Diphya weimiani J. Zhang & H. Yu, 2022

Zhang, Jianshuang, Zhang, Qi, Long, Feiyang, Yu, Hao & Yi, Yin, 2022, Two new speicies of Diphya Nicolet, 1849 (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) from Southwest China, ZooKeys 1124, pp. 131-145 : 131

Diphya weimiani J. Zhang & H. Yu sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 6 , 7

Material examined.

Holotype. ♀ (MGEU-TET-22-001, YHTET004), CHINA: Sichuan Province: Yaan City: Lushan County, Longmen Town , Longmen Mountain , 30.23°N, 103.02°E, ca 885 m, 14 May 2022, M. Wei leg. Paratype: 1♀ (MGEU-TET-22-002), Guizhou Province: Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture : Leishan County, Leigong Mountain , 26.38°N, 108.20°E, ca 1965 m, 27 July 2021, Y.C. Lin and M. Wei leg.

Diagnosis.

The new species is easily distinguished from other congeners except D. albula (Paik, 1983) ( Seo 2005: 49, figs 1, 2), D. macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849 ( Marusik and Omelko 2017b: 25, 26, 30), and D. okumae Tanikawa, 1995 ( Tanikawa 1995: 102, fig. 12; Zhu et al. 2003: 56, fig. 22) by the atrium distinct, and by lack of septum (vs atrium indistinct, divided or covered by septum; septum with variable shapes but distinct in all other Diphya species, such as D. guiyang sp. nov.; Fig. 3A, C, E ), but differ from the latter three by the atrium located posteriorly (Fig. 5A, C, E ) (vs located anteriorly), the copulatory ducts strongly entwined (Fig. 5B, D ) (vs not entwined), and by the receptacles not subdivided (Fig. 5B, D ) (vs receptacles subdivided in 2 chambers).

Etymology.

The specific name is a patronym after Mian Wei (Chengdu City, China), the collector of the type material.

Description.

Female. Holotype (Figs 5F , 6A-C ): total length 3.79; carapace 1.57 long, 1.55 wide; abdomen 2.22 long, 1.55 wide.

Carapace red-brown, marginally slightly darker. Clypeus light orange, distinctly higher than AME diameter. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.16, PME 0.15, PLE 0.16, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.07, PME-PME 0.12, PME-PLE 0.16, MOQL 0.57, MOQA 0.20, MOQP 0.45. Chelicerae light orange, with 3 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Sternum coloured as carapace, 0.80 long, 0.68 wide.

Abdomen dorsally uniformly yellowish white, dorsum with two pairs of inconspicuous muscle depressions; laterally with lengthwise reticular pattern; ventrally white with no distinct pattern.

Legs uniformly red-brown. Leg measurements: I 5.58 (1.47, 1.85, 1.46, 0.80), II 5.10 (1.43, 1.65, 1.31, 0.71), III 3.36 (1.03, 1.03, 0.81, 0.49), IV 1.38 (1.44, 1.27, 1.14, 0.53).

Epigyne (Fig. 5A-E ). Plate distinctly wider than long, with an atrium located posteriorly, receptacles and copulatory ducts indistinctly visible through integument. Atrium (A) shaped like an equilateral triangle, with rebordered margin, about 1/2 epigyne length and 1/3 epigyne width. Lateral pocket (Lp) located anteriorly to atrium, more or less comma-shaped, heavily sclerotized. Copulatory openings (Co) indistinct, located at basolateral atrial borders. Copulatory ducts (Cd) strongly entwined, loop twice before connecting to receptacles. Receptacles (R) oval or balloon-shaped, not subdivided, relatively large, ca 1.3 times longer than wide, surface smooth; two receptacles close together. Fertilization ducts (Fd) acicular, membranous, located on posterior surface of receptacles.

Male. Unknown.

Comments.

According to WSC (2022), only two species of Diphya are known only from males: D. bicolor Vellard, 1926 from Brazil, and D. leroyorum Omelko, Marusik & Lyle, 2020 from South Africa. However, neither could be matched with D. weimiani sp. nov. due to the long distance between their type localities (China is tens of thousands of kilometres from Brazil and South Africa).

Distribution.

Known from the Mount Longmen Mountain (Sichuan Province), and Mount Leigong Mountain (Guizhou Province), China (Fig. 7 ).

Figures

Figure 3. Diphya guiyang sp. nov. A-E female paratype and male holotype, epigyne A, B macerated epigyne, ventral and dorsal C, D epigyne, macerated and embedded in Arabic gum, ventral and dorsal E intact epigyne F, G ventral view frontal view of prosoma F male G female. Abbreviations: Cd = copulatory duct; Fd = fertilisation duct; Ra = anterior chamber of receptacle; Rp = posterior chamber of receptacle; Sb = septal base; Se = septum (dashed line in C showing margin of septum); Sh = septal head; Ss = septal stem. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A-E); 1 mm (F, G).

Figure 5. Diphya weimiani sp. nov., female holotype, epigyne (A-E) and frontal view of prosoma (F). A, B macerated epigyne, ventral and dorsal C, D epigyne, macerated and embedded in Arabic gum, ventral and dorsal E intact epigyne, ventral view F female. Abbreviations: A = atrium; Cd = copulatory duct (dashed line in Fig. 5 D showing schematic course of copulatory duct, dorsal); Co = copulatory opening; Fd = fertilisation duct; Lp = lateral pocket; R = receptacle. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A-E); 1 mm (F).

Figure 6. Habitus of the female holotype of Diphya weimiani sp. nov. A dorsal view B ventral view C lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 7. Distribution records of the Diphya species in China. D. guiyang sp. nov. (scarlet circle: Guizhou Province, Guiyan City), D. weimiani sp. nov. (yellow circle: 1. Sichuan Province, Mount Longmen; 2. Guizhou Province, Mount Leigong), D. okumae Tanikawa, 1995 (carmine circle: 1. Hennan Province, Xinyang City; 2. Hennan Province, Neixiang County; 3. Hubei Province, Hefeng County), D. qianica Zhu, Song & Zhang, 2003 (greent circle: Guizhou Province, Mount Fanjing), D. songi Wu & Yang, 2010 (orange circle: Yunnan Province, Mount Canshan), D. taiwanica Tanikawa, 1995 (light blue circle: 1. Taiwan Province, Mount Pahsien-shan; 2. Taiwan Province, Mount Alishan); D. tanasevitchi (Zhang, Zhang & Yu, 2003) (lilac circle: 1. Hebei Province, Mount Wuling; 2. Hebei Province, Pingshan County; 3. Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Delong County; 4. Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Jingyuan County), D. wulingensis Yu, Zhang & Omelko, 2014 (dark blue circle: Hebei Province, Mount Wuling).