Mallinella shahu Liu, 2023

Jiang, Zimin, Yao, Yanbin, Xiao, Yonghong & Liu, Keke, 2023, A new species of Mallinella Strand, 1906 (Araneae, Zodariidae) from South China, Biodiversity Data Journal 11, pp. 105513-105513 : 105513

Mallinella shahu Liu sp. nov.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 274F2CC3-32F2-5C32-A2AF-64C4A00C6393; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Suichuan County, Nanfengmian National Nature Reserve , Daijiabu Station , Shahu Village , Fengshuao ; verbatimElevation: 1071 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°16'1.33"N, 114°3'47.53"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 28/06/ 2022 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 2; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: C9EC17EF-2286-5789-8809-B252BE1F4282; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Suichuan County, Nanfengmian National Nature Reserve , Daijiabu Station , Shahu Village , Fengshuao ; verbatimElevation: 1071 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°16'1.33"N, 114°3'47.53"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 06/28/ 2022 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: BAD600A6-1B24-5046-AC38-770954C8CE03; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Suichuan County, Nanfengmian National Nature Reserve , Daijiabu Station , Shahu Village , Fengshuao ; verbatimElevation: 1071 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°16'1.33"N, 114°3'47.53"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 06/28/ 2022 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 1C8D4BC5-8CB6-5BDA-B3FC-746C9F4C5FA9; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Suichuan County, Nanfengmian National Nature Reserve , Dafen Station , Gaoxing Village , Shiziao ; verbatimElevation: 913 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°20'28.85"N, 114°5'27.47"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 06/27/ 2022 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: EB963720-873E-5D8C-B26B-A0BA01CAED6C; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Suichuan County, Nanfengmian National Nature Reserve , DaijiabuStation , Shahu Village , Qingkenglong Hydropower Station ; verbatimElevation: 1123 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°15'26.42"N, 114°2'39.96"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 06/28/ 2022 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: D1AE8B9F-4858-5386-9879-D9795C110395; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Suichuan County, Nanfengmian National Nature Reserve , DaijiabuStation , Qianmo Village , Daaotou ; verbatimElevation: 852 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°17'17.10"N, 114°5'24.67"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 06/28/ 2022 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 3ED8AF9D-0331-5684-94EC-3B642839BC70; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: i'an City , Suichuan County, Nanfengmian National Nature Reserve , DaijiabuStation , Qiaoshui Village ; verbatimElevation: 542 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°16'18.00"N, 114°5'40.99"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 06/28/ 2022 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: DCA90A31-DF46-57AC-93D7-3D71076495F7; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Anfu County, Taishan Township , Yangshimu , Yeniu waterfall ; verbatimElevation: 541 m; verbatimCoordinates: 27°31'39.69"N, 114°14'37.18"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 05/04/ 2021 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: F40FC25B-74A1-530D-B6F7-4A2EBFB51844; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Anfu County, Taishan Township , Yangshimu , Yeniu waterfall ; verbatimElevation: 542 m; verbatimCoordinates: 27°31'39.69"N, 114°14'37.18"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 05/04/ 2021 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 264C84C3-35D3-570A-9934-3E7B92AC212D; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Taihe County, Ziyao Mountain ; ; verbatimElevation: 228 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°43'5.30"N, 115°13'36.28"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 10/28/ 2020 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 2; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: FA34B060-29E9-5877-B43E-11A55BF3319E; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Taihe County, Ziyao Mountain ; verbatimElevation: 338 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°43'23.15"N, 115°13'31.70"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 10/28/ 2020 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: C398B321-68C0-57CA-97CD-50457BB68BC9; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Suichuan County, Bizhou Town , Baishuixian , Dakeng Formation ; verbatimElevation: 329 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°19'58.83"N, 114°44'00.01"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 10/04/ 2019 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: EC481306-7D07-5ABB-A9E1-51215F797408; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Jinggangshan City , Fuxi Village , Xiaoxi Forest Farm ; verbatimElevation: 621 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°29'32.24"N, 114°10'53.02"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 11/14/ 2020 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 56FD8CE0-EB31-5333-8E08-76808C7B3C7A; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Jinggangshan City , Fuxi Village , Xiaoxi Forest Farm ; verbatimElevation: 413 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°28'22.92"N, 114°11'53.07"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 11/14/ 2020 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 2; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 0ABD40E8-A65E-570C-857E-EB6E613760C5; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Jinggangshan City , Dalong Town , Yuantou Village ; verbatimElevation: 550 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°36'57.54"N, 114°5'21.08"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 10/02/ 2019 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 2; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: D706C210-AEA2-5CD8-A771-742480C4582A; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Taihe County, Yuanqian Town , Zhonglong Township , Ziyao Mountain ; verbatimElevation: 394 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°43'22.89"N, 115°13'31.78"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 05/02/ 2021 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 8C5E8ED7-D31A-511C-A914-EC047BACE518; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ganzhou City , Dayu County, Nan'an Town , Shirenkeng , Daya Mountain Scenic Area ; verbatimElevation: 459 m; verbatimCoordinates: 25°26'40.76"N, 114°21'00.21"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 10/03/ 2020 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 97C46CD4-0297-542E-9277-75B867EDC491; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ji'an City , Taihe County, Laoyingpan Tunnel ; verbatimElevation: 311 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°34'32.34"N, 115°09'26.25"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 11/05/ 2022 Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Liu Ke-Ke; individualCount: 1; sex: female; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: B6C25F65-F2EF-54C4-BC9C-7AF8D7020827; Taxon : scientificName: Mallinella shahu Liu , sp. n.; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Jiangxi; locality: Ganzhou City , Ningdu County, Cuiweifeng , Jinjing Cave ; verbatimElevation: 346 m; verbatimCoordinates: 26°30'41.64"N, 115°59'19.02"E; georeferenceProtocol: GPS; Event : samplingProtocol: sieving; eventDate: 01/23/2021

