Hongkongia wuae Song et Zhu, 1998

Zhang, Feng, Zhu, Ming-Sheng & Tso, I-Min, 2009, Review of the genus Hongkongia (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) from China, Zootaxa 2164, pp. 61-68 : 63-65

Hongkongia wuae Song et Zhu, 1998

Figs. 1–7

Hongkongia wuae Song & Zhu, 1998: 104 , f. 1A–E; Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 452, f. 263P; Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: 518, f. 886–888; Song, Zhu & Zhang, 2004: 157, f. 92A–E.

Diagnosis: The males of this species are immediately distinguishable by the extraordinary palpal organs. Palpal tibia with a bird-head-shaped retrolateral apophysis, a strong spine dorsally and a small tapering dorsal apophysis. The tegulum has three distinctive outgrowths: the ribbon-shaped embolus is very long and encircles along the semicircular tegulum, and has a bifid tip; the conductor projects conspicuously sideways, with a single coil near the apex in which the tip of the embolus is accommodated; the small membranous spine-shaped tegular apophysis sometimes concealed by the middle part of embolus, semitransparent and not easy to find.

Redescription: Male. Total body length 6.35, carapace 2.78 long, 1.60 wide; abdomen 3.57 long, 1.59 wide. Carapace ( Fig. 1 ) yellow orange. Eye ( Fig. 2 ) diameters AME 0.14, ALE 0.12, PME 0.16, PLE 0.12; eye distances AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.03, PME–PLE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.05; MOA 0.39 long, front width 0.37, back width 0.36. Clypeal height 0.15. Chelicerae shape as in Fig. 3 , promargin with three teeth and retromargin with a small tooth. Endites, labium and sternum as illustrated in Fig. 4 . Legs light brown. Leg formula: 4123.

Leg measurements:

Abdomen light gray ( Fig. 1 ), cardiac pattern dark gray; cluster of erect curved setae at anterior end, central part with two pairs of muscle impressions, three to four dark arch-shaped stripes on its posterior part. Anterior spinnerets elongated, about 1/4 of abdomen length.

Male palp ( Figs 5–7 ): tibia about as long as wide, apical part with a bird-head-shaped retrolateral apophysis, a strong dorsal spine and a small tapering dorsal apophysis. Tegulum semicircular, with three distinctive outgrowths: the long ribbon-shaped embolus originating from the tegulum basally, encircling along the semicircular tegulum prolaterally, and then seeming to become two-tipped, one tip very spiculate, the other with expanded subapical tip and short spine-shaped tip ( Fig. 5 ); the conductor hinged with tegulum, projecting conspicuously sideways, with a single coil near the tip in which the tip of the embolus is accommodated ( Fig. 6 ); the small thorn shaped tegular apophysis ( Fig. 6 ), membranous and semitransparent, originating from tegulum apically, concealed by the middle part of embolus ( Fig. 5 ).

Type material: Holotype male from New Territories, Hongkong, China, August 21, 1995, J. Y. Wu leg., examined.

Other material examined: One male from Wuyin Town, Weishan County [N 25.2°, E 100.3°], Yunnan Province, China, June 8, 1999, X. L. Fan and Z. Z. Yang leg. ( MHBU).

Distribution: China ( Hongkong, Yunnan); Indonesia (Sulawesi).

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 7. Hongkongia wuae Song & Zhu, 1998, male. 1. Habitus, dorsal view. 2. Eyes, dorsal view. 3. Left chelicera, posterior view. 4. Endites, labium and sternum, ventral view. 5. Left palp, ventral view. 6. Same, retrolateral view. 7. Same, dorsal view. C = conductor; E = embolus; Sd = sperm duct; T = tegulum; Ta = tibial apophysis; To = tegulum outgrowth. Scale bars: 0.3 mm (3); 0.5 mm (2, 4 – 7); 1 mm (1).