Skip to main content

Sub guardstone spider (Otacilia subshanxi) named the species based on its similarity to Otacilia shanxi

Sub guardstone spider (Otacilia subshanxi) named the species based on its similarity to Otacilia shanxi

NEWS - Sub guardstone spider (Otacilia subshanxi sp. nov.) from Duheyuan Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, China, was diagnosed and described as a new species. The researchers found the specimen known only from the type locality and named the species based on its similarity to O. shanxi.

Otacilia Thorell 1897 is the largest genus in the Phrurolithidae, containing 143 species, distributed in East and Southeast Asia with 120 species reported in China. A recently reported eyeless species collected from a cave shows the great potential for species diversity.

The new species resembles O. shanxi Mu & Zhang 2021 in having similar femoral apophyses, atrium, curved connecting tubes, but a wide embolus (vs. thin in O. shanxi), a thin (vs. wide) retrolateral tibial apophysis and a thin (vs. wide) median septum.

Male (Holotype): total length 3.04, carapace 1.50 long, 1.30 wide; abdomen 1.54 long, 1.03 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.09, PME 0.08, PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.22, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.40, ALE–PLE 0.08. EAW 0.52, CRW 0.68, EAW/CRW 0.76, CRW/CW 0.52. MOA 0.26 long, anterior width 0.21, posterior width 0.27. CH 0.11, CH/AME 1.38.

Labium 0.15 long, 0.22 wide. Sternum 0.87 long, 0.78 wide. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 6.15 (1.57 + 0.55 + 1.81 + 1.48 + 0.74), Ⅱ 4.91 (1.30 + 0.51 + 1.27 + 1.15 + 0.68), Ⅲ 4.02 (1.08 + 0.45 + 0.80 + 1.07 + 0.62), Ⅳ 6.51 (1.78 + 0.54 + 1.53 + 1.80 + 0.86). Spination: femur I d 1 pl 4, femur Ⅱ d 1 pl 2, femur Ⅲ–Ⅳ d 1, tibia Ⅰ pv 7 rv 8, tibia Ⅱ pv 7 rv 6, metatarsus Ⅰpv 4 rv 4, metatarsus Ⅱ pv 4 rv 3.

Carapace slightly brown, radial striae indistinct, with one black longitudinal stripe nearly same width as eye area. Abdomen grey, with small dorsal scutum darker than carapace, with black pattern beside dorsal scutum anteriorly and four black transverse stripes at posterior of abdomen. Legs yellow, with black annuli near ventral of tibiae I–Ⅳ tip.

Femur with large, well-developed apophysis at middle part. Prolateral tibial apophysis distinct. Tibial nearly as long as wide. Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) with wide base and narrow, tip blunt, base of retrolateral with a small tuber, a row of strong setae at base of RTA. Bulb pyriform, sperm duct distinct, tapering off close to embolus. Embolus wide, hook-like, blade-shaped. Conductor small, triangular, membranous.

Female (Paratype): total length 3.52, carapace 1.52 long, 1.36 wide; abdomen 2.00 long, 1.22 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.10, PME 0.08, PLE 0.09; AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.21, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.37, ALE–PLE 0. 06. EAW 0.48, CRW 0.69, EAW/CRW 0.69, CRW/CW 0.51. MOA 0.27 long, anterior width 0.19, posterior width 0.27. CH 0.09, CH/AME 1.00.

Labium 0.15 long, 0.25 wide. Sternum 0.93 long, 0.79 wide. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 6.00 (1.50 + 0.52 + 1.85 + 1.44 + 0.69), Ⅱ 4.93 (1.25 + 0.51 + 1.33 + 1.13 + 0.71), Ⅲ 4.29 (1.14 + 0.47 + 0.93 + 1.12 + 0.63), Ⅳ 6.32 (1.68 + 0.59 + 1.37 + 1.77 + 0.91). Spination:femur I d 1 pl 4, femur Ⅱ d 1 pl 3, femora Ⅲ–Ⅳ d 1, tibia Ⅰ pv 7 rv 8, tibia Ⅱ pv 7 rv 6, metatarsus Ⅰ pv 4 rv 4, metatarsus Ⅱ pv 4 rv 3. Other characters as in male, except dorsal scutum absent (Fig. 1B, Fig. 2C and D).

Epigynal plate sclerotised, non-transparent, with two large atriums. Median septum wide, edge arched, widest at middle part. Copulatory openings located at middle part of atrium, separated by septum. Copulatory ducts short and thick, straight. Connecting tubes long and thin, curved. Bursae balloon-shaped, transparent. Spermathecae oval and small, bean-shaped. Fertilisation ducts short, located anteromesally on spermathecae.

Original research

Guo M, Mu Y, Zhang F (2024). A new Otacilia Thorell, 1897 species from Hubei Province, China (Araneae, Phrurolithidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e137014, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.12.e137014

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Yellow garden spider (Argiope appensa)

Yellow garden spider ( Argiope appensa ) is a species of spider in Araneidae that lives on the coast to forests on islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Black and yellow females are striking and have a length of 5.1-6.4 cm including long legs, while males are brown and have a length of about 1.9 cm. A. appensa lives on cliffs in the hills at 600 m above sea level in Kewu plain to rice fields in the lowlands. They make nests at a height of 1.5 meters from the ground between teak ( Tectona grandis ), sonokeling ( Dalbergia latifolia ), sonosiso ( Dalbergia sissoo ), crown flower ( Calotropis gigantea ) and various grasses. Yellow garden spiders grow in large sizes, but are not toxic to humans. Advanced builds ball-shaped nets and most of them make stabilizers which are zigzag-shaped lines in nets made of thicker bands. This species spends more time in stationary and sits in the middle of the net with its head down to wait for insects to be entangled in fine silk thread. Unli...
Read more

Skyflower (Duranta erecta)

Sinyo nakal or skyflower ( Duranta erecta ) is plant species in Verbenaceae, a broad shrub or small tree, up to 6 m high, stems growing upright or horizontally with broad clumps, many branches, bark light brown, old tree has axillary spines and grows to form dense colonies. D. erecta has bright green leaves, elliptical to ovoid, pointed or rounded ends, sitting opposite, 7.5 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, a main vein in the middle with several small lateral veins, petiole long 1.5 cm. Flowers are light blue or lavender or white, appear in tight clusters as on terminal stems and axils, often curled or pendulous, blooms in summer. The fruit is a berry having a stalk, small round, yellow or orange or white in color, up to 11 mm in diameter, an eye green in front and containing several seeds. Skyflower grows in dry or humid areas and lots of sun, rocky or sandy beaches, forests, farmland and disturbed places. Plants will grow at a rate of up to half a meter per year. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum:...
Read more

Big-leaved acacia (Acacia mangium)

Big-leaved acacia ( Acacia mangium ) is a species of woody plants in the Acacieae, long oval leaves, growing up to 30 m and straight stems, except in less favorable places will grow only 7-10 m, have hardwood, rough, longitudinal grooved and dark to light brown. A. mangium has shoots with compound leaves consisting of many minor leaves and after growing a few weeks does not produce any more real leaves but the main axis of the petiole of each compound leaves widens and turns into known pohyllocladus or pseudo leaves. Big-leaved acacia has about 142,000 seeds/kg. Long pods form circular threads and are black or brown when ripe. Dry pods will open to expose small black seeds. Trees bind nitrogen to the soil and are a popular species for agroforestry projects. This plant is weather resistant, although it requires special care if it is planted as a garden plant where the leaves are falling a lot. These plants include legumes that grow quickly by increasing height 4 m per year near ...
Read more