Tonsilla defossa Xu & Li, 2006, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Xu, Xiang
name: Li, Shuqiang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2006
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Amaurobiidae
Tonsilla
Tonsilla defossa

description: Tonsilla defossa sp. nov.
Figs 1–12
Type material: Holotype male and 1 female paratype, CHINA: Sichuan Province, Mianning County, Yele Natural Reserve (28.9°N, 102.2°E), 20 October 2005, Xiufeng Zhang, Xiang Xu leg.; 1 male paratype, CHINA: Sichuan Province, Luding County, Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park (29.6°N, 102.0°E), 3 October 2005, Xiufeng Zhang, Xuxiang Xu leg.
Etymology: The specific name is a Latin adjective, meaning “hidden” and referring to the spermathecal heads being hidden by the copulatory ducts.
Diagnosis: The male of this new species is similar to that of T. truculenta Wang & Yin, 1992 but can be distinguished by the broad patellar apophysis, the broad lateral tibial apophysis, the long cymbial furrow which is more than half cymbial length and the fishtail­shaped conductor apex. The female can be separated from other Tonsilla species by the small, anteriorly situated atrium and the hidden spermathecal heads from dorsal view.
Description: Male. Total length 8.6–9.9. Holotype total length 9.9, dorsal shield of prosoma 5.2 long, 3.6 wide; opisthosoma 4.7 long, 3.4 wide. Eyes measurements: AME 0.18; ALE 0.23; PME 0.20; PLE 0.20; AME­AME 0.10; AME­ALE 0.10; ALE­PLE 0.10; PME­PME 0.13; PME­PLE 0.20. Clypeus 0.13. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal teeth and 2 retromarginal (Fig. 1). Leg I longest; leg formula: I, IV, II, III; the measurement of legs is as follows: I: 17.3 (4.6 + 5.7 + 4.5 + 2.5); II: 15.8 (4.2 + 5.0 + 4.2 + 2.4); III: 13.0 (3.7 + 4.0 + 3.5 + 1.8); IV: 17.1 (4.6 + 5.4 + 4.9 + 2.2). Dorsal shield of prosoma brown. Fovea long. Opisthosoma with chevron pattern dorsally. Posterior lateral spinnerets with distal segment shorter than basal one.
Patellar apophysis broad; RTA with distal end not extending beyond tibia; lateral tibial apophysis broad; cymbial furrow longer than half cymbial length; conductor with distal end fishtail­shaped; dorsal apophysis of conductor present; median apophysis broad, spoon­shaped; embolus moderately long, originating prolaterally (Figs 2–4, 7–9).
Female. Total length 8.2. Dorsal shield of prosoma 3.7 long, 2.4 wide; opisthosoma 4.5 long, 3.0 wide. Eye measurements: AME 0.09; ALE 0.18; PME 0.15; PLE 0.16; AME ­AME 0.10; AME­ALE 0.10; ALE­PLE 0.10; PME­PME 0.13; PME­PLE 0.15. Clypeus 0.13. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal teeth and 2 retromarginal. Leg IV longest; leg formula: IV, I, II, III; the measurement of legs is as follows: I: 9.1 (2.6 + 3.2 + 2.0 + 1.3); II: 8.2 (2.4 + 2.7 + 1.9 + 1.2); III: 7.7 (2.2 + 2.4 + 2.0 + 1.1); IV: 10.6 (2.8 + 3.4 + 3.0 + 1.4).
Epigynal teeth situated anteriorly, moderately separated by slightly less than half atrial width; atrium strongly reduced, situated anteriorly close to epigynal teeth; copulatory ducts large; spermathecae slender and long, widely separated, extending laterally and connecting to copulatory ducts anteriorly; spermathecal heads situated anteriorly, covered by the copulatory ducts from dorsal view (Figs 5–6, 10–11).
Distribution. China (Sichuan) (Fig. 12).
description: Published as part of Xu, Xiang & Li, Shuqiang, 2006, A new species of the genus Tonsilla (Araneae: Amaurobiidae) from mountains of Sichuan, China, pp. 63-68 in Zootaxa 1307 on pages 64-67, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173751