Skip to main content

Qiyunshan cellar spider (Khorata qiyunshanensis) from China found in the twilight zone of a cave

Dlium Qiyunshan cellar spider (Khorata qiyunshanensis) from China found in the twilight zone of a cave

NEWS - Qiyunshan cellar spider (Khorata qiyunshanensis Zhou, sp. nov.) from Jiangxi Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi, China, discovered during a spider survey conducted in June 2024 was confirmed as a new species to science based on morphological comparison.

Khorata Huber 2005 contains 52 species distributed in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, of which about 34 species have been recorded from China. K. qiyunshanensis was found in the twilight zone of an unnamed artificially excavated cave or among Xiangluba cliffs (webs between rocks).

The new species can be easily distinguished from all known congeners by bulb oval shape and fawn, embolus length equal to bulb; procursus proximal slightly curved, odontoid protuberance on the lateral distally bearing scales and three small angular apophyses.

Chelicerae with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses on front-lateral surface middle, pair of strong frontal apophyses, inward bending hooked frontal apophyses; posteromedian apophysis long rod-shaped, its length about equal to the length of epigyne; vulva with relief anterior arch and concave on both sides of the middle and posteriorly pointed pore plates.

DESCRIPTION

Male (holotype: Total length 2.23 (2.46 with clypeus), carapace 0.92 long, 0.93 wide, opisthosoma 1.31 long, 0.97 wide. Leg I: 20.59 (5.18, 0.42, 5.16, 7.47, 2.36), leg II: 13.97 (3.95, 0.42, 3.39, 4.79, 1.42), leg III 10.59 (3.11, 0.37, 2.58, 3.58, 0.95), leg IV: 13.02 (3.74, 0.42, 3.23, 4.74, 0.89); tibia I L/d: 49. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME–PME 0.13, PME 0.12, PME–ALE 0.04, AME absent. Sternum width/length: 0.67/0.62. Both sides of carapace greyish-brown, the middle sides pale white; 6 white eyes, black around the eyes; sternum black with long black fine hairs. Legs brownish, but pale white on distal parts of femora and tibiae. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 27% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, without spines or curved setae; tarsus I with 60 distinct pseudosegments. Chelicerae with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses on front-lateral surface middle, pair of strong frontal apophyses (cattle-horn shape), inward bending hooked frontal apophyses (medial lower half and distance between tips: 0.05). Trochanter with width retrolateral apophysis (as long as wide) and trochanter with dorsal apophysis (small); femur with retrolateral apophysis (semi-circular ring); patella large; procursus proximal slightly curved, odontoid protuberance on the lateral distally bearing scales and three small angular apophyses; bulb oval shape and fawn, embolus curved long strip and back end bent downwards and becomes blunt tip, its length equal to bulb.

Female (paratype): Similar to male. Total length 2.35 (2.44 with clypeus), carapace 0.83 long, 0.93 wide, opisthosoma 1.52 long, 1.07 wide. Leg I: 18.32 (4.58, 0.37, 4.58, 6.37, 2.42), leg II: 11.80 (3.11, 0.32, 2.84, 4.11, 1.42), leg III 11.25 (3.05, 0.37, 2.68, 3.89, 1.26), leg IV: 12.05 (3.63, 0.37, 3.05, 4.16, 0.84); tibia I L/d: 43.5. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME–PME 0.12, PME 0.11, PME–ALE 0.02, AME absent. Sternum width/length: 0.57/0.64. Epigyne brownish and posteromedian apophysis patent defect, outer edge black long hairs, without pockets; posteromedian apophysis long rod-shaped, its length about equal to the length of epigyne. Vulva with relief anterior arch and concave on both sides of the middle and posteriorly pointed pore plates (semi-arc).

Variation: Tibia I in the male paratype (JXQYS-24-43-02): 3.74. Tibia I in another female paratype (JXQYS-24-43-04, 05, 06; JXQYS-24-82-01): 4.68, 4.69, 4.47; 4.71.

Original research

Zhou G, Lu J, Deng Y (2024). A new species of Khorata Huber, 2005 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Jiangxi Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, southern China. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e141018, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.12.e141018

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

A deep-sea isopod Bathyopsurus nybelini adapted to feed submerged Sargassum algae

NEWS - Incredible footage shows a marine species, Bathyopsurus nybelini , feeding on something that sinks from the ocean’s surface. Researchers using the submersible Alvin found the isopod swimming 3.7 miles down using its paddle-like legs to catch an unexpected food source: Sargassum. Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the University of Montana, SUNY Geneseo, Willamette University and the University of Rhode Island found the algae sinking, while the isopod waited and adapted specifically to find and feed on the sinking nutrient source. The Sargassum lives on the surface for photosynthesis. The discovery of a deep-sea animal that relies on food that sinks from the waters miles above underscores the close relationship between the surface and the deep. “It’s fascinating to see this beautiful animal actively interacting with sargassum, so deep in the ocean. This isopod is extremely rare; only a handful of specimens were collected during the groundbreaking Swedis...
Read more

Pink poui (Tabebuia rosea)

Pink poui ( Tabebuia rosea ) is a species of plant in the Bignoniaceae, a small neotropical tree, growing up to 30 meters tall and up to 100 cm in diameter. It has layered and irregular branches, with gray to brown bark and vertical fissures. The leaves are compound, finger-shaped, five-petaled, length up to 33 cm, width up to 15 cm and long stalk up to 9 cm. The flowers are large, bright red or purple or white, fan-shaped, up to 9 cm long, up to 8 cm wide. The fruit capsule is slender and up to 35 cm long. The fruit dries and dehisces, producing anemochorous seeds with hyaline membrane wings. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Bignoniaceae Genus: Tabebuia Gomes ex DC. in Biblioth. Universelle Genève, n.s., 17: 130 (1838) Species: Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC. in Prodr. 9: 215 (1845) HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS Couralia rosea (Bertol.) Donn.Sm. in Bot. Gaz. 20: 9 (1895) Sparattosperma roseum (Bertol.) Miers in Proc....
Read more

Hairy senna (Senna hirsuta)

Hairy senna ( Senna hirsuta ) is a species of plant in the Fabaceae family. It is an upright shrub, growing up to 2.5 meters tall. The leaves are compound on petioles up to 13 cm long. They usually have 2-6 pairs of leaflets, are egg-shaped, and have white hairs, up to 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. The flowers are yellow and arranged at the tips of branches and in the upper leaf axils in clusters of 2-5. The petals are 12-16 mm long, have 6 stamens, 3-8 mm long anthers, and 4 staminodes. Flowering occurs almost monthly. The pods are cylindrical, up to 15 cm long, 4-6 mm wide, and curved. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae Tribe: Cassieae Subtribe: Cassiinae Genus: Senna Mill. in Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4.: [s.p.] (1754) Species: Senna hirsuta (L.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby in Phytologia 44: 499 (1979) Variety: Senna hirsuta var. acuminata (Benth.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby, Senna ...
Read more