Draconarius exilis Zhang, Zhu & Wang
Creators: name: Wang, XIN-PING
name: Griswold, CHARLES E.
name: Miller, JEREMY A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Agelenidae
Draconarius
Draconarius exilis

description: Draconarius exilis Zhang, Zhu & Wang 2005
(Figs 146-154, 539)
Draconarius exilis Zhang et al. 2005: 46, figs 1-6 (female holotype, male and female paratypes from Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan, China, in MHBU, not examined).
Additional material examined: CHINA: Yunnan: Lushui County: 2♂, Pianma Township, Feng Xue Yakou, 3142 m, N26.00949°, E98.61704°, along the road, May 17, 2005, K.J. Guo (CAS, CASENT9022076); 1♂, Feng Xue Yakou, E. side on Pianma Road, 3150 m, N25.97288°, E98.68336°, night collecting on buldings, cliffs, roadcut, May 17, 2005, C. Griswold (HNU, CASENT9022267).
Specimens examined and data provided by Xiang Xu at Hunan Normal University. CHINA: Yunnan: Deqin County: 8♂ 1♀, Daxueshan, N28.5°, E98.9°, July 28, 2000, X.D. Yu (IZCAS). Sichuan: Dege County: 1♀, Que-er-shan, west slope, N31.8°, E99.0°, July 7, 1983, C.L. Niu (IZCAS); 1♀, Ma-long-gan-ge-qu, N31.8°, E98.6°, July 10, 1983, S.Y. Ma (IZCAS). Daofu County: Gexia 1♀, N31.0°, 101.1°, July 11, 1983, C.L. Niu (IZCAS).
Diagnosis: The male of this species is similar to D. incertus Wang 2003 and related species in having a similar conductor, a prolaterally originating embolus, and a simple median apophysis, but can be easily distinguished by the absence of a patellar apophysis, the short RTA, and the distinctly elongate tibia (Figs 146-147). The female can be recognized by the absence of epigynal teeth, the small atrium and copulatory ducts and the small, round spermathecae (Zhang et al. 2005: figs 2-3).
Notes: D. exilis was originally collected from Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province, which is located in northwest part of Sichuan and far from Yunnan. In addition to the Yunnan specimens examined in this study, Dr. Xiang Xu of HNU also found D. exilis specimens from both south part of Sichuan and Yunnan (Deqin County, which is next to Lushui County). The male specimens examined in this study show much smaller AME compared to the large AME (larger than ALE) described by Zhang et al. (2005). However, the female paratype of Zhang et al. has a similar eye size compared with that of our male specimen. As a result, we suggest that the AME of the male holotype of Zhang et al. (2005) might be mis-measured, and that this species is widespread from Sichuan to western Yunnan (Fig. 539).
Redescription: Male (one male of CASENT9022076 measured). Large sized Coelotinae, total length 11.58 (Fig. 152). Dorsal shield of prosoma 5.58 long, 4.00 wide; opisthosoma 6.00 long, 2.50 wide. AME smallest; lateral eyes subequal or with ALE slightly larger; PME between AME and PLE in size (AME 0.13, ALE 0.20, PME 0.16, PLE 0.19); AME separated from each other by 3/4 of their diameter, from ALE by about half of AME diameter; PME separated from each other by 3/4 of their diameter, from PLE by PME diameter (AME-AME 0.09, AME-ALE 0.07, PME-PME 0.12, PME-PLE 0.17, AME-PME 0.13) (Fig. 153). Promargin of chelicera with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2. Labium with length and width subequal (L / W =1.04) (Fig. 154). Palpal patellar apophysis absent; tibia long, RTA short, less than 1/5 of tibial length; lateral tibial apophysis large, distinctly separated from RTA, with a distinct setae at its base; cymbial furrow short, less than half of cymbial length; conductor short, slightly bifurcate and anteriorly extending, with a small basal lamella and a large dorsal apophysis; median apophysis simple, not spoon-shaped; embolus short, filiform, prolateral in origin (Figs 146-151).
Female. See Zhang et al. (2005).
Distribution: China (Sichuan: Jiuzhanggou, Dege, Daofu; Yunnan: Lushui, Deqin) (Fig. 539).
description: Published as part of Wang, XIN-PING, Griswold, CHARLES E. & Miller, JEREMY A., 2010, Revision of the genus Draconarius Ovtchinnikov 1999 (Agelenidae: Coelotinae) in Yunnan, China, with an analysis of the Coelotinae diversity in the Gaoligongshan Mountains, pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 2593 on pages 45-47