Poeciloneta xizangensis, Zhai, Hui & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2008

Zhai, Hui & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2008, Two new species of the spider genus Poeciloneta Kulczyn'ski, 1894 (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from China, Zootaxa 1850, pp. 61-64 : 61-62

Poeciloneta xizangensis n. sp. ( Figs. 1–7 )

Types. Holotype male, 3 male and 38 female paratypes, China: Xizang, the cenotaph square of Lasa (3655 m, 29°39'N, 91°07'E), 30 Jul. 2002 (MHBU); paratypes: 3 males and 3 females, Xizang, Qiyi farm, Lasa (3655 m, 29°39'N, 91°07'E), 30 Jul. 2002; 2 males, 7 females, Xizang, Bayi town, Linzhi County, (3020m, 29°41'N, 94°21'E), 2 Aug. 2002; 1 male, 4 females, Xizang, Zedang town, Naidong County, (3555 m, 29°15'N, 91°47'E), 25 Aug. 2002. All specimens were collected by Ming-Sheng Zhu.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to P. theridiformis (Emerton, 1911) . The male can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the shape of lamella characteristica, which is long, almost parallel with radix, split into four apical branches, the distal part turned abruptly. The female can be distinguished by the obviously broader basal part of pseudoscape and the longer stretcher.

Description. Male holotype ( Figs.5–7 ). Total length 2.38. Carapace 1.15 long, 0.88 wide; abdomen 1.35 long, 0.83 wide. Carapace grayish-brown, fovea distinct. Eyes with black surround; AMEs smallest (0.08), others subequal (0.10); AER and PER procurved, AME-AME (0.03) shorter than AME-ALE (0.05), PME-PME (0.05) equal to PME-PLE (0.05), MOA front shorter than back (0.15: 0.25). ALE and PLE juxtaposed. Clypeus height 0.15. Endite parallel, longer than wide (0.25: 0.20). Labium yellowish. Chelicerae brown, with strong stridulatory ridges, fang groove with four large promarginal and three small retromarginal teeth. Sternum cordiform, slightly darker than carapace. Legs light yellow. Tibia dorsal spines: 2-2-2-2. Tm I 0.87. Measurements of legs: I 5.28 (1.35 + 1.55 + 1.38 + 0.90), II 4.56 (1.33 + 1.33 + 1.15 + 0.75), III 3.51 (1.43 + 1.40 + 1.23 + 0.78), Abdomen brown, dorsal with complicated dorsal pattern. Spinnerets black.

Male palp ( Figs.5–7 ). Tibia with a long dorsal spine. Cymbium proximally with a rounded apophysis. Paracymbium large, the apical part V-shaped. Radix long and narrow, the mesal part broader than other parts. Lamella characteristica long, almost parallel with radix, with four apical branches, the distal part turned abruptly. Embolus uniform with sharp embolus proper, terminal apophysis blunt tipped, thumb leaf-shaped, pointing forwards in retrolateral view.

Female paratype ( Figs.1–4 ). Total length 3.42. Carapace 1.35 long, 1.02 wide, abdomen 2.15 long, 1.52 wide. Clypeus height 0.15. Tm I 0.88. Measurements of legs: I 5.48 (1.52+ 1.72 + 1.32 + 0.92), II 4.90(1.49 + 1.52 + 1.55 + 0.73), III 4.00 (1.25 +1.19 + 0.99 + 0.56), IV 5.08 (1.52 + 1.55 + 1.25 + 0.76). Tm IV absent.

Epigynum ( Figs.2–4 ). Pseudoscape oval. Stretcher slightly longer than pseudoscape. Posterior median plate heartshaped.

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Poeciloneta xizangensis n. sp., 1 – 4, female paratypes. 1, Body, dorsal; 2 epigynum, ventral; 3, epigynum, lateral; 4, epigynum, dorsal; 5 – 7, male holotype and left palp. 5, prolateral; 6, ventral; 7, retrolateral. Scale = 0.1 mm.