Shaanxinus insectus Irfan, Zhang & Peng, sp. n.
Creators: name: Irfan, Muhammad
name: Zhou, Gu-Chun
name: Peng, Xian-Jin
name: Zhang, Zhi-Sheng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Linyphiidae
Shaanxinus
Shaanxinus insectus

description: Shaanxinus insectus Irfan, Zhang & Peng, sp. n.
(¤刻ọe)
Figures 216, 217, 315
Types. Holotype ♀ (HNU–HN– IV–1820), CHINA, Hunan Prov.: Zhangjiajie City, Sangzhi Co., Wudaoshui Town, Nanmuping Vill., Badagong MNNR, 29.77403°N, 110.08311°E, 1337 m, 20.VII.2018, D. Li et al. leg. Paratypes: 3♀, with same data as for holotype female (HNU–HN– IV–1820); 3♀, Zhangjiajie City, Sangzhi Co., Wudaoshui Town, Nanmuping Vill., Badagong MNNR, 29.77486°N, 110.08446°E, 1321 m, 19.VII.2018, D. Li et al. leg. (HNU–HN– IV–1818).
Etymology. The species name is combination of the Latin adjective “insectus ”, meaning “notched” and referring to the posterior margin of dorsal plate notched at center in ventral view in epigyne.
Diagnosis. Shaanxinus insectus sp. n. resembles S. longiembolus sp. n. and S. ovatus sp. n. in having the similar copulatory ducts present mid dorsally (Figs 216A– D; Figs 220A–C; Figs 224A–C), but can be distinguished by the posterior margin of dorsal plate notched at center in ventral view in S. insectus sp. n. (Figs 216A–D; vs. not notched both in S. longiembolus sp. n. and S. ovatus sp. n.); copulatory openings present ventro-laterally at the junction of dorsal and ventral plates in epigyne in S. insectus sp. n. (Figs 216A–D; vs. present mid ventrally in S. longiembolus sp. n. and S. ovatus sp. n.).
Description. Female (holotype, Figs 217A, B): Total length: 2.96. Carapace 1.42 long, 1.02 wide, yellowish brown, cephalic region slightly elevated; fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.35 high. Chelicerae with four promarginal and five retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, brownish grey with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER procurved, slightly wider. Eye sizes and interdistances:AME 0.06, ALE 0.06, PME 0.06, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.06, AME– ALE, 0.03, PME–PLE 0.03, AME–PME 0.07, ALE–ALE 0.29, PLE–PLE 0.34, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 4.94 (1.51, 1.68, 1.24, 0.51), II 4.76 (1.41, 1.66, 1.15, 0.54), III 3.63 (1.11, 1.15, 0.92, 0.45), IV 4.29 (1.22, 1.37, 1.18, 0.52). Tibial spine formula: 2-2-2-2. TmI 0.86 and TmIV present. Opisthosoma 1.88 long, 1.12 wide, grey, dorsally with distinct black pattern, ventral side with braod greenish patch, posteriorly with one pair of round brown markings.
Epigyne (Figs 216A–D): Ventral plate (VP) wider than long, covered with thick spines; posterior margin of dorsal plate (DP) notched at center in ventral view. Copulatory openings (CO) present ventro-laterally at the junction of dorsal and ventral plates; copulatory ducts (CD) with broad semicircular loop mid ventrally. Spermathecae (S) globular, present dorso-laterally, spaced by one and half diameters; fertilization ducts (FD) large, extending mesally.
Male. Unknown.
Distribution. Known only from the type localities (Hunan Province, Fig. 315).
description: Published as part of Irfan, Muhammad, Zhou, Gu-Chun, Peng, Xian-Jin & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2025, Survey of Linyphiidae spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from some Oriental Regions of China, pp. 1-248 in Megataxa 15 (1) on pages 167-168, DOI: 10.11646/megataxa.15.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14985176