Putaoa seediq Hormiga & Dimitrov 2017, new species
Creators: name: Hormiga, Gustavo
name: Dimitrov, Dimitar
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Pimoidae
Putaoa
Putaoa seediq

description: Putaoa seediq new species
(Figs. 1–4)
Types. Taiwan: Nantou Co., Huisun Forestry Station, Xiaochu Mtn., 12.98 km NNE Puli, N24.07693° E121.03348°, 1,095 m, general collecting, daytime, road cut in forest 3.vii.2013, G. Hormiga & D. Dimitrov; male holotype (GH2483; moulted to adult 12.xii.2013) and one female paratype (GH2484; moulted to adult 19.xii.2013)(National Museum of Natural Science, Taipei, Taiwan).
Etymology. The species epithet is a name in apposition in honor of the Seediq people, one of the aboriginal groups of Taiwan, who live in the area where this new species was collected, in Nantou County.
Diagnosis. Adult males of Putaoa seediq n. sp. differ from those of P. huaping Hormiga and Tu in having only one large macroseta in the pedipalpal tibia (Fig. 2A), while the latter species has five (Hormiga & Tu: fig. 3A). From Putaoa megacantha (Xu and Li 2007) it differs in lacking the large macroseta near the paracymbium (Xu & Li 2007: figs. 80–81). The poorly sclerotized, semitransparent embolus of Putaoa seediq n. sp. is also diagnostic. The epigynum of P. seediq appears partially bifurcated in ventral view (Fig. 4A) while entire in P. huaping (Hormiga & Tu 2008: fig. 4A).
Description. Male (holotype; GH2483, Figs. 1A, C, D, 2A–F, 3A–D). Total length 3.82. Cephalothorax 1.9 long, 1.55 wide, 1.39 high. Sternum 1.11 long, 0.97 wide. Abdomen 2.25 long, 1.43 wide. AME diameter 0.16. Clypeus height 0.97 times one AME diameter. Carapace with deep longitudinal fovea (Figs. 1A, D). Chelicerae with five prolateral and three retrolateral teeth; stridulatory striae absent (Fig. 1D). Legs annulated. Femur I 2.36 long, 1.24 times the length of cephalothorax. Metatarsus I trichobothrium 0.29. Metatarsus IV trichobothrium present. Abdomen covered with numerous long setae. Pedipalp as in Figs. 2, 3. Pedipalpal tibia with one prolateral and two retrolateral trichobothria and a thick and short dorsal macroseta (Figs. 2A, B). Cymbium with a conical ectal process (Figs. 2A, F, 3A), apically pointed and with several basoectal cymbial margin macrosetae (thicker and with wider socket/base than the rest of cymbial setae; Figs. 2A, B). Paracymbium glabrous, connected to cymbial base by means of a membranous region in its posterior margin and continuous with cymbial sclerite (Figs. 2A, F, 3A). Tegulum continuous with a bifurcated embolic process (Figs. 2D, 3B) and a spiraling embolus, semitransparent apically (Figs. 2C, D, 3B–D). Conductor membranous, apical on tegulum (Figs. 2D, 3B). Median apophysis absent. Female (paratype, GH2484, Figs. 1B, E–I, 4). Total length 3.27. Cephalothorax 1.6 long, 1.34 wide, 0.94 high. Sternum 0.92 long, 0.87 wide. Abdomen 2.09 long, 1.58 wide. AME diameter 0.14. Clypeus height 0.74 times one AME diameter. Chelicerae with four prolateral and four retrolateral teeth; stridulatory striae absent. Legs annulated. Femur I 1.93 long, 1.2 times the length of cephalothorax. Metatarsus I trichobothrium 0.28.
Abdomen covered with numerous long setae. Epigynum as in Figs. 1G–I, 4), with spherical spermathecae and medially oriented fertilization ducts.
Variation. Male cephalothorax length varies from 1.8–1.96 (n = 4). Male total body length ranges from 3.58– 3.82 (n = 4). Female cephalothorax length varies from 1.6–1.98 (n = 5). Female total body length ranges from 3.27–4.33 (n = 4).
Natural history. Juvenile specimens were collected in July and brought back to the lab; these specimens were two moults away from being adults. Last moults occurred in late December or early January. All the specimens were collected from webs built on a road cut wall in a forested area, at around 1,000 m of elevation. Webs are flat sheet webs, about 15–20 cm wide, with little (if any) scaffolding above the sheet. The webs have a retreat going into mosses or rock cracks, under the sheet, clearly seen as a silk funnel; during the day the spider hides in this retreat. About a dozen of webs were observed, except in one case, web architecture is as depicted in Figs. 5 A–B and 5E–F. Only in one instance the web was somewhat different (Figs. 5C–D), shaped like a lampshade, with the retreat and funnel placed above the sheet.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Taiwan.
Additional specimens studied. Same locality and date as types, four males (last moult dates: 16.xii.13, 21.xii.13, 25.xii.13, 30.xii.13) and four females (last moult dates: 24.xii.13, 25.xii.13, 1.i.14, 7.i.14). All non-type specimens will be deposited at Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.
description: Published as part of Hormiga, Gustavo & Dimitrov, Dimitar, 2017, The discovery of the spider genus Putaoa (Araneae, Pimoidae) in Taiwan with the description of a new species, including its web architecture, pp. 97-104 in Zootaxa 4341 (1) on pages 98-100, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4341.1.8, http://zenodo.org/record/1038808