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Four leptonetid spiders from China: Jingneta qishan, Jingneta wukuishan, Leptonetela jingde and Rhyssoleptoneta lishan

Four leptonetid spiders from China: Jingneta qishan, Jingneta wukuishan, Leptonetela jingde and Rhyssoleptoneta lishan

NEWS - Four species of leptonetid spiders have been established: Qishan cave spider (Jingneta qishan Tong, sp. nov. ♂♀), Wukuishan cave spider (Jingneta wukuishan Tong, sp. nov. ♂), Jingde cave spider (Leptonetela jingde Tong, sp. nov. ♂♀) and Lishan cave spider (Rhyssoleptoneta lishan Tong, sp. nov. ♂♀) from Anhui Province, China.

Leptonetidae Simon 1890 are very small (1–3 mm) and usually have six eyes, with the posterior median eye displaced behind the anterior lateral eyes and posterior lateral eyes, and the anterior median eye is missing. Most species live in moist habitats, such as leaf litter, under rocks, and in caves.

The family includes 22 genera and 392 species from North America, the Mediterranean, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Currently, 145 species in 8 genera have been recorded in China. Four species belonging to three genera have been recorded in Anhui Province: Jingneta maculosa (Song & Xu, 1986), Jingneta tunxiensis (Song & Xu, 1986), Leptonetela microdonta (Xu & Song, 1983) and Longileptoneta shenxian Wang & Li 2020.

Jingneta qishan is similar to Jingneta exilocula (Tong & Li 2008) in the horn-shaped apophysis on the palpal tibia, but can be distinguished by the chelicerae lacking a stridulatory bundle on the lateral edge (vs. having a stridulatory bundle), the palpal femur with 6 long setae on the retrolateral side (vs. 8), the bulbous tip with a prolateral thorn-like sclerite (vs. lacking) and the female genital area with a scape (vs. lacking).

Male (holotype). Total length 1.55. Carapace 0.62 long, 0.59 wide. Abdomen 0.99 long, 0.68 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.05, PLE 0.05, PME 0.04; ALE–PME 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.02, PLE–PME 0.03; AER 0.08, PER 0.10. Carapace light yellow. Median groove, cervical grooves and radial furrows distinct. Chelicerae with eight large promarginal and five small retromarginal teeth. Rectangular labium; endites with serrula anterolaterally; sternum light yellow, longer than wide, heart shaped, smooth. Abdomen whitish, ovoid. Leg measurements: I - (1.15, 0.19, 1.16, 0.90, -); II - (0.94, 0.19, 0.95, 0.73, 0.59); III - (-, 0.19, 0.72, 0.64, 0.48); IV - (1.26, -, -, -, -). Metatarsus III with row of fine hairs ventrally (preening comb, arrow in Fig. 4H). Palp: femur with six long setae retrolaterally; tibia with one horn-shaped apophysis distally; tip of bulb with triangular embolus, a spine-like prolateral sclerite and several outgrowths, including a leaf-shaped prolateral outgrowth, a median triangular outgrowth, a small outgrowth and a ribbon-shaped retrolateral outgrowth.

Female (paratype). Similar to male in general features. Total length 1.37. Carapace 0.61 long, 0.49 wide. Abdomen 0.77 long, 0.55 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.05, PLE 0.05, PME 0.04; ALE–PME 0.10, PLE–PLE 0.03, PLE–PME 0.02; AER 0.08, PER 0.11. Leg measurements: I 2.19 (0.59, 0.21, 0.57, 0.45, 0.37); II 1.85 (0.50, 0.18, 0.46, 0.37, 0.34); III 1.64 (0.45, 0.18, 0.36, 0.35, 0.30); IV 2.38 (0.70, 0.18, 0.69, 0.46, 0.35). Genital area with a scape on the posterior edge. Internal genitalia with a pair of coiled spermathecae and sperm stalk; atrium oval.

Jingneta wukuishan is similar to J. maculosa (Song and Xu 1986) in the dark stripes on the abdomen, but can be distinguished by the chelicerae with 7 promarginal teeth (vs. 10), palpal femurs with 6 long retrolateral setae and tibias lacking distinctive setae (vs. 9 setae and tibias with three short blunt spines).

Male (holotype). Total length 1.52. Carapace 0.61 long, 0.54 wide. Abdomen 0.93 long, 0.62 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.06, PLE 0.06, PME 0.05; ALE–PME 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.04, PLE–PME 0.02; AER 0.11, PER 0.12. Carapace yellow to dark brown. Median groove, cervical grooves and radial furrows indistinct. Chelicerae with seven large promarginal and seven small retromarginal teeth. Rectangular labium; endites with serrula anterolaterally; sternum yellow to brown, longer than wide, heart shaped, smooth. Abdomen light brown, darker on sides, ovoid. Leg measurements: I 2.96 (0.83, 0.21, 0.78, 0.65, 0.49); II - (-, -, -, -, -); III 2.73 (0.75, 0.21, 0.67, 0.61, 0.49); IV 3.93 (1.08, 0.21, 1.20, 0.88, 0.56). Palp: femur with six long setae retrolaterally; cymbium constricted medially, attached to a small earlobe-shaped process retrolaterally; tip of bulb with a strong spine-like prolateral sclerite and several membranous outgrowths.

