Lepthyphantes frondeus 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
Lepthyphantes
Lepthyphantes frondeus

description: Lepthyphantes frondeus Irfan, Zhang & Peng, sp. n.
(叶äMme)
Figures 128–130, 307, 313, 315
Types. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hunan Prov.: Zhangjiajie City, Wulingyuan District, Suoxiyu Town, Wenfeng Vill., 29.352935°N, 110.608325°E, 582 m, 23.IV.2016, W. Liu et al. leg. Paratypes: 1♂ 2♀, with same data as for holotype male. Hubei Prov.: 3♀, Xuanen Co., Wanzhai Township, Banchang Vill., 30.147022°N, 109.612693°E, 721 m, 04.IV.2016, W. Liu et al. leg.; Chongqing: 1♂ 1♀, Nanchuan Co., Dayou Town, 28.99736°N, 107.33591°E, 1021 m, 13.VIII.2015, X.J. Peng et al. leg. (HNU–CQ– IV–1508).
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective “frondeus ”, meaning “leafy” and referring to the leaf-shaped distal arm apex of paracymbium in male palp.
Diagnosis. The male of Lepthyphantes frondeus sp. n. resembles those of L. ellipticus sp. n. and L. longihamatus in having the similar lamella charactristica and female resembles those of L. brevihamatus and L. ellipticus sp. n. in having the similar scape and stretcher (Figs 128A–E, 129A–D; Bosmans 1985, figs 8a–g), but can be distinguished by the distal arm of paracymbium leaf-shaped in L. frondeus sp. n. (Fig. 128B), vs. thumb-shaped with blunt end in L. brevihamatus and retrolateral margin wave-like in L. ellipticus sp. n.); terminal apophysis cross-fingers shaped in L. frondeus sp. n. (Fig. 128A), vs. tube-shaped, strongly curved in retrolateral view in L. ellipticus sp. n. (Fig. 125B) and with J-shaped in L. longihamatus). Spermathecae oval, situates dorso-mesally in L. frondeus sp. n. (Fig. 129E; S-shaped, present dorso-laterally in L. brevihamatus and finger-like in L. ellipticus sp. n.); posterior median plate rectangular in L. frondeus sp. n. (Fig. 129D; vs. ear-lobe shaped in L. brevihamatus and trapezoid in L. ellipticus sp. n.).
Description. Male (holotype, Figs 130A–C): Total length: 2.07. Carapace 0.97 long, 0.84 wide, yellowish brown. Clypeus 0.29 high. Chelicerae with one promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, brownish black with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER straight, slightly wider. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.08, PME 0.08, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.02, PME–PME 0.05, AME–ALE, 0.04, PME–PLE 0.04, AME–PME 0.07, ALE–ALE 0.33, PLE–PLE 0.35, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 5.10 (1.23,1.71,1.35,0.81), II4.26 (1.07,1.37,1.13,0.69), III 3.58 (1.19, 1.01, 0.87, 0.51, 0.51), IV 4.06 (1.16, 1.15, 1.14, 0.61). TmI and TmIV present. Tibial spine formula: 2-2-2-2. Opisthosoma 1.19 long, 0.63 wide, oval, dusky grey, dorsally with brown band followed by four pairs of white patches; lateral side with white patches; ventral side brownish black with a white patch near the base of spinnerets.
Palp(Figs128A–D):Femur unmodified,almost longer than both patella and tibia. Patella shorter than tibia with a long dorsal spine. Tibia conic, with 2 retrolateral and 1 dorsal trichobothria; proximal cymbial apophysis (PCA) bean-shaped and the other tubele broad with blunt end; cymbium retrolateral margin with a shallow depression at the base, proximal cymbial apophysis (PCA) bifurcated at the proximal end; paracymbium (PC) proximal wider than long, with small projection and with fine spines, distal arm leaf-shaped, with finger like tip. The ventral part of the pit hook (PH) broad slightly excavated with narrow hook-shaped dorsal tip. Radix (R) longer than wide with Fickert’s gland (fg) present at proximal end; lamella characteristica (LC) relatively sclerotized, curved, longer than wide with pointed end; terminal apophysis (TA) cross-fingers shaped with pointed end; embolus proper almost one and half times longer than the radix.
Female (one of the paratypes, Figs 130D–F): Total length: 1.92. Carapace 0.83 long, 0.66 wide, yellowish brown. Clypeus 0. 24 high. Chelicerae with 5 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth. Sternum wider than long, brownish black with microsetae. Eyes, AER recurved, PER straight, slightly wider. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.07, PME 0.07, PLE 0.06, AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.04, AME–ALE, 0.03, PME–PLE 0.03, AME–PME 0.07, ALE–ALE 0.27, PLE–PLE 0.30, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 4.35 (1.19, 1.39, 1.06, 0.71), II 3.74 (1.05, 1.17, 0.89, 0.63), III 2.88 (0.93, 0.86, 0.66, 0.43), IV 3.46 (1.11, 1.10, 0.69, 0.56). TmI and TmIV present.Tibial spine formula:2-2-2-2. Opisthosoma 1.19 long, 0.78 wide, all the other morphological character same as in male except darker in color.
Epigyne (Figs 129A–E): Protruding, scape broad, wider than long, with a deep notch distally in ventral view, proximal part of scape (PPS) oval, narrowing anteriorly; stretcher (ST) relatively small with a socket ventrally; entrance groove (EG) inside lateral pockets; Lateral pockets (LP) earlobe-shaped expanding laterally; posterior median plate (PMP) small, quadrate; spermathecae (S) small, situates dorso-mesally.
Distribution. Known only from the type localities (Chongqing, Hubei and Hunan Provinces, Figs 307, 313, 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 96-101, DOI: 10.11646/megataxa.15.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14985176