Speocera zhigangi Li & Li, 2019

Tong, Yanfeng, Li, Fengyuan, Song, Yang, Chen, Haifeng & Li, Shuqiang, 2019, Thirty-two new species of the genus Speocera Berland, 1914 (Araneae: Ochyroceratidae) from China, Madagascar and Southeast Asia, Zoological Systematics 44 (1), pp. 1-75 : 66-75

Speocera zhigangi Li & Li sp. nov. ( Figs 53–54 , 57G–H )

Material examined. Holotype ♂ ( IZCAS), China, Hainan Province, Changjiang County, Bawangling Natural Reserve , Dongyi Protection Station (19º7.165′N, 109º9.100′E), elev. 684 m, 12.IV.2012, leg. Z. Chen. Paratype 1♀ ( IZCAS), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name is taken after the collector, Mr. Zhigang Chen; name in genitive case.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to S. bicornea Tong & Li, 2007 , but males can be distinguished by the male palpal bulb which is strongly constricted at the distal third ( Figs 53A–B ), and females by the large, oval spermathecae ( Fig. 54A ). S. bicornea males have a more flattened, spherical palpal bulb and females have very small spermathecae (Tong & Li, 2007: fig. 7).

Description. Male. Total length 1.03; carapace length 0.49; carapace width 0.42; abdomen length 0.48; abdomen width 0.34. Prosoma: carapace pyriform, narrowing gradually anteriorly; light yellow, suffused with purplish pattern ( Fig. 54C ); pars cephalica flat; fovea not visible. Sternum light yellow, suffused with purplish color, longer than wide. Endites light yellow with serrula; labium light yellow. Clypeus nearly vertical; short. Chelicerae light yellow, laterally strongly excavated, with a large, blunt horn-shaped apophysis; promargin with a series of six teeth reaching the lamina; retromargin with two very small denticles ( Figs 57G–H ). Eyes: six contiguous eyes surrounded by black pigmentation, PME smallest, PLE largest ( Fig. 54C ). Opisthosoma oval; purplish. Legs light yellow; leg lengths I missing; II 1.69 (0.49, 0.16, 0.48, 0.31, 0.26); III 1.46 (0.41, 0.14, 0.38, 0.30, 0.23); IV missing. Genitalia ( Fig. 53 ). Palpal femur long; palpal tibia as long as cymbium ( Figs 53A–B ), palpal tibia and cymbium incrassate. Cymbium conical, with large prolateral extension basally. Bulb spherical, longer than wide, distal third strongly constricted. Embolus small, dark and basally with plate-shaped associated sclerites; sperm duct initially wide, gradually narrowing distally ( Fig. 53D ).

Female. Total length 1.08; carapace length 0.51; carapace width 0.44; abdomen length 0.53; abdomen width 0.38. Similar to male in color and general features ( Figs 54D–E ) but larger. Chelicerae unmodified. Leg lengths I 1.72 (0.50, 0.16, 0.50, 0.31, 0.25); II missing; III 1.42 (0.38, 0.14, 0.36, 0.30, 0.24); IV 1.88 (0.53, 0.16, 0.53, 0.38, 0.28). Genitalia. Internal genitalia with afferent spermathecae elongated, straight, not extending past the sides of the abdomen ( Fig. 54B ); spermathecae oval ( Fig. 54A ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Funding This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31572237, 31750002) to Yanfeng Tong, by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31530067) and the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2015CASEABRI005, Y4ZK111B01) to Shuqiang Li.

Acknowledgements The manuscript benefitted greatly from comments by Sarah Crews (San Francisco, USA). Theo Blick (Hummeltal, Germany) kindly checked etymology of the new species.

Figures

Figure 53. Speocera zhigangi Li & Li sp. nov., holotype, male. A. Left palp, prolateral view. B. Left palp, retrolateral view. C. Left palp, dorsal view. D. Left palp, retrolateral view, cleared in lactic acid. Scale bars=0.05mm.

Figure 54. Speocera zhigangi Li & Li sp. nov. A, B, D, E. Paratype, female. C. Holotype, male.A. Genitalia, dorsal view. B. Genitalia, ventral view. C. Habitus, dorsal view. D. Habitus, dorsal view. E. Habitus, ventral view. Scale bars:A–B=0.05mm; C–E=0.30mm.

Figure 57. Male chelicerae of Speocera spp. A–E, G, I. Anterior view. F, H, J. Lateral view. A. S. payakumbuh Li & Li sp. nov. B. S. suea Li & Li sp. nov. C. S. tubularis Li & Li sp. nov. D. S. trusmadi Li & Li sp. nov. E–F. S. xiaoxiaoae Li & Li sp. nov. G–H. S. zhigangi Li & Li sp. nov. I–J. S. xuanson Li & Li sp. nov. Scale bars=0.1mm.