Leptonetela hexacantha, Lin & Li, 2010

Lin, Yucheng & Li, Shuqiang, 2010, Leptonetid spiders from caves of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China (Araneae: Leptonetidae) 2587, Zootaxa 2587 (1), pp. 1-93 : 39-42

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2587.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5312098
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A76E6115-FFA4-FFEF-FF49-83CAA5CFFDAD
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Leptonetela hexacantha
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Leptonetela hexacantha View in CoL sp. nov.

Figs 24–25 View FIGURE 24 View FIGURE 25 , 61 View FIGURE 61

Type material: Holotype: male ( IZCAS), Zhijin Cave (Alt.: 1326 m), Guanzhai Town, Zhijin County [26°29´N, 105°28´E, Guizhou, China], 15 May 2005, Y.C. Lin and Y.F. Tong leg. GoogleMaps Paratypes: 18 males and 40 females, same data as holotype ( IZCAS) GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Greek words “ hexa ” (= six) and “ acanthos ” (= thorn), in reference to the number of large spine on the male pedipalpal tibia. Term in apposition.

Diagnosis. This new species seems closest to the sympatric L. quinquespinata ( Chen & Zhu, 2008) , but may be distinguished by the presence of 6 modified tibial spurs on male pedipalp (5 tibial spurs in L. quinquespinata ), the presence of median apophysis (absent in L. quinquespinata ) and the detached spermathecae (contacted with each other in L. quinquespinata ).

Description. Holotype male. Total length 2.04. Prosoma 1.00 long, 0.90 wide. Sternum 0.66 long, 0.56 wide. Opisthosoma 1.10 long, 0.76 wide. Dorsal shield of prosoma yellow, two long setae on anterolateral area of PME. Thoracic median groove brown yellow, needle-shaped. Cervical groove and radial furrows distinct, pale brown. Clypeus 0.22 high, slightly sloped anteriorly. Six eyes white. Eye sizes: ALE 0.08, PLE 0.07, PME 0.06; ALE-ALE 0.02, ALE-PME 0.15, PLE-PLE 0.11, PLE-PME 0.06; AER 0.18, PER 0.21. Major axes of PLE convergent posteriorly, median axes of PME parallel. Chelicerae yellow, fang furrow with 9 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Endites, labium, sternum and legs yellow. Leg measurements: I 11.73 (3.30, 0.43, 3.30, 2.80, 1.90); II 10.28 (2.95, 0.40, 2.88, 2.40, 1.65); III 8.83 (2.55, 0.38, 2.40, 2.15, 1.35); IV 10.65 (3.05, 0.40, 2.95, 2.60, 1.65). Leg formula: I-IV-II-III. Five spines on femur I, 3 or 4 on femur II, III and IV respectively. One dorsal spine on each patella distally. Four long trichobothria and 5 or 6 spines on each tibia respectively. Each metatarsus with one trichobothrium and one spine dorsally. A serrated hairscomb absent at metatarsi II and III. Opisthosoma grey-dimmish, ovoid, lacking pigmental spots, covered with hairs.

Pedipalpal femur spineless. A dorsal spine on patella distally. Tibia with 3 dorsal trichobothria, 6 gradually shorten retrolateral spurs. Tarsus rugose and contracted mesially, attaching an earlobe-shaped process retrolaterally, with 5 long spines distally. Pedipalpal bulb subround, embolus and conductor broad, membranous. Median apophysis small, horn-shaped. Prolateral lobe large.

Female. Similar to male in general features, but body size larger and legs shorter. Total length 2.22. Prosoma 0.98 long, 0.88 wide. Sternum 0.66 long, 0.49 wide. Opisthosoma 1.34 long, 0.84 wide. Clypeus 0.19 high. Six eyes. Eyes sizes: ALE 0.06, PLE 0.05, PME 0.05; ALE-ALE 0.02, ALE-PME 0.12, PLE-PLE 0.10, PLE-PME 0.06; AER 0.15, PER 0.18. Chelicerae yellow, fang furrow with 9 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium yellow, sternum and legs yellow. Leg measurements: I 10.18 (2.83, 0.40, 2.95, 2.35, 1.65); II 8.93 (2.60, 0.38, 2.50, 2.00, 1.45); III 7.90 (2.30, 0.35, 2.10, 1.90, 1.25); IV 9.52 (2.75, 0.37, 2.60, 2.30, 1.50). Leg formula: I-IV-II-III. The chaetotaxy of all legs same as in male.

Genital area covered with densely plumose long hairs. Internal genitalia consisting of paired spermathecae and sperm ducts, twisted, weakly sclerotized, lacking modified short hairs. The atrium broad triangle, rugose, slightly protruded anteriorly.

Distribution. Known only from type locality.