Nesticella gracilenta 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 gracilenta

description: Nesticella gracilenta new species
Figs 13–16, 39
Type material: Holotype male, 3 male and 14 female paratypes, CHINA: Guizhou Province, Puding County, Huachu Town, Jinqian Cave (26º12.98´N, 105º37.99´E, Altitude: 1324 m, Air Temperature: 12ºC, Air Humidity: 93%), 27 April 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.
Etymology: The species name is taken from the Latin adjective gracilis (“slender, thin”) and refers to the gracile branch of the paracymbium ventral process of this species.
Diagnosis: This new species is similar to Nesticella shanlinensis n. sp., but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1, proximal apex of the terminal apophysis is blunt in N. gracilenta, but strongly sharp in N. shanlinensis; 2, the epigynal scape is noticeably short and wide in N. gracilenta, but not in N. shanlinensis. These two new species can be distinguished from other Nesticella species by the following combined characters: paracymbium with the proximal branch of the ventral process slender, the proximal branch of dorsal process large; slender vulva which is longer than wide (Figs 13–16, 23–26).
Description. Male (holotype): Total length 2.6. Prosoma length 1.2, width 1.04; Opisthosoma length 1.52, width 0.96. Eye measurements: AME 0.06; ALE 0.08; PME 0.07; PLE 0.08; AME-AME 0.03; AME-ALE 0.03; ALE-PLE 0.02; PME-PME 0.11; PME-PLE 0.02. Clypeus height 0.26. Leg formula: I, IV, II, III; leg measurements: I: 8.76 (2.6, 0.36, 2.56, 2.36, 0.88); II: 6.52 (2.04, 0.44, 1.72, 1.6, 0.72); III: 4.64 (1.48, 0.4, 1.04, 1.16, 0.56); IV: 6.6 (2.24, 0.4, 1.68, 1.64, 0.64). Somatic characters see Fig. 16 B. Palpal tibia short, with three trichobothria. Paracymbium short, with five branches; ventral process having two branches, proximal one slender, distal one inwardly crisped, slightly separated from each other; dorsal process having three branches, these branches close to each other. Terminal apophysis developed, with two apexes, the proximal apex small and blunt. Conductor simple, long, trapeziform distally. Embolus filiform, semicircular (Figs 13 A–B, 14A–B, E, 15).
Female (paratype): Total length 2.8. Prosoma length 1.32, width 1.04; Opisthosoma length 1.56, width 1.24. Eye measurements: AME 0.05; ALE 0.1; PME 0.1; PLE 0.1; AME-AME 0.03; AME-ALE 0.03; ALE-PLE 0.03; PME-PME 0.09; PME-PLE 0.05. Clypeus height 0.28. Leg formula: I, IV, II, III; leg measurements: I: 7.36 (2.28, 0.44, 2.04, 1.76, 0.84); II: 5.4 (1.76, 0.36, 1.36, 1.2, 0.72); III: 4.04 (1.32, 0.36, 0.88, 0.96, 0.52); IV: 5.56 (1.92, 0.4, 1.44, 1.16, 0.64). Somatic characters see Fig. 16 A. In ventral view, epigynum with a short and wide scape; copulatory openings originating at lateral sides of the scape. Vulva longer than wide; copulatory ducts extending from copulatory openings to the spermathecae, with about three coils; spermathecae papillary, situated anteriorly and laterally (Figs 13 C, 14C–D, 16C–D).
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 page 512, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3613.6.1, http://zenodo.org/record/248267