Telema circularis, Tong & Li, 2008

Tong, Yanfeng & Li, Shuqiang, 2008, Four new cave-dwelling species of Telema (Arachnida, Araneae, Telemidae) from Guizhou Province, China, Zoosystema 30 (2), pp. 361-370 : 363-364

Telema circularis n. sp.

( Figs 1A ; 2 )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: China, Guizhou Province, Guanling Bouyeizu Miaozu Autonomic County, Shangguan Town (25°48’N, 105°40’E), Gan-Zhi-Shu- Dong Cave , 8.V.2005, leg. Y. F. Tong & Y. C. Lin, ♂ ( MNHN)

Paratypes: same data as holotype, 2 ♂♂, 16 ♀♀ ( IZCAS) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ ( MNHN) .

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name is from Latin circularis , round, and refers to the nearly round carapace.

DIAGNOSIS. — The new species is similar to T. dongbei Wang & Ran, 1998 , but can be distinguished by the distinctive straight embolus of males (the angle of embolus to the bulb is smaller than 90° in T. dongbei ), the different shapes of spermathecae of females (the spermatheca with distal end spiral in T. dongbei , but straight in the new species), the relatively distinctive promarginal teeth of fang furrow, the nearly rounded carapace and the relatively smaller body size.

DESCRIPTION

Male (n = 4)

Total length 1.33-1.36 (average: 1.34). Carapace 0.65-0.66 (average: 0.65) long, 0.59-0.61 (average: 0.60) wide; abdomen 0.64-0.70(average:0.68) long, 0.57-0.58(average:0.57) wide.Carapace,legs,sternum ( Fig. 2A ), labium, endites and chelicerae yellowish white. Carapace ( Fig. 1A ) nearly round, with a pair of setae on the clypeus, in the place of eyes and in the middle. No eyes. Promargin of fang furrow with one large tooth, one relatively small tooth and three barely visible granulous denticles, retromargin with four barely visible denticles ( Fig. 2H ). Legs with a dorsal spine at the distal end of patella as well as in the middle of tibia. Leg measurements:I 5.44 (1.61, 0.23,1.71, 1.16, 0.73); II 4.74(1.48, 0.24, 1.44, 0.94, 0.64); III 3.39 (1.11, 0.22, 0.92, 0.63, 0.51); IV 4.03 (1.36, 0.22, 1.17, 0.71,0.57).Leg formula:I-II-IV-III. Abdomen globular, gray; colulus as in Figure 2F . Palp with prolateral cymbial apophysis ( Fig. 2C ); bulb oval with one simple embolus ( Fig. 2B ).

Female (n = 18)

Total length 1.35-1.87 (average: 1.68). Carapace 0.61-0.82 (average: 0.75) long, 0.56-0.69 (average: 0.64) wide; abdomen 0.74-0.95 (average: 0.82) long, 0.72-0.88 (average: 0.79) wide. Eyes and chelicerae as in male. Leg measurements: I 5.50 (1.69, 0.25, 1.77, 1.12, 0.67); II 4.83 (1.52, 0.25, 1.54, 0.94, 0.58); III 3.55 (1.15, 0.23, 0.99, 0.69, 0.49); IV 4.43 (1.44, 0.24, 1.29, 0.90, 0.56). Leg formula: I-II-IV-III. Genital area with one row of hairs on epigynal plate, and another row behind epigastric furrow ( Fig.2G ). Spermatheca boot-shaped in lateral view ( Fig. 2D, E ).

Figures

FIG. 1. — A, Telema circularis n. sp., dorsal view; B, T. claviformis n. sp., dorsal view; C, T. grandidens n. sp., dorsal view; D, T. oculata n. sp., dorsal view.

FIG. 2. — Telema circularis n. sp.: A, female endites, labium and sternum in ventral view; B, male left palp in retrolateral view; C, male left palp in prolateral view; D, spermatheca in lateral view; E, female genitalia in dorsal view; F, colulus; G, female genitalia in ventral view; H, chelicerae in ventral view. Scale bars: A-C, F, G, 0.1 mm; D, E, H, 0.2 mm.