Nesticella liuzhaiensis, Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016

Lin, Yucheng, Ballarin, Francesco & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, A survey of the spider family Nesticidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Asia and Madagascar, with the description of forty-three new species, ZooKeys 627, pp. 1-168 : 23-24

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Nesticidae

Nesticella liuzhaiensis sp. n. Figs 21, 82

Type material.

Holotype ♀ and paratype 1♀ (IZCAS), CHINA: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nandan County, Longli Village, near the Dixia River, subterranean river cave (25.27530°N, 107.44731°E, 880 m), 29.I.2015, Y. Li & X. Chen leg.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis.

The new species can be easily distinguished from all the others belonging to the brevipes -group by the very large and squared short scape, the flat posterior margin and the nearly straight copulatory ducts visible through the transparent tegument which give the epigyne a U-shape. Nesticella robusta sp. n. (Fig. 30 E–G) and Nesticella machadoi from Angola (see Hubert, 1971: 75, figs 1-5) are morphologically similar to Nesticella liuzhaiensis sp. n. The new species can be separated from Nesticella robusta sp. n. by the straighter and less tortuous copulatory ducts (Cd) (Fig. 21F vs. Fig. 30G) and from Nesticella machadoi by the smaller spermathecae (S), the more widely separated copulatory ducts (Cd) and the straight rather than concave posterior margin of the scape (Fig. 21G vs. fig. 3). Furthermore, in Nesticella liuzhaiensis sp. n., the PME are equal to ALE in size while the PME are larger than the ALE in Nesticella machadoi (Fig. 21A vs. fig. 1).

Description.

Habitus as in Fig. 21 A–C. Carapace dark yellow, with extended dark areas near the center and the margins. Cephalic area with several long setae at the midline and along the cervical groove. Cervical groove and fovea distinct. Thoracic area with faint radial furrows. Mouthparts brown-yellowish. Sternum dark, with long setae. Legs and female palps yellowish, tarsus distally darker. Opisthosoma light yellow with paired dark spots on the dorsal side, often merged with each other and forming a lighter cross-shaped mark on the background.

Epigyne (Fig. 21 D–F): dark, posterior margin truncated and straight (Fig. 21D). Scape strongly squared, wide and short (Fig. 21 E–F). Copulatory openings near the posterior margin of the epigyne, separated from each other by about two times the spermathecal diameters (Fig. 21 D–E). Spermathecae small and ovoid, separated from each other by about two diameters (Fig. 21F). Fertilization ducts thin and long, reaching the spermathecae with 3.5 coils (Fig. 21F). Copulatory ducts thick and short, swollen and nearly straight (Fig. 21E).

Female (holotype). Total length 2.13. Carapace 1.00 long, 0.87 wide. Opisthosoma 1.36 long, 1.11 wide. Clypeus height 0.15. Sternum 0.64 long, 0.49 wide. Leg measurements: see Appendix A.

Male. Unknown.

Habitat.

Cave.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 82).