Neriene macella ( Thorell, 1898 )

Li, Jian Yong, Liu, Jie & Chen, Jian, 2018, A review of some Neriene spiders (Araneae, Linyphiidae) from China, Zootaxa 4513 (1), pp. 1-90 : 57

Neriene macella ( Thorell, 1898)

Figs 44–46 , 69

Linyphia macella Thorell, 1898: 319 (Dm) . Linyphia multidens Thorell, 1898: 321 (Df) . Linyphia passercula Simon, 1901k : 54 (Dm). Neriene macella van Helsdingen, 1969: 186 , f. 257–262 (Tm from Linyphia, Sf ); Locket, 1982: 383, f. 106–111 (mf); Chen, Li

& Zhao, 1995: 137, f. 1–10 (mf); Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 194, f. 111C–D, K–L (mf); Tanasevitch, 2014b: 85, f. 66–74

(mf).

Material examined. Hainan: Ledong County, Jianfeng Town, Jianfengling Mountain National forest Park , 18.73°N, 108.91E, 1169m, 6–7.viii.2007, F.X. Liu leg., 15FF (CBEE); Hainan: Ledong County, Jianfeng Town, Jianfengling Mountain National forest Park , 18.73°N, 108.91°E, 1169m, 12–13.vi.2008, H. Yu leg., 9MM and 40FF ( CBEE) ; Hainan: Ledong County, Jianfeng Town, Jianfengling Mountain National forest Park , 18.73°N, 108.91E, 1169m, 25–26.x.2009, H. Yu leg., 1M and 1F ( CBEE) ; Hainan: Yinggeling Mountain National Nature Reserve , 18.85°N, 109.34E, 1451m, 2.vi.2008, H. Yu leg., 1F ( CBEE) ; Hainan: Bawangling Mountain National Nature Reserve , 19.13°N, 109.10°E, 780m, 4–7.vi.2008, H. Yu leg., 5FF ( CBEE) ; Hainan: Diaoluo Mountain National Nature Reserve , 31.11°N, 115.73E, 405m, 16.vi.2008, H. Yu leg., 4FF ( CBEE) .

Diagnosis: This species is similar to Neriene sundaica (Simon, 1905) and Neriene beccarii (Thorell, 1890) in having simple paracymbium with only a narrow tapering appendage, the embolus with two spermduct-teeth, the similar vulva, but can be distinguished from N. beccarii by the following characters: 1, the last coil of terminal apophysis nearly parallel with second coil in N. beccarii , but not in N. macella ; 2, the turning points and spermathecae located medially and anteriorly in N. beccarii , but laterally and anteriorly in N. macella . According to Van Helsdingen (1969), this species is difficult to be distinguished from N. sundaica by the genital structures, mainly identified by the geography data, the genital and body size. So we identified this species as N. macella by the following reasons: 1, N. macella was recorded from Burma and the Malay Peninsula, N. sundaica from Java and Lombok, a typical island endemic species. So we think the specimens of this species from China should be identified as N. macella ; 2, the length of the terminal apophysis of our specimens (from posterior surface of first saucerlike winding to the tip of the element) about 0.28–0.32mm (0.34mm in N. macella ; 0.39–0.42mm in N. sundaica ), the length of atrium opening about 0.45–0.52mm (0.5–0.53mm in N. macella ; 0.64–0.68mm in N. sundaica ) ( Figs 44–45 , 46 C–F).

Description: See Van Helsdingen (1969).

Distribution: China (Hunan, Yunnan, Hainan), Burma, Thailand ( Fig. 69 ).

Figures

FIGURE 44. Neriene macella (Thorell, 1898), drawings based on specimens from Jianfengling Mountain National Forest Park, Hainan. A, Pedipalp, prolateral. B, Suprategulum, retrolateral. C, Pedipalp, retrolateral. D, Epigynum, ventral. E, Terminal apophysis, retrolateral. F, Embolus, retrolateral. G–H, Epigynum, cleared. G, Ventral. H, Dorsal. Scale bars, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 45. Neriene macella (Thorell, 1898), photos based on specimen from Jianfengling Mountain National Forest Park, Hainan. A–C, Pedipalp. A, Prolateral. B, Retrolateral. C, Ventral. D, Embolus, retrolateral. E, Suprategulum, retrolateral. F, Terminal apophysis, retrolateral. Scale bars, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 46. Neriene macella (Thorell, 1898), photos based on specimens from Jianfengling Mountain National Forest Park, Hainan. A, Female habitus, dorsal. B, Male habitus, dorsal. C–F, Epigynum. C, Ventral. D, Ventral. E, Ventral, cleared, white arrow indicating the start of copulatory goove. F, Dorsal, cleared. Scale bars, A, B, 1 mm; C, D, E, F, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 69. Map with sampling localities for each Neriene species. TTZ: Tiantangzai National Forest Park, Luotian County, Hubei Province; BWL: Bawangling Mountain National Nature Reserve, Hainan Province.