Phycosoma spinula sp. nov. (小刺Dze)

Figs 1−3

Type material. Holotype ♂ (HNU942), CHINA: Yunnan Province: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest National Park, Wangtianshu Scenic Area; 21°37'27.18"N, 101°35'12.32"E; 791m a.s.l.; 27 June, 2023; Jinxin Liu, Zongguang Huang, Yun Liang, Jinnan Liu and Yecheng Wu leg. Paratypes: CHINA: Yunnan Province: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture: 1♀ (HNU41), Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Mengla County, Nanliang Village; 21°22'24.14"N, 101°31'42.44"E; 719m a.s.l.; 26 June, 2023; ditto leg.; 1 ♂ (HNU930), 1♀ (HNU931), 2 ♂ (HNU943, 944), 3♀ (HNU945–947), Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park; 22°2'1"N, 100°53'17"E; 841m a.s.l.; 29 June, 2023; ditto leg.; 1♀ (HNU948), Mengla County, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden; 21°55'1"N, 101°16'14"E; 577m a.s.l.; 30 June, 2023; ditto leg.; 1♀ (HNU949), Jinghong City, Menghai County, Bameng Village, Huazhuliangzishan; 22°8'6.07"N, 100°31'33.75"E; 2031m a.s.l.; 1 July, 2023; ditto leg.; 1 ♂ (HNU940), Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Gongshan Dulong and Nu Autonomous County, Pengdang Township, Maxidang Village; 27°49'47.09"N, 98°41'28.02"E; 1631m a.s.l.; 19 September, 2022; Jinxin Liu, Zongguang Huang, Yun Liang, Yingli Wen and Xujun Feng leg.

Diagnosis. The male of the new species is characterized by its spine-like tegular projection on the tegulum (Fig. 2F). It is similar to P. diaoluo Zhang & Zhang, 2012 in having a digitiform embolus and the theridiid tegular apophysis with bifurcated distal end, but can be distinguished from the latter by the presence of a spine-like tegular projection (vs. absent in P. diaoluo), and the different twisting situation of the central sperm duct in ventral view (strongly twisting in the new species vs. horizontally and gently twisting in P. diaoluo) (cf. Fig. 2A–F with figs 7, 8 in Zhang & Zhang 2012). The female of the new species is characterized by its posterior parallel part of the copulatory ducts exceeds the diameter of the first pair of spermatheca (Fig. 2G–I). It is similar to P. digitula Zhang & Zhang, 2012 in that the fertilization ducts arise from approximately the five o’clock position of the second pair of spermathecae (left) and the copulatory ducts bended 90° laterally, but can be distinguished from the latter by the shape of scapus (broad and flat, at least two times wider than long in the new species vs. narrow and long, almost as long as wide in P. digitula) (cf. Fig. 2G–I with figs 4, 5 in Zhang & Zhang 2012).

Etymology. The specific name “ spinula ” is a compound word, meaning “small spine”, derived from the Latin root “ spina ” meaning “thorn” or “spine” and the suffix “ -ula ” meaning “small” or “minute”, referring to the shape of tegular projection.

Description. Male (Holotype, HNU942): Total length 2.14. Carapace 0.91 long, 0.69 wide, 0.46 high; abdomen 1.23 long, 0.77 wide. Carapace round, yellowish brown, cylindrical in lateral view (Fig. 1A, B). Cephalic region black. Cervical groove and radial furrows distinct, fovea deep. Thoracic region brown with several black setae. Eye area slightly protruding. Anterior eye row recurved and posterior eye row almost straight in dorsal view (Fig. 1A, B). Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.09, AME 0.09, PLE 0.08, PME 0.09, ALE–AME 0.03, AME–AME 0.05, PLE–PME 0.05, PME–PME 0.08. Clypeus 0.36 high. Chelicerae brownish gray, without tooth. Endites brownish gray, as long as wide. Labium brown, wider than long. Sternum brownish black, 0.46 long, 0.52 wide, shieldshaped. Legs yellowish brown, stout. Leg measurements: I 2.92 (0.92, 0.27, 0.69, 0.65, 0.39); II 2.68 (0.76, 0.34, 0.59, 0.63, 0.36); III 2.66 (0.86, 0.27, 0.32, 0.73, 0.48); IV 3.03 (1.01, 0.37, 0.58, 0.56, 0.51). Abdomen almost oval, posterior third obviously narrower than the other part. Dorsum black, covered with long and thick hairs and featuring numerous white spots, especially conspicuous in lateral view; venter gray-black, genital region black, covered with sparse hairs, without distinctive patches. Colulus replaced by two setae (Fig. 1C).

Palp (Fig. 2A–F): Cymbium yellow, almost three times longer than wide, covered with long and thick hairs. Tegulum and subtegulum large, tegulum with a small spine-like apophysis. Sperm duct visible through the tegulum, S-shaped in retrolateral view. Embolus, conductor and theridiid tegular apophysis clustered at the distal end of the bulb. Conductor slender, membranous, with slightly curved distal part. Embolus digitiform, tapering gradually towards the distal end. Theridiid tegular apophysis bifurcated, slightly sclerotized.

Female (Paratype, HNU931): Total length 2.35. Carapace 0.84 long, 0.75 wide, 0.73 high; abdomen 1.51 long, 0.96 wide. Carapace oval, trapezoidal in lateral view, median part with wide black line. Cervical and radial grooves indistinct (Fig. 1D, E). Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.07, AME 0.07, PLE 0.08, PME 0.07, ALE–AME 0.02, AME–AME 0.05, PLE–PME 0.05, PME–PME 0.07. Sternum yellow and shiny, 0.47 long, 0.48 wide, bearing several black setae. Leg measurements: I 2.60 (0.83, 0.33, 0.57, 0.50, 0.39); II 2.48 (0.81, 0.25, 0.53, 0.52, 0.37); III 2.46 (0.87, 0.27, 0.53, 0.49, 0.30); IV 3.45 (1.18, 0.36, 0.85, 0.68, 0.38). Abdomen oval (more rounded than male). Dorsum with a row of white paired or unpaired spots along its midline; venter white, with dense setae behind the gastric groove (Fig. 1F). Other general characters as in male.

Epigyne (Fig. 2G–I): Scapus broad and flat, at least two times wider than long, with both ends distinctly procurved. Copulatory openings small, situated posteriorly, near the anterior margin of the scapus. Copulatory ducts slender, extending forward from the copulatory openings in parallel, then laterally bended almost 90° before connecting to the first pair of spermathecae. Two pairs of spermathecae, spherical, and the diameter of the first pair of spermathecae approximately twice that of the second pair. Fertilization ducts short, curving towards the inner side of the second pair of spermathecae, arising from approximately five o’clock direction of the second pair of spermathecae (left).

Distribution. Only the type locality, Yunnan (China) (Fig. 3).