Description

Male (holotype) (Figs 1 , 3 A-D and Fig. 4 A, B). Total length 5.35 mm.

Carapace (Fig. 1 A, C) 2.91 mm long, 2.15 mm wide, anteriorly narrowed to half of its maximum width, with abundant short setae. Eye sizes and interdistances: AER and PER procurved in dorsal view; AME 0.13, ALE 0.14, PME 0.13, PLE 0.16, AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.19, PME-PME 0.12, PME-PLE 0.32, AME-PME 0.21, AME-PLE 0.28, ALE-ALE 0.64, PLE-PLE 0.91, ALE-PLE 0.06; MOA 0.43 long, front width 0.35, back width 0.39. Chelicerae without promarginal and retromarginal teeth. Endites triangular, longer than wide, anteriorly convergent, with dense brush hairs anterolaterally. Labium triangular, wider than long. Sternum strongly sclerotised, as long as wide, anteromedially with a wide notch, laterally with sclerotised serration-shaped margin, posterior end blunt. Legs (Fig. 1 A, B): measurements: I 7.56 (1.97, 0.67, 1.78, 1.9, 1.24); II 5.95 (1.91, 0.71, 1.54, 1.79); III 7.04 (1.77, 0.76, 1.51, 1.92, 1.08); IV 8.61 (2.22, 0.84, 2.07, 2.5, 0.98); spination: I Fe: d3, p1; Ti: p1, v6; Mt: v7; II Fe: d3, p1; Pa: p1; Ti: p2, v7; Mt: v6; III Fe: d3, p3, r1; Pa: p1; Ti: d2, p2, r2, v6; Mt: d1, p3, r2, v8; IV: Fe: d4, p3, r1; Pa: p1; Ti: d1, p3, r3, v6; Mt: d1, p3, r4, v8. Pedicel (Fig. 1 A, B) 0.15 mm long, cylindrical, sclerotised. Abdomen (Fig. 1 A, B) 2.29 mm long, 1.83 mm wide, scutum covering less than half of dorsum; venter with a weakly sclerotised epigastric region anteriorly, two pairs of patches medially and a single row of ventral spines situated in front of the spinnerets.

Colouration (Fig. 1 ). Carapace black. Chelicerae brown to black. Endites yellow to brown. Labium and sternum reddish-brown. Legs yellow to light brown, femora darker than other leg segments. Pedicel dark yellow. Abdomen chestnut-brown, with four pairs of yellowish oval marks; venter yellow to brown, laterally with many small yellow patches.

Palp (Fig. 3 A-D). Cymbium fold broad, strongly sclerotised, occupying slightly less than half cymbial length. Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) digitiform, apex terminally bluntly pointed. Apical ridge strongly sclerotised on ventral side of palpal tibia. Median apophysis (MA) strongly curved forward on ventrolateral view. Conductor (Con) thick, tooth-like. Embolic base (EB) strongly curved laterally, embolus (Em) flattened, branching submedially; mesal ramus distinctly longer, relatively broad, terminally blunt, with two tooth-like apophyses subapically; lateral ramus relatively narrowed.