Leptonetela jingde is similar to L. microdonta (Wang and Li 2011) in the long setae on the palpal tibia, but can be distinguished from the chelicerae with 7 promarginal teeth (vs. 8), the palpal tibia with 4 long setae on the retrolateral side, two thick basal setae (vs. . 6 long setae, with 1 thinner basal seta and 3 thicker distal setae), prolateral sclerites spine-like (vs. fork-shaped, with 5 teeth distally) and abdomen with 4 dark chevron-shaped lines (vs. absent).

Male (holotype). Total length 1.25. Carapace 0.61 long, 0.59 wide. Abdomen 0.89 long, 0.73 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.08, PLE 0.08, PME 0.07; ALE–PME 0.08, PLE–PLE 0.08, PLE–PME 0.03; AER 0.14, PER 0.17. Carapace light yellow. Median groove, cervical grooves and radial furrows distinct. Chelicerae with seven large promarginal and four small retromarginal teeth, with stridulatory file on the lateral margin. Rectangular labium; endites with serrula anterolaterally; sternum brown, shield shaped, smooth. Abdomen whitish, ovoid, with four dark chevron-shaped stripes. Leg measurements: I 2.66 (0.72, 0.17, 0.73, 0.57, 0.47); II 2.20 (0.62, 0.17, 0.55, 0.46, 0.40); III 1.97 (0.58, 0.18, 0.46, 0.46, 0.29); IV 2.45 (0.72, 0.17, 0.62, 0.54, 0.40). Palp: femur without long setae retrolaterally; tibia with four long setae retrolaterally, the basal two thick; cymbium constricted medially, attached to a large earlobe-shaped process retrolaterally; tip of bulb with a short spine-like prolateral sclerite and leaf-shaped median apophysis.

Female (paratype). Similar to male in general features. Total length 1.36. Carapace 0.64 long, 0.58 wide. Abdomen 0.96 long, 0.80 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.08, PLE 0.07, PME 0.07; ALE–PME 0.12, PLE–PLE 0.08, PLE–PME 0.02; AER 0.14, PER 0.17. Leg measurements: I - (0.73, 0.20, 0.67, 0.56, -); II 2.19 (0.62, 0.20, 0.52, 0.45, 0.40); III 1.97 (0.58, 0.18, 0.44, 0.45, 0.32); IV - (0.73, 0.21, 0.62, -, -). Internal genitalia with sub-trapezoidal atrium, slightly swollen spermathecae, and convoluted spermathecal stalk including six coils.

Rhyssoleptoneta lishan is similar to Rhyssoleptoneta aosen (Zhu and Li 2021) in the shape of the genital area females, but can be distinguished by chelicerae with 8 promarginal teeth and stridulatory bands on the lateral margins (vs. 7 promarginal teeth and no stridulatory bands), palpal bulbs with membranous median outgrowths, without tooth-shaped protrusions (vs. no median outgrowths but with three tooth-shaped protrusion) and short protrusion of tarsus palpus in distal part (vs. in middle area).

Male (holotype). Total length 1.31. Carapace 0.62 long, 0.50 wide. Abdomen 0.67 long, 0.45 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.06, PLE 0.06, PME 0.04; ALE–PME 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.06, PLE–PME 0.02; AER 0.10, PER 0.12. Carapace light yellow. Median groove, cervical grooves and radial furrows indistinct. Chelicerae with eight large promarginal and four small retromarginal teeth, with stridulatory file on the lateral margin. Rectangular labium; endites with serrula anterolaterally; sternum whitish, longer than wide, heart shaped, smooth. Abdomen whitish, ovoid, with four dark chevron-shaped stripes. Leg measurements: I 2.51 (0.70, 0.19, 0.68, 0.55, 0.39); II 2.11 (0.59, 0.19, 0.53, 0.45, 0.35); III 1.80 (0.51, 0.17, 0.45, 0.40, 0.27); IV - (-, -, -, -, -). Male palp: femur without long spines; tibia without special projection; tarsus wide, not branched distally, with a short projection and a long spur distally; bulb complex, wrinkled on prolateral surface, with 3 spine-like prolateral sclerites, with a membranous median outgrowth and belt-like median sclerite; triangular embolus.

Female (paratype). Similar to male in general features. Total length 1.23. Carapace 0.54 long, 0.45 wide. Abdomen 0.80 long, 0.52 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.05, PLE 0.05, PME 0.04; ALE–PME 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.05, PLE–PME 0.02; AER 0.09, PER 0.11. Leg measurements: I 1.95 (0.55, 0.15, 0.54, 0.38, 0.33); II 1.63 (0.43, 0.15, 0.44, 0.32, 0.29); III 1.44 (0.39, 0.15, 0.32, 0.31, 0.27); IV 2.11 (0.62, 0.16, 0.59, 0.43, 0.31). Genital area with a scape on the posterior edge. Internal genitalia with a pair of coiled spermathecae and sperm stalk; triangular atrium.

Original research

Li S, Chen Q, Tong Y (2024). Four new species of leptonetid spiders (Araneae, Leptonetidae) from Anhui Province, China. ZooKeys 1218: 99-119, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1218.136555

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