Lepthyphantes ellipticus 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
Lepthyphantes
Lepthyphantes ellipticus

description: Lepthyphantes ellipticus Irfan, Zhang & Peng, sp. n.
(Ɓ圆Mme)
Figures 125–127, 313
Types. Holotype ♂ (HNU–HB 2016–04–30), CHINA, Hubei Prov.: Xuanen Co., Shadaogou Town, Qiyimei Mountain Nature Reserve, 29.706342°N, 109.75642°E, 1155 m, 30.IV.2016, W. Liu et al. leg. Paratypes: 1♂ 1♀, with same data as for holotype (HNU–HB 2016–04–30).
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin noun “ellipticus ”, meaning “elliptical” and referring to the spermathecae elliptical in epigyne.
Diagnosis. The male of Lepthyphantes ellipticus sp. n. resembles those of L. frondeus sp. n., and L. longihamatus in having the similar lamella characteristic and female resembles those of L. brevihamatus Bosmans, 1985 in having the similar scape and stretcher (Figs 125A–D, 126A–D, 128A–D, 129A–E; Bosmans 1985, figs 8a–d, Tanasevitch 2014, figs 14–16), but can be distinguished by the proximal cymbial apophysis tail-like in L. ellipticus sp. n. (Figs 125A–D), vs. somewhat rectangular in L. frondeus sp. n. and L. longihamatus); the distal arm of paracymbium retrolateral margin wave-like in L. ellipticus sp. n. (Fig. 125B), vs. thumb-shaped with blunt end in L. brevihamatus and leaf-shaped in L.frondeus sp. n.); terminal apophysis tube-shaped, strongly curved in retrolateral view in L. ellipticus sp. n. (Fig. 125B), vs. cross-fingers shaped in L. frondeus sp. n. (Fig. 128B) and with J-shaped in L. longihamatus). Spermathecae finger-shaped in L. ellipticus sp. n. (Figs 126A–D), vs. S-shaped oval in L. brevihamatus); posterior median plate trapezoid in L. ellipticus sp. n. (Fig. 126D), vs. ear-lobe shaped in L. brevihamatus and rectangular in L. frondeus sp. n.).
Description. Male (holotype, Figs 127A–C): Total length: 1.96. Carapace 0.94 long, 0.60 wide, yellowish green.Clypeus 0.23 high. Chelicerae with one promarginal and one retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, blackish brown with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER straight, slightly wider. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.09, PME 0.06, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.02, PME–PME 0.05, AME–ALE, 0.02, PME–PLE 0.04, AME–PME 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.30, PLE–PLE 0.33, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 5.32 (1.34, 1.71, 1.42, 0.85), II 4.29 (1.09, 1.37, 1.14, 0.69), III 3.13 (0.83, 0.96, 0.86, 0.48), IV 4.29 (1.21, 1.32, 1.14, 0.62). TmI and TmIV present.Tibial spine formula:2-2-2-2. Opisthosoma 1.02 long, 0.74 wide, oval, dusky grey, dorsally with three chevrons extending laterally followed by irregular white patches; ventral side brown with a white patch near the base of spinnerets.
Palp (Figs 125A–D): Femur unmodified, almost longer than both patella and tibia. Patella as long as tibia, with a long dorsal spine. Tibia conic, distal margin with a depression in reterolateral view, with two retrolateral and one dorsal trichobothria; cymbium retrolateral margin with a shallow depression at the base, with a long tubercle as proximal cymbial apophysis (PCA) at the proximal end; paracymbium (PC) basal part wider than long, with five spines, lateral arm with a thumb-shaped projection at lower ventral margin, distal part sclerotized, somewhat triangular, distal arm tip with a knob, retrolateral margin wave-like, with blunt tip. Pit hook (PH) large, ventral part somewhat rectangular with pointed dorsal tip. Radix (R) longer than wide, bean-shaped, with Fickert’s gland (fg); terminal apophysis (TA) sclerotized, robust, at the base with a projection,distal end curved.Lamella characteristica (LC) relatively sclerotized, curved, pointing towards the terminal apophysis in retrolateral view; embolus proper (EP) attached to the prolateral side of radix, longer than wide, distal part slightly widen, gradually narrow towards apex, with bifurcated tip.
Female (one of the paratypes, Figs 127D–F): Total length: 2.13. Carapace 0.81 long, 0.69 wide, yellowish green. Clypeus 0. 21 high. Chelicerae with five promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, dark brown with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER straight, slightly wider. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.08, PME 0.06, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.02, PME–PME 0.04, AME–ALE, 0.03, PME–PLE 0.04, AME–PME 0.06, ALE–ALE 0.28, PLE–PLE 0.31, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 4.53 (1.21, 1.38, 1.17, 0.77), II 3.81 (1.07, 1.21, 0.91, 0.62), III 2.76 (0.88, 0.79, 0.62, 0.47), IV 3.63 (1.06, 1.07, 0.92, 0.58). TmI and TmIV present. Tibial spine formula: 2-2-2-2. Opisthosoma 1.32 long, 0.95 wide, all the other morphological character same as in male, except brownish in color.
Epigyne (Figs 126A–D): Protruding; scape broad, wider than long, with a deep notch distally in ventral view; proximal part of scape (PPS) somewhat quadrate, narrowing anteriorly; stretcher (ST) globular with a socket ventrally; entrance groove (EG) inside lateral pockets; Lateral pockets (LP) ear lobe shaped expanding laterally; posterior median plate (PMP) trapezoid; spermathecae (S) elliptical, long, almost touches the anterior margin of the epigynal plate, situates dorso-mesally.
Distribution. Known only from the type localities (Hubei Province, Fig. 313).
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 93-96, DOI: 10.11646/megataxa.15.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14985176