Bathyphantes pseudogracilis 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
Bathyphantes
Bathyphantes pseudogracilis

description: Bathyphantes pseudogracilis Irfan, Zhang & Peng, sp. n.
(IJNJḚDze)
Figures 17–19, 315
Types. Holotype ♂ (HNU–HN– IV–1718), CHINA, Hunan Prov.: Ningxiang Co., Huaminglou Town, Tanzi Vill., 28.032005°N, 112.640872°E, 72 m, 09.V.2017, G.C. Zhou et al. leg. Paratypes: 1♀, with same data as for holotype; 1♂, Ningxiang Co., Huaminglou Town, Shili Vill., 28.09017°N, 112.66843°E, 146 m, 09.V.2017, G.C. Zhou et al. leg. (HNU–HN– IV–1702).
Etymology. The specific name is based on the similarity of most morphological characteristics of the new species to those of B. gracilis (Blackwall, 1841).
Diagnosis. Bathyphantes pseudogracilis sp. n. resembles B. gracilis, and B. parvulus in having a similar paracymbium in male palp and epigyne with similar scape in females (Figs 17A–C, 18A; Roberts 1987, figs 70b, c), but can be distinguished by the tibia species 1.6 times longer than wide in B. pseudogracilis sp. n. (Figs 17A–C; vs. as long as wide in B. gracilis); embolus semicircular in B. pseudogracilis sp. n. (Figs 17A–C; vs. almost forming a complete circle in B. gracilis). Female can be distinguished by the globular spermathecae in B. pseudogracilis sp. n. (Figs 18A–C; vs. elongated in B. gracilis and C-shaped in B. parvulus).
Description. Male (holotype, Figs 19A, B): Total length: 1.72. Carapace 0.78 long, 0.66 wide, the cephalic region slightly elevated, yellowish brown, fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.18 high. Chelicerae with four promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, brown, with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER straight and slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.08, PME 0.07, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.02, PME–PME 0.05, AME–ALE, 0.04, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–ALE 0.33, PLE–PLE 0.36, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 5.87 (1.61, 1.76, 1.62, 0.88), II 4.7 (1.28, 1.42, 1.24, 0.76), III 3.05 (0.89, 0.92, 0.76, 0.48), IV 4.13 (1.23, 1.29, 1.07, 0.54). Tibial spine formula: 2-2-2-2. TmI 0.69 and TmIV absent. Opisthosoma 0.94 long, 0.52 wide, oval, dorsally grey with distinct pattern of alternative greenish patches extending posteriorly; lateral sides black, ventral side greenish, mid ventrally with broad grey patch.
Palp (Figs 17A–D): Femur unmodified, almost longer than patella, tibia and cymbium. Patella almost as long as tibia, ventrally grooved. Tibia conic, with two retrolateral and i dorsal trichobothria. Cymbium unmodified, retrolateral margin with small projection; paracymbium (PC) sclerotized, U-shaped; tegulum (T) with a prominent bulge on ectal side; distal suprategular apophysis (DSA) simple, slightly curved with blunt end. Median membrane (MM) extending out through the base of embolic plate and thread-like projections on prolateral surface of apical portion; embolic plate (EPL) highly sclerotized, broad; dorsal projection of embolic plate (DPE) slightly touches the cymbium in prolateral view; anterior projection of embolic plate (APE) thick with blunt end, ventral process of embolic plate (VPE) slightly curved; embolus (E) gradually narrowed to end, slightly curved, not forming transverse loop at distal end.
Female (paratype, Figs 19C, D): Total length: 2.09. Carapace 0.78 long, 0.62 wide, the cephalic region slightly elevated, pale, fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.16 high. Chelicerae with five promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, dark brown, with microsetae.Eyes:AER recurved, PER straight and slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.08, PME 0.07, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.04, AME–ALE, 0.03, PME–PLE 0.04, ALE–ALE 0.29, PLE–PLE 0.31, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 4.34 (1.15, 1.44, 1.09, 0.66), II 3.68 (1.08, 1.17, 0.93, 0.5), III 2.55 (0.78, 0.79, 0.59, 0.39), IV 3.5 (1.03, 1.12, 0.82, 0.53). Tibial spine formula: 2-2-2-2. TmI 0.59 and TmIV absent. Opisthosoma 1.31 long, 0.83 wide, oval, all other morphological characters same as in male except darker in color.
Epigyne (Figs 18A–C): Ventral plate (VP) simple, broad, scape (SC) wider than long, posterior end round; parmula (P) short, globular; copulatory ducts (CD) forming 2 loops before joining the spermathecae; spermathecae (S) large, present anteriorly on dorsal plate, pointing away from each other; fertilization ducts (FD) extending mesally.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Hunan Province, Fig. 315).
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 pages 18-19, DOI: 10.11646/megataxa.15.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14985176