Mallinella ledong Lu & Li & Yao 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lu, Ying
name: Li, Shuqiang
name: Yao, Zhiyuan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Zodariidae
Mallinella
Mallinella ledong

description: Mallinella ledong Lu & Li, sp. nov.
Figs 1, 2, 5A, 6A–D
Type material. Holotype: male (IZCAS-Ar 44638), Jianfengling National Forest Park, (18°44′16.6′′N, 108°51′30.5′′E, elevation 905 m), Ledong, Hainan, China, 28 April 2009, G. Tang leg. Paratypes: 1 male (IZCASAr 44639), Diaoluoshan National Forest Park, (18°39.84′N, 109°55.81′E, elevation 98 m), Lingshui, Hainan, China, 20 April 2009, G. Tang leg; 1 female (IZCAS-Ar 44640), same data as holotype.
Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality and is a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. Mallinella ledong sp. nov. resembles M. rectangulata Zhang, Zhang & Chen, 2011 (cf. Figs 1, 2, 5A, 6A–D and Zhang et al. 2011: 58, figs 8–12) in that the males have similar retro-proximal cymbial outgrowth and filiform embolus (Fig. 1A–B), and the females have similar nearly rectanglular median plate (Fig. 2A). Males can be distinguished by the two retrolateral tibial apophyses of tibia: ventral apophysis smaller, bifurcated in retrolateral view, dorsal apophysis large, triangular (Fig. 1A–B; vs. ventral apophysis digitiform in ventral view, dorsal apophysis bifurcated), by the tegular apophysis apically bifurcated (arrow 1 in Fig. 1A), with pointed apico-retrolateral flange in ventral view, apex semi-transparent, with small meso-retrolateral tooth, and with triangular, semi-transparent baso-retrolateral flange (Figs 1A–B, 5A; vs. apex of tegular apophysis pointed prolaterad; basal fold protruding posteriorly, pointed retrolaterad), and by the conductor stripe-shaped, with pointed apex (Fig. 1A–B; vs. conductor fishtail in lateral view); females by the spermathecae spherical (Fig. 2B–C; vs. spermathecae nearly oval), and by the fertilization ducts pointing laterad (Fig. 2B; vs. fertilization ducts pointing posteriorad).
Description. Male (holotype; Fig. 6A–B): Total length 4.15; prosoma 2.34 long, 1.79 wide; opisthosoma 1.81 long, 1.60 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.13, PME 0.10, PLE 0.13, AME-AME 0.07, AME-ALE 0.12, PME-PME 0.09, PME-PLE 0.21; MOQ: 0.44 long, 0.60 anterior width, 0.28 posterior width. Leg measurements: I 6.52 (1.72, 0.67, 1.50, 1.37, 1.26), II 5.91 (1.53, 0.67, 1.28, 1.31, 1.12), III 5.90 (1.59, 0.66, 1.19, 1.49, 0.97), IV 8.43 (2.02, 0.70, 1.87, 2.53, 1.31). Spination: femora I–II p001, d111, III p11, d111, r11, IV p11, d111, r001; patellae III–IV 101; tibiae I p11, v112, II p11 v222, III p11, d11, r11, v222, IV p111, d11, r111, v222; metatarsi I–II v222, III p112, d010, r112, v222, IV p1111, d010, r1111, v2222.
Pattern and colouration (Fig. 6A–B). Carapace pear-shaped, in profile highest between PME and longitudinal fovea; tegument rough, covered with pits, reddish-brown. Chilum present, single, triangular, sclerotized, and brown. Chelicerae reddish-brown. Labium triangular, yellowish, basal and lateral margins slightly darker. Endites yellowish, with anteromesal brush of black hairs. Sternum yellowish to brown, shield-shaped, intercoxal sclerites present, precoxal triangles indistinct; anterior margin straight, protruding posteriorly. Legs yellowish to brown. Opisthosoma elongate oval, covered with numerous erect spines. Dorsum of opisthosoma brown, mottled with numerous pale spots. Venter pale, with pair of dark stripes laterally. Posterior ventral spines thin and short, apices bluntly pointed, arranged in single row. Spinnerets yellowish.
Palp (Fig. 1A–B). Tibia with two retrolateral tibial apophyses: ventral apophysis smaller, bifurcated in retrolateral view; dorsal apophysis large, triangular, with weakly sclerotized apex. Cymbium with pointed retro-proximal cymbial outgrowth, and without cymbial fold. Tegulum with triangular membranous area in middle. Tegular apophysis apically bifurcated (arrow 1 in Fig. 1A); apico-retrolateral flange pointed in ventral view, apex semi-transparent (ARF in Fig. 5A); meso-retrolateral tooth small (MRT in Fig. 5A); baso-retrolateral flange triangular, semi-transparent (BRF in Fig. 5A). Conductor elongate and stripe-shaped, with pointed apex. Embolic base elliptical, originating at 270° position, with large membranous area anteriorly. Embolus filiform, curved and tapered apically.
Female (paratype; Fig. 6C–D): Total length 5.65; prosoma 2.67 long, 1.84 wide; opisthosoma 2.98 long, 1.95 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.11, PME 0.10, PLE 0.13, AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.20, PME-PME 0.09, PME-PLE 0.30; MOQ: 0.56 long, 0.74 anterior width, 0.32 posterior width. Leg measurements: I 6.14 (1.66, 0.69, 1.38, 1.25, 1.16), II 5.54 (1.46, 0.68, 1.14, 1.23, 1.03), III 5.40 (1.46, 0.63, 1.00, 1.28, 1.03), IV 7.64 (1.83, 0.72, 1.67, 2.14, 1.28). Spination: femora I p001, d111, II p11, d111, III–IV p11, d111, r01; patellae III–IV 101; tibiae I v212, II v122, III–IV p11, d11, r11, v222; metatarsi I–II v222, III p112, r010, r112, v222, IV p1111, d010, r111, v222.
Pattern and colouration (Fig. 6C–D). Colour and somatic morphology as in male, except as noted. Carapace dark brown. Legs with darker annuli on femora. Dorsum of opisthosoma dark brown. Venter with one pair of triangular dark marks centrally.
Genitalia (Fig. 2A–C). Median plate slightly excavated medially on anterior margins, posterior margin slightly protruding. Spermathecae spherical, as long as wide. Fertilization ducts originating posteriorly between boundary of insemination ducts and spermathecae.
Variation: Male: total body length 4.17.
Natural history. The species was found in leaf litter.
Distribution. China (Hainan, type locality; Fig. 7).
Note. According to the classification of species groups in Dankittipakul et al. (2012), the new species Mallinella ledong sp. nov. currently can not be placed in any species group.
description: Published as part of Lu, Ying, Li, Shuqiang & Yao, Zhiyuan, 2023, Two new ant-eating spiders of the genus Mallinella Strand, 1906 (Araneae, Zodariidae) from Hainan Island, China, pp. 245-254 in Zootaxa 5374 (2) on pages 246-249, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5374.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/10152457