Microneta circumacta Irfan, Zhang & Peng, sp. n.
Creators: name: Irfan, Muhammad
name: Zhou, Gu-Chun
name: Peng, Xian-Jin
name: Zhang, Zhi-Sheng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Linyphiidae
Microneta
Microneta circumacta

description: Microneta circumacta Irfan, Zhang & Peng, sp. n.
(àäạe)
Figures 142, 143, 317.
Types. Holotype ♂ (HNU–XZ–0004), CHINA, Xizang Linzhi city, Bomi Co., Gongxiang Guangde Vill., 30.28173°N, 94.76779°E, 2238 m, 12.I.2017, Q. Cai leg.
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective “circumactus” meaning “curved” and referring to curved embolus in male palp.
Diagnosis. Microneta circumacta sp. n. resembles M. acutalis sp. n. and M. viaria in having the similar paracymbium (Figs 142A–D; Figs 139A–D; Wiehle 1956, figs 217–222, Zhang et al. 2022, figs 43E–G), but can be distinguished by the proximal cymbial apophysis about half the width of proximal end of tibia in M. circumacta sp. n. (Fig. 142D; vs. almost as wide as proximal end of tibia in M. acutalis sp. n. and about more than half the width of proximal end of tibia in M. viaria); the tip of embolus away from tip of tegulum, perpendicular to the distal arm of paracymbium in prolateral view in M. circumacta sp. n. (Figs 142A, B), vs. almost touches the tegulum, parallel to the distal arm of paracymbium in M. acutalis sp. n. and touches both the tip of tegulum and the distal arm of paracymbium in prolateral view in M. viaria).
Description: Male (Figs 143A, B): Total length: 2.52; carapace 1.17 long, 0.95 wide, yelowish brown, fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.29 high. Chelicerae with two promarginal and four retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, brown with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER straight and slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.04, ALE 0.07, PME 0.07, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.05, AME–ALE, 0.03, PME–PLE 0.04, ALE–ALE 0.31, PLE–PLE 0.34, ALE–PLE 0.02. Length of legs: I 3.57 (1.01, 1.17, 0.80, 0.59), II 3.21 (0.94, 1.03, 0.74, 0.50), III 2.75 (0.76, 0.92, 0.64, 0.43), IV 3.87 (1.06, 1.31, 0.94, 0.56). TmI and TmIV present. Tibial spine formula: 2-2- 2-2. Opisthosoma 1.44 long, 0.96 wide, oval, greenish black.
Palp (Figs 142A–D): Femur unmodified, almost longer than both patella and tibia. Patella as long as tibia, ventrally grooved. Tibia conic, with two retrolateral and one dorsal trichobothria; cymbium truncated, retrolateral margin with a shallow depression at the base, proximal cymbial apophysis (PCA), quadrate, with blunt end; paracymbium (PC) apical pocket (appo) long, anterior pocket (apo) curved, posterior pocket short and curved, the basal part with spines. Pit hook (PH) basally broad leaf-shaped distally with curved pointed end. Radix (R) with a small projection at the base of embolus, with sclerotized curved tip; median membrane (MM) well-developed with serrated margin, lamella characteristica (LC) with two spikes and ending in a large prong; terminal apophysis (TA) flap-like, widened at distal end, tip with several teeth; embolus (E) crescent shaped with pointed tip, perpendicular to the cymbium; thumb (TH) reaching below the embolus.
Female: Unknown.
Distribution: Known only from the type locality (Xizang Province, Fig. 317).
description: Published as part of Irfan, Muhammad, Zhou, Gu-Chun, Peng, Xian-Jin & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2025, Survey of Linyphiidae spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from some Oriental Regions of China, pp. 1-248 in Megataxa 15 (1) on page 110, DOI: 10.11646/megataxa.15.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14985176