Amauropelma medogensis Wang & Irfan & Zhang & Zhang 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wang, Lu-Yu
name: Irfan, Muhammad
name: Zhang, Feng
name: Zhang, Zhi-Sheng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Ctenidae
Amauropelma
Amauropelma medogensis

description: Amauropelma medogensis sp. nov. (OiNJD栉Ħ)
Figures 1–2, 7
Type material. Holotype male (SWUC -T-CTe-01-01), China, Tibet, Medog County, Medog Township, Yarang Village, 29.295967°N, 95.28045°E, elev. 761 m, 23 May 2019, L.Y. Wang, P. Liu, T. Yuan and H. Wang leg.; Paratypes (15 males and 13 females): 7 males and 4 females (SWUC-T-CTe-01-02~12), with same data as the holotype; 2 males and 4 females (SWUC-T-CTe-01-13~18), Medog County, Beibeng Township, 29.247767°N, 95.1837°E, elev. 924 m, 23 May 2019, L.Y. Wang, P. Liu, T. Yuan and H. Wang leg.; 1 male and 2 females (SWUC-T-CTe-01-19~21), Medog County, near the bridge of Dexing, 29.321267°N, 95.2944°E, elev. 724 m, 23 May 2019, L.Y. Wang, P. Liu, T. Yuan and H. Wang leg.; 1 male and 2 females (SWUC-T-CTe-01-22~24), Medog County, Beibeng Township, Damu, 29.247767°N, 95.1837°E, elev. 924 m, 28 June 2018, L.Y. Wang, Z.S. Wu and Y.N. Mu leg.; 2 males and 1 female (SWUC-T-CTe-01-25~27), Medog County, near the bridge of Dexing, 29.321267°N, 95.2944°E, elev. 724 m, 29 June 2018, L.Y. Wang, Z.S. Wu and Y.N. Mu leg.; 1 male (SWUC-T-CTe-01-28), Medog County, Dexing Township, Guoguotang, 29.326°N, 95.272667°E, elev. 1025 m, 29 June 2018, L.Y. Wang, Z.S. Wu and Y.N. Mu leg.; 1 male (SWUC-T-CTe-01-29), Medog County, Medog Township, Madi Village, 29.39515°N, 95.38285°E, elev. 966 m, 30 June 2018, L.Y. Wang, Z.S. Wu and Y.N. Mu leg.
Etymology. The specific name is a noun derived from the type locality.
Diagnosis. Amauropelma medogensis sp. nov. resembles the remaining species of the genus in the general shape and position of retrolateral tibial apophysis of the male palp and in the epigyne with bilobed epigynal plate (Figs 1, 2; Jäger 2012: figs 179–275), but can be distinguished from all other congeners by the combination of the following characters: ventral patellar apophysis of male palp thumb-shaped, with a blunt end; retrolateral tibial apophysis long, narrowing towards apex with a pointed end, accompanied by a thick spine; tegular apophysis grooved, wider than long with bifurcated distal end in ventral view (Figs 1A–C, 2C–E). Females differ from the remaining species of the genus by the anterior margin of the epigynal plate bending medially at a right angle and running parallel to make a deep notch (Figs 1D, E, 2F, G).
Description. Males, total length 5.35–5.87. Holotype (Fig. 2A) total length 5.71. Prosoma 3.00 long, 2.45 wide; opisthosoma 2.63 long, 1.59 wide. Prosoma piriform, yellowish brown with a pattern of gray stripes; thoracic groove longitudinal, in the posterior third. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.13, PME 0.17, PLE 0.15; AME-AME 0.07, AME-ALE 0.07, PME-PME 0.06, PME-PLE 0.14, ALE-PLE 0.06. MOA 0.38 long, front width 0.35, back width 0.39. Clypeus height 0.14. Chelicerae stout, yellowish brown, with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium yellowish brown, longer than wide. Sternum yellowish brown, heart-shaped, with sparse brown setae. Legs yellow brown. Patellae I–II without spines; tibia I–II with five pairs of ventral spines; metatarsus I–II with three pairs of ventral spines. Leg measurements: I 9.98 (2.85, 3.72, 2.08, 1.33); II 8.54 (2.38, 3.12, 1.86, 1.18); III 8.16 (2.66, 2.39, 1.95, 1.16); IV 11.64 (2.94, 4.08, 3.07, 1.55). Leg formula: 4123. Opisthosoma oval. Dorsum yellowish with gray chevron stripes. Venter yellowish brown.
Male palp (Figs 1A–C, 2C–E). Patella with two distinct apophyses, ventral patellar apophysis thumb-shaped with blunt end, retrolateral patellar apophysis developed as a small outhgrowth with undulated outline. Retrolateral tibial apophysis much longer than wide. Conductor arising in a 1- to 1.30-o’clock position from tegulum, with broad end. Embolus strongly sclerotized, arising in a 8-o’clock-position from tegulum, distal end twisted, with broad, slightly grooved tip.
Females, total length 6.34–6.94. Paratype (SWUC-T-CTe-01-02, Fig. 2B) total length 6.87. Prosoma 3.10 long, 2.41 wide; opisthosoma 3.44 long, 2.32 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.14, PME 0.18, PLE 0.15; AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.13, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.22, ALE-PLE 0.11. MOA 0.43 long, front width 0.36, back width 0.42. Clypeus height 0.13. Leg measurements: I 7.78 (2.16, 3.14, 1.58, 0.90); II 6.97 (1.83, 2.71, 1.51, 0.92); III 7.34 (2.05, 2.46, 1.77, 1.06); IV 10.42 (2.78, 3.69, 2.71, 1.24). Leg formula: 4132. Spination and color pattern same as in male.
Genitalia (Figs 1D–E, 2F–G). Median plate of epigyne is twice as wide as long, lateral teeth situated at widest part; copulatory openings located at front edge of median plate; copulatory ducts C-shaped; spermathecae ballshaped, partially covered by internal folds, separated from each other by less than their diameter; fertilization ducts laminar, situated posteriorly.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Medog, Tibet (Fig. 7).
Habitat. This species was found in the leaf litter of tropical rainforests.
description: Published as part of Wang, Lu-Yu, Irfan, Muhammad, Zhang, Feng & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2024, On three species of ctenids (Araneae: Ctenidae) from Tibet, China, pp. 119-129 in Zootaxa 5458 (1) on pages 120-122, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5458.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/11348477