Leptonetela xinglong, Zhu & Li, 2021

Zhu, Wenhui & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, Five new leptonetid spiders from China (Araneae: Leptonetidae), Zootaxa 4984 (1), pp. 281-299 : 296

Leptonetela xinglong spec. nov.

Figs 7–8 , 12C , 14

Type material. CHINA: Guizhou: Holotype: male, Bijie, Jinsha County, Xinhua Town , Xinglong Village , Chuan Cave , 27°23’47.82”N, 106°06’24.06”E, ca. 1380 m elevation, Yucheng Lin & Qingyuan Zhao leg. 30.4.2010 (IZ- CAS-Ar42308) . Paratypes: 1 male (IZCAS-Ar42309), 2 females (IZCAS-Ar42310–Ar42311), with same data as for holotype .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality and is a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from L. liangfeng Wang & Li, 2017 (see Wang et al. 2017: 345, figs 14–15, 97) by the presence of six eyes. Males of L. xinglong spec. nov. resemble L. liangfeng by the semicircular shape of the embolus, the presence of five spines on the retrolateral surface of the palpal tibia, and the absence of a median apophysis. Males can be distinguished by the spine-shaped conductor (vs triangular in L. liangfeng , Fig. 12D ), and the palpal cymbium is twice the length of the bulb ( Figs 7C–D ) (vs 1.5 times the length in L. liangfeng ). Females can be distinguished by the nearly oval atrium ( Fig. 8C ) (vs triangular in L. liangfeng ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 2.00 ( Fig. 7A ). Carapace 0.90 long, 0.95 wide. Opisthosoma 1.10 long, 0.85 wide. Carapace yellowish. Ocular area with a pair of long setae. Six eyes. Eye sizes: ALE 0.07, PLE 0.07, PME 0.04. Distance between eyes: ALE-PME 0.12, PLE-PLE 0.08, PLE-PME 0.07. Median groove needle shaped, cervical grooves and radial furrows distinct. Clypeus 0.80 high. Opisthosoma grey, ovoid. Leg measurements: I 10.51 (2.90, 0.45, 3.25, 2.45, 1.41); II – (2.25, 0.34, –, –, –); III 6.36 (1.74, 0.42, 1.75, 1.40, 1.05); IV – (2.51, –, –, –, –). Male palp ( Figs 7C–D ): tibia with 2 setae prolaterally, 5 spines retrolaterally, spine II strongest, longest, and bifurcated. Cymbium constricted medially, attached to a small earlobe-shaped process retrolaterally. Embolus semicircular, prolateral lobe oval. Median apophysis absent. Conductor long and spine in ventral view ( Figs 7B , 12C ).

Female (paratype, IZCAS-Ar42310): Similar to male in colour and general features, but larger and with shorter legs. Total length 2.50 ( Figs 8A–B ). Carapace 1.00 long, 0.94 wide. Opisthosoma 1.50 long, 1.50 wide. Clypeus 0.55 high. Six eyes. Eye sizes: ALE 0.07, PLE 0.07, PME 0.03. Distance between eyes: ALE-PME 0.12, PLE-PLE 0.08, PLE-PME 0.07. Leg measurements: I 8.51 (2.25, 0.35, 2.52, 2.00, 1.39); II 6.37 (1.81, 0.35, 1.91, 1.25, 1.05); III 5.54 (1.52, 0.30, 1.51, 1.21, 1.00); IV 6.87 (2.01, 0.35, 2.00, 1.51, 1.00). Vulva ( Fig. 8C ): spermathecae coiled, atrium nearly oval.

Distribution. Guizhou, China ( Fig. 14 ).

Figures

FIGURES 7A–D. Leptonetela xinglong spec. nov., holotype male.A Habitus, dorsal. B Palpal bulb, ventral. C–D Left palp (C prolateral, D retrolateral). C—conductor, E—embolus, PL—prolateral lobe.

FIGURES 8A–C. Leptonetela xinglong spec. nov., paratype female. A–B Habitus (A dorsal, B ventral). C Internal genitalia, dorsal. At—atrium, SP—spermathecae. SS—stalk of spermathecae.

FIGURES 12A–D. Leptonetela spp., male palpal bulb, ventral (A L. xianwu spec. nov., B L. xianren, C L. xinglong spec. nov., D L. liangfeng). C—conductor, E—embolus, MA—median apophysis, PL—prolateral lobe.

FIGURE 14. Distribution records of five new species and their relatives of leptonetid spiders from China. 1 Leptonetela martensi spec. nov., 2 L. dao, 3 L. taixu spec. nov., 4 L. chenjia, 5 L. xianwu spec. nov., 6 L. xianren, 7 L. xinglong spec. nov., 8 L. liangfeng, 9 Rhyssoleptoneta aosen spec. nov., 10 R. latitarsa.