Neriene poculiforma Liu & Chen, 2010, new species

Neriene poculiforma new species

Figs 1–2

Type material: Holotype (male, Linphyiidae-YN-1): CHINA: Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Mengla County, Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna Natural Reserve, 1 september 2009, leg. Zhenyu Wang; Paratypes: same location and dates as above, 3 males and 25 females; collection site as above, 11 to 16 October 2005, leg. Jian Chen and Fengxiang Liu, 50 females.

Etymology: The specific epithet is taken from the Latin adjective ‘ poculiforma ’, referring to the poculiform (cup– shaped) distal embolus.

Diagnosis: This new species is similar to Neriene herbosa (Oi, 1960) and Neriene brongersmai van Helsdingen, 1969 in having narrower paracymbium without broad and flattened distal arm, median apophysis with hook-shaped tip of dorsal arm and membranous ventral tip, the presence transversal sclerite and the semicircular atrium opening, but can be distinguished from them by the cup-shaped embolic end, the well developed lamella characteristica in males, by the semicircular opening of atrium with anterior margin notched mesally, and the distinct openings of entrance grooves in females. According to van Helsdingen (1969), these three species should represent intermediate forms between clathrata- and hammeni -group, and are placed in hammeni -group tentatively. These three species deviate from the other species of hammeni -group by the narrower paracymbium without broad and flattened distal arm and median apophysis with hook-shaped tip of dorsal arm and membraneous ventral tip (Figs 1, 2 B–C, 2E–K).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length: 6.48. Carapace: 3.10 long, 2.08 wide. Abdomen: 3.38 long, 1.76 wide. Carapace brown, unmodified. Eyes subequal. AER recurved, AME–AME shorter than AMEd, AME–ALE slightly longer than AMEd; PER straight, PME–PME about PMEd, PME–PLE slightly longer than PMEd; ALE and PLE juxtaposed. Chelicerae brown, furnished with small warty granulations anterolaterally, stridulatory ridges absent, promargin of fang furrow with two teeth, first much bigger than second, retromargin with six equally big teeth. Lengths of legs: I 19.96 (5.25+5.64+6.63+2.44), II 16.19 (4.56+4.38+5.38+1.87), III 10.61 (3.14+2.86+3.56+1.05), IV 15.22 (4.40+4.06+5.21+1.55). Tibia, patella and femur with two dorsal spines each. Tm I: 0.12. Tm IV absent. Abdomen cylindriform, without tubercle, gray with whitish and black spots laterally and dorsally (Fig. 2 A).

Patella short, with long spine dorsally. Tibia shorter than cymbium, with several long spines on lateral and ventral surfaces, and one prodorsal, two retrodorsal trichobothria. Paracymbium U-shaped, basal part plate-shaped, distal arm narrow, curved, pointing forwards. Median apophysis straight, rather broad, distally bifurcate, dorsal part with narrow hooked tip, ventral membranous part with large blunt apex much broader than dorsal part. Lamella characteristica welldeveloped, with four projections: lateral one and posterior one long, slender, with sharp end; anterior one large, blunt; dorsal one short. Terminal apophysis small, slightly membranous, with about two and a half coils. Embolus perpendicularly curved at half length, with a cup-shaped end, spermduct-tooth small, sharp, apical appendage of embolus large, with round tip (Figs 1 A–D, 1F–G, 2B–C, 2E, 2I –K).

Female (paratype): Total length: 5.76. Carapace: 2.56 long, 1.88 wide. Abdomen: 2.91 long, 1.99 wide. Carapace brown, unmodified. Eyes subequal. AER recurved, AME–AME shorter than AMEd, AME–ALE slightly longer than AMEd; PER straight, PME–PME slightly shorter than PMEd, PME–PLE about equal with PME–PME; ALE and PLE juxtaposed. Chelicerae brown, furnished with small warty granulations anterolaterally, stridulatory ridges absent, promargin of fang furrow with six teeth, first two much smaller than the others, retromargin with seven equally big teeth. Lengths of legs: I 16.12 (4.30+4.75+4.98+2.09), II 13.36 (3.85+3.80+4.06+1.65), III 9.27 (2.70+2.48+2.91+1.18), IV 12.91 (3.70+3.68+4.18+1.35). Tibia, patella and femur with two dorsal spines each. Tm I: 0.13. Tm IV absent. Other somatic characters same as male (Fig. 2 D). In ventral view, atrium opening moderately large, semicircular, with anterior margin notched mesally. Two openings of entrance grooves distinct. Lateral depression absent. Scape arising from dorsal wall, with a semicircular tip, which has a small depression at its tip. Vulva as long as wide; spiral grooves started from two openings of entrance situated in atrium opening laterally, with about two coils; fertilized ducts emerge the spermathecae, with about one and a half coils; turning points situated laterally; spermathecae long and slender, situated laterally (Figs 1 E, 1H–I, 2F–H).

Distribution: China (Yunnan Province).