Sinoalaria shenhei Yu & Lin, 2023

Zhang, Jianshuang, Feng, Chengcheng, Yu, Hao & Lin, Yucheng, 2023, A review of the spider genus Sinoalaria (Araneae, Theridiosomatidae), with the descriptions of four new species and two new combinations, ZooKeys 1173, pp. 307-338 : 307

Sinoalaria shenhei Yu & Lin sp. nov.

Figs 13 , 17

Type material.

Holotype ♀, China: Yunnan, Baoshan City, Longling County, Longjiang Town, Xiaoheishan Provincal Nature Reserve, 24°49.733'N, 98°45.601'E, 2020 m, 22.VIII.2018, Y. Lin et al. leg.

Other material examined.

11 juv., same data as holotype .

Etymology.

The specific name is an adjective and derived from the Chinese pinyin 'shēn hēi’, which means ‘pitch-black’, referring to the basic color of body.

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to S. chengguanensis (Fig. 6 ) in the general appearance of the epigyne. From S. chengguanensis , the female of S. shenhei sp. nov. can be distinguished by the shape of the scape, the different shape and degrees of sclerotization of copulatory ducts, as well as the color of habitus: (1) scape shaped like an inverted bowling pin, slightly narrowed proximally in S. shenhei sp. nov. (scape tongue-shaped, proximal part distinctly narrowed in S. chengguanensis ) (cf. Fig. 13D-F and Fig. 6D-F ); (2) dorsal and posterior folds of copulatory ducts trapeziform, heavily sclerotized in S. shenhei sp. nov. (nearly circular, slightly sclerotized in S. chengguanensis ) (cf. Fig. 13F and Fig. 6F ); (3) dorsum of abdomen basically black, with three bands which consisting of small white spots, forming a trident-shaped pattern in S. shenhei sp. nov. (abdomen dorsally white with numerous small black spots in S. chengguanensis ) (cf. Fig. 13A and Fig. 6B, C ).

Description.

Female (holotype) (Fig. 13A, B ): Carapace nearly pyriform, uniformly black; cervical groove and radial grooves faint. Anterior eye row recurved, posterior eye row almost straight in dorsal view. Sternum shield-shaped, centrally light orange with sparse setae, marginally dark. Mouthparts yellowish. Legs dark brown except black femur. Abdomen nearly round, posteriorly with a prominent caudo-dorsal hump, covered with sparse long setae, setal base sclerotized. Dorsum of abdomen basically black, with three bands consisting of small white spots forming a trident-shaped pattern. Venter of abdomen black, centrally with numerous brown small spots. Measurements: Total length 3.5. Carapace 1.3 long, 1.1 wide. Clypeus 0.1 high. Sternum 0.7 long, 0.6 wide. Abdomen 2.5 long, 2.4 wide. Length of legs: I 3.4 (1.1 0.3, 0.9, 0.7, 0.4); II 2.5 (0.6, 0.3, 0.6, 0.6, 0.4); III 2.2 (0.5, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, 0.3); IV 3.0 (1.0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, 0.3).

Epigyne (Fig. 13C-F ). Epigynal plate nearly as wide as long, spermathecae and copulatory ducts are faint through epigynal plate before dissection. Scape as long as epigynal plate, shaped like an inverted bowling pin, apex with a pocket-like hood; protruding from concaved posterior margin of epigynal plate. Copulatory ducts coils located anterolaterally to spermathecae: ventral and anterior folds represented by two hyaline and triangular bursae, ca 1/3 length of epigyne plate, the two folds widely separated by ca 2.1 × their width; the dorsal and posterior fold trapezoid, heavily sclerotized, separated by ca 1.3 × their diameters. Spermathecae fist-shaped, strongly sclerotized, located centrally and juxtaposed, not overlapping with copulatory ducts; the two spermathecae touch each other. Fertilization ducts short, acicular, membranous, located on posterior surface of spermathecae.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 17 ).

Figures

Figure 6. Sinoalaria chengguanensis (Zhao & Li, 2012), male habitus (A), female habitus (B, C) and epigyne (D-F) A dorsal view B dorsal view C lateral view D intact, ventral view E cleared, ventral view F cleared, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; DPF = dorsal and posterior fold of copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; Sc = scape; Sp = spermatheca; VAF = ventral and anterior fold of copulatory duct. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A-C); 0.20 mm (D-F).

Figure 13. Holotype female of Sinoalaria shenhei sp. nov., habitus (A, B) and epigyne (C-F) A dorsal view B ventral view C intact, lateral view D intact, ventral view E cleared, ventral view F cleared, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; DPF = dorsal and posterior fold of copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; Sc = scape; Sp = spermatheca; VAF = ventral and anterior fold of copulatory duct. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A, B); 0.20 mm (C-F).

Figure 17. Distribution records of the species from genus Sinoalaria.