Ptocasius subhubeiensis Wang, Mi & Peng 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wang, Cheng
name: Mi, Xiao-Qi
name: Wang, Wei-Hang
name: Gan, Jia-Hui
name: Irfan, Muhammad
name: Zhong, Yang
name: Peng, Xian-Jin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Salticidae
Ptocasius
Ptocasius subhubeiensis

description: Ptocasius subhubeiensis Wang, Mi & Peng sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2613C417-C79C-42E4-ADC9-F51A91DE6462
Figs 36–37, 60
Diagnosis
The male of Ptocasius subhubeiensis sp. nov. closely resembles that of P. Hubeiensis (Li, Wang, Irfan & Peng, 2018) in having a similar palp, but it can be distinguished by the following: (1) the embolus being shorter than the cymbial length, and originating at the 8:30 o’clock position of the bulb (Fig. 36A–B), whereas longer than cymbial length, originating at the 6:30 o’clock position of the bulb in P. hubeiensis (Li et al. 2018: figs 4b, 5a); (2) the bulb having a distinct posterior lobe (Fig. 36B), whereas indistinct in P. hubeiensis (Li et al. 2018: figs 4b, 5a). The female also resembles P. hubeiensis in having small, mediolaterally located epigynal hoods, but differs in the epigynal hood, which is about three times as long as wide (Fig. 37A), whereas as long as wide in hubeiensis (Li et al. 2018: figs 4e, 5c).
Etymology
The specific epithet refers to the similarity with Ptocasius hubeiensis (Li, Wang, Irfan & Peng, 2018); substantive.
Type material
Holotype
CHINA • ♂; Guizhou, Yinjiang County, Ziwei Township, Dayuanzhi Village, Fanjing Mountain National Nature Reserve, Huguosi; 27°54.72′ N, 108°28.62′ E; 1500 m a.s.l.; 12 Apr. 2020; X.Q. Mi et al. leg.; TRU-JS 0462.
Paratypes
CHINA • 3 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; TRU-JS 0463–0471 • 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂; Fanjing Mountain National Nature Reserve, Yuanyangzui; 28°1.02′ N, 108°46.49′ E; 937 m a.s.l.; 11 Jul. 2015; C. Wang and M.Y. Liao leg.; TRU-JS 0472–0475 • 3 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂; Suiyang County, Kuankuoshui National Nature Reserve, Wangjiashuiku; 28°12.49′N, 107°10.41′E; 1458 m a.s.l.; 25 Jul. 2015; C. Wang et al. leg.; TRU-JS 0476–0484 • 7 ♀♀, 11 ♂♂; Kuankuoshui National Nature Reserve, Zhubaotai; 28°12.71′ N, 107°10.01′ E; 1513 m a.s.l.; 26 Jul. 2015; C. Wang et al. leg.; TRU-JS 0485–0502.
Description
Male (holotype)
MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.90. Carapace 2.36 long, 1.95 wide. Abdomen 2.67 long, 1.59 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.58, ALE 0.31, PLE 0.30, AERW 1.81, PERW 1.67, EFL 1.54. Legs: I 6.25 (1.78, 1.03, 1.58, 1.20, 0.66), II 4.94 (1.54, 0.88, 1.05, 0.88, 0.59), III 5.54 (1.71, 0.85, 1.13, 1.24, 0.61), IV 5.74 (1.66, 0.85, 1.23, 1.34, 0.66).
HABITUS. Carapace red-brown, covered with yellow-brown and dark thin setae, with cluster of white setae behind PMEs base, and pair of white bands formed by setae laterally (Fig. 37C, F). Chelicerae red-brown, with one retromarginal tooth and two promarginal teeth (Fig. 37G). Legs yellow except femora, patellae, and tibiae I red-brown. Abdomen elongated, dorsum brown laterally, with two pairs of depressions, and longitudinal yellow band bifurcated at terminus; venter brown, with two dotted lines medially (Fig. 37C–D).
PALP. Tibia longer than wide; RTA strongly sclerotized, tapered, slightly curved medially and pointed apically; bulb flat, with blunt posterior lobe curved towards postero-prolaterally in ventral view; embolus originates at 8:30 o’clock position of bulb, extended about quarter of circle, with blunt tip (Fig. 36).
Female (paratype, TRU-JS 0463)
MEASUREMENTS. Total length 6.14. Carapace 2.27 long, 1.76 wide. Abdomen 3.43 long, 2.35 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.57, ALE 0.30, PLE 0.28, AERW 1.65, PERW 1.55, EFL 1.01. Legs: I 4.42 (1.37, 0.75, 1.03, 0.78, 0.49), II 4.09 (1.29, 0.75, 0.90, 0.66, 0.49), III 4.89 (1.59, 0.75, 1.00, 1.01, 0.54), IV 5.15 (1.56, 0.75, 1.13, 1.17, 0.54).
HABITUS. Similar to that of male except paler in color and with longitudinal, yellow band medially on thorax (Fig. 37E).
EPIGYNE. Wider than long, epigynal hoods small, below copulatory openings, about three times as long as wide; copulatory openings anteriorly located, with C-shaped margins; copulatory ducts long, forming complicated paths; spermathecae sub-oval, close to each other; fertilization ducts originate from anterior edges of spermathecae, extended almost transversely (Fig. 37A–B).
Distribution
China (Guizhou) (Fig. 60).
Comments
Yaginumaella and Ptocasius are currently placed into the subtribe Plexippina (Maddison 2015; Metzner 2023), and their relationship has always been controversial (Li et al. 2018). In the present work, we provisionally place Ptocasius subhubeiensis sp. nov. into the genus because it closely resembles P. hubeiensis (Li, Wang, Irfan & Peng, 2018). However, the latter was originally placed in Yaginumaella, and it was transferred together with 36 congeners by Patoleta et al. (2020) only based on the similarity of the copulatory organs. Moreover, it shares a consistent habitus with species of Yaginumaella rather than the Ptocasius generotype and its congeners. And so, the generic position of those 37 species and P. subhubeiensis may need further confirmation.
description: Published as part of Wang, Cheng, Mi, Xiao-Qi, Wang, Wei-Hang, Gan, Jia-Hui, Irfan, Muhammad, Zhong, Yang & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2023, Notes on twenty-nine species of jumping spiders from South China (Araneae: Salticidae), pp. 1-91 in European Journal of Taxonomy 902 on pages 57-60, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.902.2319, http://zenodo.org/record/10115594