Nesticella falcata Liu & Li, 2013, new species
Creators: name: Liu, Jie
name: Li, Shuqiang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Nesticidae
Nesticella
Nesticella falcata

description: Nesticella falcata new species
Figs 9–12, 39
Type material: Holotype male, 47 male and 57 female paratypes, CHINA: Guizhou Province, Panxian County, Biyun Cave (25º46.527´N, 104º38.278´E, Altitude: 1468 m, Air Temperature: 14 ºC, Air Humidity: 92%), 13 April 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.
Etymology: The species name is taken from the Latin adjective falcatus (“sickle-shaped”) and refers to the falcate branch of the dorsal process of the paracymbium of this species.
Diagnosis: N. falcata is similar to Nesticella buicongchieni (Lehtinen & Saaristo, 1980) in having a similar paracymbium with four branches and similar vulva structure, but can be distinguished from the latter by the very distinct pattern of abdomen of N. buicongchieni (absent in N. falcata) and by the almost U-shaped terminal apophysis of N. falcata, different from that of N. buicongchieni (Figs 9–12).
Description. Male (holotype): Total length 2.56. Prosoma length 1.24, width 1.08; Opisthosoma length 1.28, width 1.24. Eye measurements: AME 0.08; ALE 0.1; PME 0.1; PLE 0.1; AME-AME 0.02; AME-ALE 0.03; ALE- PLE 0.01; PME-PME 0.1; PME-PLE 0.05. Clypeus height 0.27. Leg formula: I, IV, II, III; leg measurements: I: 6.92 (2.2, 0.32, 2.2, 1.88, 0.32); II: 5.16 (1.48, 0.36, 1.28, 1.2, 0.84); III: 4.28 (1.4, 0.24, 1.04, 1.04, 0.56); IV: 6.4 (2.12, 0.4, 1.72, 1.44, 0.72). Somatic characters see Fig. 11 A. Palpal tibia short, with three trichobothria.
Paracymbium short, with four branches; ventral process having two branches, proximal one larger than distal one, close to each other; dorsal process having two branches, these branches close to each other, the larger branch falcate. Terminal apophysis developed, almost U-shaped, with two apexes, the proximal apex blunt, the distal apex slightly sharp. Conductor simple, long, trapeziform distally. Embolus filiform, semicircular (Figs 9 A–C, 10A, 11).
Female (paratype): Total length 3.32. Prosoma length 1.28, width 1.2; Opisthosoma length 1.88, width 2.16. Eye measurements: AME 0.06; ALE 0.08; PME 0.1; PLE 0.08; AME-AME 0.03; AME-ALE 0.05; ALE-PLE 0.02; PME-PME 0.1; PME-PLE 0.06. Clypeus height 0.26. Leg formula: I, IV, II, III; leg measurements: I: 7.92 (2.32, 0.44, 2.24, 2.04, 0.88); II: 5.6 (1.72, 0.36, 1.4, 1.36, 0.76); III: 4.4 (1.44, 0.4, 0.92, 1.16, 0.48); IV: 6.16 (2.04, 0.44, 1.68, 1.44, 0.56). Somatic characters see Fig. 12 A. In ventral view, epigynum with a short scape; copulatory openings originating at lateral sides of the scape. Vulva slightly shorter than wide; copulatory ducts extending from copulatory openings to the spermathecae, with about three coils; spermathecae global, situated anteriorly and laterally (Figs 9 D, 10B–C, 12).
Distribution: Known only from type locality (Fig. 39).
description: Published as part of Liu, Jie & Li, Shuqiang, 2013, New cave-dwelling spiders of the family Nesticidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from China, pp. 501-547 in Zootaxa 3613 (6) on pages 511-512, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3613.6.1, http://zenodo.org/record/248267