Hongkan phintella (Phintella hongkan) from China closely resembling Phintella arcuata and Phintella pygmaea

NEWS - Hongkan phintella (Phintella hongkan Wang, Gan & Mi sp. nov. ♂♀) from Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, China, was established as a new species to science, closely resembling Phintella arcuata Huang, Wang & Peng 2015 and Phintella pygmaea (Wesołowska, 1981). The authors also described for the first time a female of Phintella liae Wang, Mi & Peng 2023

Phintella Strand 1906, one of the richest genera of Chrysillini Simon 1901, is represented by 82 species widely distributed mainly from the Oriental and Palearctic Regions. Like most salticid genera, taxonomic studies of the genus are limited by the high rate (over 34%) of single-sexed species known.

In addition, the species are diverse in habitus and copulatory organs, indicating that the species should not be monophyletic and the current generic position of some members needs further revision. To date, 32 species have been recorded from China, 21 of which are endemic.

The male P. hongkan resembles P. arcuata in having similar habitus and palpal structure, but the carapace has a pair of dark patches posteriorly (vs. absent in P. arcuata); the cheliceral fangs lack terminal flaps (vs. present); the posterior lobe extends downward (vs. postero-retrolateral); the bulb has an antero-retrolaterally elongated lamellar process (vs. retrolateral); the retrolateral bulb shoulder has an inverted V-shaped edge (vs. arc-shaped edge).

The female closely resembles P. pygmaea in having nearly identical epigyny, but the basal epigynous plate is absent (vs. present in P. pygmaea) and the pair of dark patches posteriorly on the carapace (vs. absent).

DESCRIPTION

Male total length 2.93. Carapace 1.74 long, 1.39 wide. Abdomen 1.26 long, 0.98 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.44, ALE 0.22, PME 0.21, AERW 1.26, PERW 1.24, EFL 0.83. Legs: I 4.21 (1.25, 0.60, 1.13, 0.83, 0.40), II 3.54 (1.10, 0.48, 0.88, 0.75, 0.33), III 4.14 (1.25, 0.53, 0.95, 1.03, 0.38), IV 4.44 (1.30, 0.53, 1.05, 1.13, 0.43). Carapace elevated, dark brown to dark, covered with clusters of white scale-like setae between PLEs and PMEs, with pair of sub-triangular dark patches inner to PMEs, irregular median yellow area and pair of oval dark patches bearing dense dark scale-like setae posteriorly on thorax; fovea dark red, longitudinal. Chelicerae dark yellow, mingled with green-brown, with two promarginal teeth and one larger, medially located retromarginal tooth. Endites sub-square, bearing scopulae on antero-inner portions. Labium tapered. Sternum yellow to green-brown. Legs green-brown to dark brown, except metatarsi and tarsi III and IV pale. Abdomen almost oval, dorsum setose, with median, transverse white setal band; venter dark.

Palp: tibia slightly wider than long in retrolateral view; retrolateral tibial apophysis strongly sclerotised, tapered, with pointed tip slightly curved ventrally; cymbium about 1.8 times longer than wide; bulb elongated; posterior lobe posteriorly extended, with blunt end; tegular bump sub-triangular, near distal portion of retrolateral tibial apophysis; lamellar process anteriorly located, near half-round; embolus short, strongly sclerotised, originating from antero-prolateral portion of bulb, slightly curved at base and with rather blunt end.

Female total length 3.01. Carapace 1.48 long, 1.15 wide. Abdomen 1.61 long, 1.07 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.39, ALE 0.20, PME 0.18, AERW 1.13, PERW 1.13, EFL 0.78. Legs: I 2.71 (0.85, 0.43, 0.63, 0.50, 0.30), II missing, III 3.16 (1.00, 0.43, 0.65, 0.75, 0.33), IV 3.56 (1.08, 0.40, 0.83, 0.90, 0.35). Carapace pale to yellow, with similar dark patches as in male. Chelicerae yellow, with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth almost equal in size. Endites coloured as chelicerae. Labium pale. Legs pale, spiny. Abdomen elongate-oval, dorsum pale to yellow, with two discontinuous, transverse dark stripes; venter pale, with terminal green-brown patch.

Epigyne: wider than long; copulatory openings mediolaterally located on atrium and opened laterally; copulatory ducts transversely extended at origin and then downward descending, distal end connected to base-inner portion of spermathecae; spermathecae oval, apart from each other by about one-fourth their width; fertilisation ducts lamellar.

Original research

Wang C, Gan J, Mi X (2024). On two species of Phintella Strand, 1906 from Hainan, China (Araneae, Salticidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e138400, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.12.e138400

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