Heriaeus convexus, Tang & Li, 2010

Tang, Guo & Li, Shuqiang, 2010, Crab spiders from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China (Araneae, Thomisidae) 2703, Zootaxa 2703, pp. 1-105 : 15-19

Heriaeus convexus sp. nov.

Figs 7–9

Type material. Holotype: ♂, CHINA: Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla County, Menglun Town , Menglun Nature Reserve , Paramichelia baillonii plantation (N21º53.823', E101º17.072', 613 m), 19–25 November 2006, leg. G. Zheng (RZIII-3-07).

Paratypes: CHINA: Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla County, Menglun Town , Menglun Nature Reserve , leg. G. Zheng: 1 ♀, same data as holotype (RZIII-3-07) ; 1 ♀, 19–26 March 2007 (RZIII-2-15); 1 ♀, 4-11 May 2007 (RZIII-3-18); 1 ♂, 19–25 October 2006 (RZIII-1-05). 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 5–12 October 2006 (RZIII-3-04); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 19–25 October 2006 (RZIII-3-05); 1 ♀, 5–12 December 2006 (RZIII-4-08); 1 ♀, 5–12 December 2006 (RZIII-1-08); 1 ♀, 1–10 January 2007 (RZIII-1-10); 1 ♀, 19–25 October 2006 (RZIII-1-11); 1♀, 5–12 October 2006 (RZIII-2-04); 1 ♀ 5–12 March 2007 (RZIII-2-14), all same locality as holotype ; 1 ♂, Paramichelia baillonii Plantation 1 (N21º53.823', E101º17.072', 613 m), 1–9 November 2006 (pitfall traps, RZIII-2-07); 1 ♀, Rubber-Tea plantation (N21º55.551', E101º16.923', 561 m), 5–12 October 2006 (J-CIII-1-04) ; 1 ♀, same locality , 1–15 January 2007 (J- CIII-2-11); 1 ♀, Rubber-Tea plantation (N21º54.498', E101º16.326', 586 m), 19–25 February 2007 (XZII-1-13) ; leg. G. Tang and Z.Y. Yao: 1 ♀, Lvshilin Forest Park (N21º54.705', E101º16.898', 664 m), 15 November 2009 (Tang-Yao _ No. 8) ; 1 ♀, Lvshilin Forest Park, Limestone tropical seasonal rain forest (N21º54.710', E101º16.941', 652 m), 16 November 2009 ( Tang-Yao _ No. 10) ; 1 ♀, Garbage dump, Secondary tropical forest (N21º54.380´, E101º16.815´, 627 m), 23 November 2009 ( Tang-Yao _ No. 21) ; 1 ♀, G213 roadside, Bamboo plantation (N21º53.833', E101º17.001', 618 m), 25 November 2009 (Tang-Yao _ No. 25) ; 1 ♀, G213 roadside, Bamboo plantation (N21º53.646', E101º16.975', 589 m), 26 November 2009 (Tang-Yao _ No. 26) ; 1 ♀, Bamboo plantation (N21º53.622', E101º16.955', 581 m), 26 November 2009 (Tang-Yao _ No. 27) .

Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin word convexus (convex), referring to the retrolaterally convex palpal cymbium, adjective.

Diagnosis. This new species can be distinguished from other members of this genus by the long, slender embolus and the shapes of tibial apophyses. This species could only be confused with H. crassispinus Lawrence, 1942 from South Africa ( Loerbroks 1983: 131, figs 93–94), but can be separated by: 1) ITA larger than the ventral ramus of RTA (smaller in H. crassispinus ); 2) the distal part of embolus situated ventral of cymbium (lateral of cymbium in H. crassispinus ).

Description. Male (holotype measured): Total length 3.70. Prosoma 2.00 long, 1.70 wide; opisthosoma 1.90 long, 1.60 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma yellow, with long setae and light brown stripes. Clypeus margin with seven setae forwardly. Eye measurements: AME 0.06; ALE 0.11; PME 0.07; PLE 0.11; AME–AME 0.22; AME– ALE 0.12; PME–PME 0.20; PME–PLE 0.26. MOA length 0.33 with front width 0.35 and back width 0.34. Chelicerae, gnathocoxae and labium light brown, sternum yellow. Legs yellow, darken distally, femur and tibia of I, II covered with long spines and hairs. Leg measurements: I: 9.20 (2.60, 3.30, 2.20, 1.10); II: 9.10 (2.60, 3.30, 2.20, 1.00); III: 4.60 (1.50, 1.70, 0.80, 0.60); IV: 4.90 (1.60, 1.70, 1.00, 0.60), leg formula: 1243. Opisthosoma dorsally gray with setae and light blackish brown stripes and scaled white spots. Venter light yellow with white spots.

Palp ( Figs 7 B–D, 9 A–B). VTA beak-shaped; ITA finger-shaped, RTA bifurcated, with the ventral ramus finger-shaped, the dorsal one pointed; tegulum flat; embolus slender, twisted.

Female (one of the paratypes measured): Total length 4.80. Prosoma 2.30 long, 2.25 wide. Opisthosoma 2.70 long, 2.70 wide. Body pigmentation lighter than in male. Eye measurements: AME 0.06; ALE 0.11; PME 0.07; PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.30; AME–ALE 0.18; PME–PME 0.28; PME–PLE 0.34. MOA length 0.38 with front width 0.41 and back width 0.40. Leg measurements: I: 8.20 (2.40, 3.00, 1.80, 1.00); II: 8.30 (2.40, 3.10, 1.80, 1.00); III: 4.70 (1.50, 1.90, 0.70, 0.60); IV: 5.40 (1.70, 2.00, 1.00, 0.70), leg formula: 2143. Opisthosoma dorsally grayish with setae and scaled white spots.

Epigynum ( Figs 8 B–E, 9 C–D). Epigynum with an anteriorly situated, soft wrinkled hood; copulatory openings situated near the hood; copulatory duct wrinkled, twisted complicated; spermathecae small.

Variation. Total length: ♂ 3.30–4.40 (n=5); ♀ 4.50–6.20 (n=20).

Distribution. China (Yunnan).