Mouthparts pale yellow. Sternum pale yellowish with long setae. Legs with the same color of the carapace but slightly darker. Opisthosoma uniformly greyish with faint darker areas.

Male palp (Fig. 10 A–D): paracymbium relatively small, with four or five dorsal setae (Fig. 10D), Va-I elongate, with a sharp tip, Va-II stocky and strongly reduced (Fig. 10 A–B, D), distal process blunt and strongly sclerotized, unbranched (Fig. 10D). Terminal apophysis finger-like with a granulated surface, longer than the tegular apophysis. Tegular apophysis blunt and rugose (Fig. 10A). Conductor with a very short, sclerotized process near its apex (Fig. 10A, C–D).

Epigyne (Fig. 11 E–F): weakly sclerotized, with sparse long setae (Fig. 11E). Scape laminar, lobed, approximately two times wider than long (Fig. 11F). Spermathecae globular, separated from each other by about 1.4 of their diameters (Fig. 11 F–G). Fertilization ducts long and thin, reaching the spermathecae with two to three coils (Fig. 11G). Copulatory ducts straight and thick (Fig. 11G).

Male (holotype). Total length 2.43. Carapace 1.19 long, 1.08 wide. Opisthosoma 1.30 long, 0.87 wide. Clypeus height 0.22. Sternum 0.74 long, 0.66 wdie. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Female (one of the paratypes). Total length 2.50. Carapace 1.14 long, 1.00 wide. Opisthosoma 1.66 long, 1.25 wide. Clypeus height 0.20. Sternum 0.69 long, 0.67 wide. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Habitat.

Cave.

Distribution.

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

Remarks.

The molecular analysis shows that there are certain differences between Nesticella caeca sp. n. and the close related Nesticella gazuida sp. n. (see Appendix B).