Female (Figs 2 , 3 E-H and Fig. 4 C, D). As in male, except as noted. Total length 5.89 mm, carapace 3.05 mm long, 2.11 mm wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.13, PME 0.12, PLE 0.14, AME-AME 0.1, AME-ALE 0.22, PME-PME 0.16, PME-PLE 0.33, AME-PME 0.25, AME-PLE 0.37, ALE-ALE 0.74, PLE-PLE 1, ALE-PLE 0.1. MOA 0.48 long, front width 0.31, back width 0.41. Leg measurements: I 6.77 (1.67, 0.72, 1.57, 1.5, 1.31); II 6.53 (1.82, 0.69, 1.33, 1.47, 1.22); III 6.88 (1.76, 0.78, 1.37, 1.83, 1.14); IV 8.77 (2.08, 0.8, 1.85, 2.56, 1.48); spination: I Fe: d3, p1; Ti: p1, v6; Mt: p1, v5; II Fe: d3, p1; Pa: p1; Ti: p2, v6; Mt: p2, v6; III Fe: d3, p3, r1; Pa: p1; Ti: d2, p2, r2, v5; Mt: d1, p3, r2, v7; IV: Fe: d4, p3, r1; Pa: p1; Ti: d2, p2, r2, v4; Mt: p5, r2, v5. Pedicel 0.09 mm long. Abdomen (Fig. 2 A, B) 2.76 long, 2.15 wide, without scutum and ventral sclerite.

Colouration as in Fig. 2 A, B. Abdomen paler than that of the male.

Epigyne (Fig. 3 E-H). Epigynal plate (EP) broad V-shaped, median incision deep, almost reaching posterior margin. Lateral border (LB) along the lateral margin of epigynal plate heart-shaped. Insemination ducts (ID) pedicel-like, separated by their length, slightly parallel. Spermathecae (Spe) oval in dorsal view, ear-shaped in lateral view. Fertilisation ducts (FD) relative thin, as long as the width of insemination ducts.

Diagnosis

The male of this new species is similar to that of Mallinella pseudokunmingensis Yu & Zhang, 2019 ( Yu and Zhang (2019): 4, figs. 1, 4, 6-18) in having a strong digitiform retrolateral tibial apophysis and the flattened embolus, but can be distinguished from it by the abdomen with four pairs of small yellowish marks (vs. four pairs of large yellowish marks) (cf. Fig. 1 A; Yu and Zhang (2019): 4, fig. 1), the conductor with the blunt apex (vs. spine-like) (cf. Fig. 3 A; Yu and Zhang 2019: 4, fig. 6), the thick median apophysis covering less than half of tegulum (vs. thin, more than or nearly half of tegulum) (cf. Fig. 3 A-C; Yu and Zhang (2019) 2019: 4, fig. 7). The female of the new species resembles M. pseudokunmingensis ( Yu and Zhang (2019): 4, figs. 2, 3, 5, 6, 19-23) in having the lateral border forming a heart-shaped structure and the oval spermathecae, but it can be easily distinguished by the anterior three pairs of separated small marks (vs. touching large marks) (cf. Fig. 2 A; Yu and Zhang (2019): 4, fig. 2) and the W-shaped epigynal plate (vs. V-shaped) (cf. Fig. 3 E; Yu and Zhang (2019): 4, figs. 19, 20) and the erect insemination duct (vs. slanting) (cf. Fig. 3 G; Yu and Zhang (2019): 4, fig. 22).

Etymology

The species name is derived from the name of the type locality; noun in apposition.

Distribution

Known from Ji’an and Ganzhou cities in Jiangxi Province, China (Fig. 5 ). It seems that this species has a wide distribution in this Province based on recent fieldwork.

Ecology

It was collected from leaf litter in areas of broad-leaved forests in hilly areas.

Figures

Figure 1. Mallinella shahu sp. n., male holotype. A habitus, dorsal view; B same, ventral view; C eyes, dorsal view; D chelicerae and endites, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A, B); 0.1 mm (C, D).

Figure 2. Mallinella shahu sp. n., female paratype. A habitus, dorsal view; B same, ventral view; C eyes, dorsal view; D chelicerae, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A, B); 0.1 mm (C, D).

Figure 3. Mallinella shahu sp. n., male palp of holotype and female epigyne of paratype. A palp, retrolateral view; B same, ventral view; C same, retrolateral view; D same, dorsal view; E epigyne, ventral view; F same, retrolateral view; G same, posterior view; H same, lateral view. Abbreviations: Con - conductor, EB - embolic base, Em - embolus, FD - fertilisation duct, ID - insemination duct, LB - lateral border, MA - median apophysis, RTA - retrolateral tibial apophysis, Spe - spermathecae. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 4. Mallinella shahu sp. n., living specimen. A & B male; C & D female.

Figure 5. Records of Mallinella shahu sp. n., from Jiangxi Province, China.