Lasaeola pinna Tang & Liu & Liu & Yang & Peng 2024, new species
Creators: name: Tang, Gang
name: Liu, Feng
name: Liu, Zi-Yue
name: Yang, Su-Fang
name: Peng, Xian-Jin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Theridiidae
Lasaeola
Lasaeola pinna

description: Lasaeola pinna new species
Figs 1−2, 5
Type material. Holotype ♂ : CHINA, Hubei Province: Xuanen country, ChangTan River Township, Xiaba Village, 30.02806ºN, 109.67472ºE, 884m, 5 May 2016, Chen Zeng, Wang Liu and Tian Tian (HNU-HB-IV-1615). Paratypes: Hunan: 1♀, Huaihua City, Yuanling County, Jiemu river Township, Zongxi Village, Jiemu river National Nature Reserve, 28.87667°N, 110.44139°E, 399m, 10 August 2017, Xian-jin Peng, Jin-xin Liu, Tian Tian, Gu-chun Zhou (HNU-HN-IV-1746); 1♀, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yongshun County, Xiaoxi Township, Xiaoxi Village, Xiaoxi National Nature Reserve, 28.81278°N, 110.27389°E, 796m, 2 August 2017, Xian-jin Peng, Irfan Muhammad, Jin-xin Liu, Tian Tian, Gu-chun Zhou (HNU-HN-IV-1725); 1♀, Wangyue Lake, Hupingshan Town, Shimen County, Hunan Province, 29.93207°N, 110.78038°E, 256m, 1 June 2014, Xian-jin Peng, Jia-hui Gan, Cheng Wang, Bing Zhou, Yu-hui Gong (HNU-HPS-1401).
Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin “pinna ” (fin), referring to the median apophysis of male palp, which is shaped like a fin; a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. The male of the new species is similar to that of Lasaeola coracina C. L. Koch, 1837 (see Wunderlich 2015, figs 1−7; Zamani et al. 2021, fig. 10 K−L) in having brown male palps and conductor with wider base, but differs as follows: (1) the embolus is hook-shaped when observed in retrolateral view (Fig. 1F) (vs. is slender); (2) the median apophysis with a triangular bulge on the prolateral edge when observed in ventral view (Fig. 1E) (vs. is absent); (3) the conductor is triangular when observed in retrolateral view (Fig. 1F) (vs. is pear-shaped). Furthermore, the male of the new species is also similar to that of the Lasaeola tengchongensis n. sp. (see Fig. 3 D−F) in the shape of subtegulum and the tegulum, but differs as follows: (1) the embolus is hook-shaped when observed in retrolateral view (Fig. 1F) (vs. is straight); (2) the conductor is triangular when observed in retrolateral view (Fig. 1F) (vs. is thumb-shaped); (3) the genital bulb with a terminal apophysis (Fig. 1 D−F) (vs. is absent). The female of new species resembles that of Lasaeola spinithorax Keyserling, 1886 (see Levi 1963, figs 205−208) in having a transverse ridge in the upper part of epigynum as well as two pairs of spermathecae in a similar relative position, but differs as follows: (1) the atrium is triangular when observed in ventral view (Fig. 2D) (vs. is round); (2) the epigynum has a transverse ridge when observed in ventral view (Fig. 2D) (vs. has a curved ridge); (3) the spermathecae I is round when observed in dorsal view (Fig. 2E) (vs. is oval); (4) the copulatory duct is thick, with a diameter about half that of the spermathecae I when observed in dorsal view (Fig. 2E) (vs. is thinner, smaller than half the diameter of the spermathecae I).
Description. Male (holotype) (Fig. 1 A−C). Total length 2.01. Carapace 1.03 long, 0.85 wide; abdomen 1.19 long, 1.10 wide. Clypeus 0.52 high, brown, with black bristles. Carapace slightly cylindrical in shape, with depression in cervicle groove, forming distinct U-shaped groove, with longitudinal black band along inner edge of each cervical groove. AME diurnal, black, rest of eyes nocturnal, white. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.10, PME 0.08, ALE 0.09, PLE 0.09, AME−AME 0.08, AME−ALE 0.02, PME−PME 0.04, PME−PLE 0.04, MOA 0.18 long, anterior width 0.27, posterior width 0.23. Chelicerae without tooth, yellowish, fangs black, shorter at base. Endites covered with white hairs, with black-brown edges. Sternum yellowish. Legs yellowish, with dark annuli at end of femur and tibia. Measurements of legs: I 2.58 (0.80, 0.85, 0.52, 0.41); II 2.18 (0.68, 0.70, 0.41, 0.39); III 1.99 (0.61, 0.61, 0.35, 0.42); IV 2.70 (0.86, 0.87, 0.55, 0.42). Leg formula: IV, I, II, III. Abdomen round, white with black brown markings. Dorsum with dense dark brown markings, symmetrically arranged. Venter with 1 large round spot in the center, 1 bell-shaped spot above it, and 1 transverse spot across whole abdomen. Spinnerets yellowish, with few black, short bristles.
Palp (Fig. 1 D−F). Embolus hook-shaped, originated from bottom of conductor. Conductor basally wider than tip, tapered distally, and triangular when observed in retrolateral view. Median apophysis wide, unevenly thick, finshaped when observed in retrolateral view.
Female (one of paratypes, HNU-HN-IV-1725) (Fig. 2 A−C). Total length 1.74. Carapace 0.74 long, 0.69 wide; abdomen 1.29 long, 1.03 wide. Clypeus 0.18 high, brown, with dense black fine bristles on underside. Carapace flat, cephalic region smooth, other parts covered with black fine hair, with distinct radial grooves. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, PME 0.08, ALE 0.07, PLE 0.07, AME−AME 0.03, AME−ALE 0.01, PME−PME 0.03, TWO PME−PLE 0.03, MOA 0.19 long, anterior width 0.21, posterior width 0.18. Chelicerae without tooth, yellowish, black fangs, shorter at base. Endites covered with white hairs, with black-brown markings. Sternum pale yellow. Legs yellowish, with dark annuli at end of femur and tibia. Measurements of legs: I 1.91 (0.57, 0.62, 0.36, 0.36); II 2.24 (0.70, 0.76, 0.41, 0.37); III 1.77 (0.52, 0.54, 0.34, 0.37); IV 2.42 (0.75, 0.82, 0.46, 0.39). Leg formula: IV, II, I, III. Abdomen oval, white with black-brown markings. Other characters as in males. Venter yellowish, with dense inclined black stripes, 1 large square black patch in the center and 1 triangular black patch around epigynum. Spinnerets yellowish, with brown edges, hairs sparse, long and black.
Epigynum (Fig. 2 D−E). With a transverse ridge in anterior part. Atrium triangular, with copulatory openings on each side. Copulatory ducts thick and located at both sides of the ridge. Spermathecae spherical, spermathecae I larger and closer to each other, while spermathecae II far away from each other. Fertilization ducts originated from spermathecae II.
Distribution. China (Hubei, Hunan) (Fig. 5).
Natural biology. This spider lives in bushes.
description: Published as part of Tang, Gang, Liu, Feng, Liu, Zi-Yue, Yang, Su-Fang & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2024, Two new species of the comb-footed spider genus Lasaeola Simon, 1881 (Araneae: Theridiidae) from China, pp. 379-386 in Zootaxa 5453 (3) on pages 380-382, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5453.3.5, http://zenodo.org/record/11234230