Synagelides qin, Ni & Li & Zhang, 2025

Ni, Yi, Li, Yijing & Zhang, Junxia, 2025, On five new species of the genus Synagelides Strand, 1906 (Araneae: Salticidae: Salticinae: Agoriini) from China, Zootaxa 5666 (2), pp. 239-261 : 247-251

Synagelides qin sp. nov.

Chinese name: NJāãu

Figs 9–12

Type material. CHINA • Gansu Province: Holotype: ♂ (MHBU-ARA-00027438), Longnan City, Liangdang County, Zhangjia Township , Heihe Forest Nature Reserve , 106.5376° E, 34.1620° N, 1532.32 m a.s.l., 16 August 2021, Z. Li & R. Zhang leg. Paratypes: 1♀ (MHBU-ARA-00027439), 3♂ 2♀ (MHBU-ARA-00024962), with same data as for holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the Qin Dynasty, the first unified and centralized feudal dynasty in Chinese history, established by the first emperor of China: Qin Shi Huang; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The new species resembles S. agoriformis Strand, 1906 , S. zhilcovae Prószynìski, 1979 and S. subagoriformis Wang, Li & Peng, 2021 , but differs from them in the following characters: male: (1) the retrolateral tibial apophysis is prong-like and slightly curved dorsally ( Figs 10D , 12B ; whereas it is slightly curved ventrally at its tip in S. agoriformis , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: fig. 17; it is absent in S. subagoriformis ; see Li et al. 2021: fig. 4B, D); (2) the dorsal cymbial apophysis is distinct, and curved toward the distal end of the cymbium ( Figs 10C, D , 12B ; whereas it is not distinct in S. agoriformis , S. zhilcovae and S. subagoriformis , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: figs 15, 17, 18, 20 and Li et al. 2021: fig. 4A, B); (3) the embolus is more than half the height of the bulb and slightly curved ( Figs 10A , 12A ; whereas it is highly curved in S. agoriformis , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: fig. 16; it is less than half the height of the bulb in S. subagoriformis , see Li et al. 2021: fig. 4C); (4) the prolateral distal branch of the median apophysis slightly tapers towards a pointed tip level with the ventral cymbial apophysis ( Figs 10A , 12A ; whereas it is blunt in S. agoriformis , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: fig. 16; its tip is lower than the ventral cymbial apophysis in S. zhilcovae , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: fig. 19; it is lacking in S. subagoriformis , see Li et al. 2021: fig. 4C); (5) the prolateral proximal branch of the median apophysis is long, with its tip level with the point where the coiled base of embolus begins to taper ( Figs 10A , 12A ; whereas it is short and does not extend to the coiled base of embolus in S. agoriformis and S. zhilcovae , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: figs 16, 19); female: (1) the spermathecae are elongated, and the combined width of the two exceeds two-thirds of the epigynal width ( Figs 11A–D , 12C, D ; whereas they are less than two-thirds in S. agoriformis , S. zhilcovae and S. subagoriformis , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: figs 33, 34, 39, 40 and Li et al. 2021: fig. 5A–C); (2) the length of each accessory gland is close to half of the spermatheca, extending to both sides, the tips are close to the endpoints of the spermathecae ( Figs 11A–D , 12C, D ; whereas it is extremely short compared to the already short spermatheca in S. agoriformis and S. subagoriformis , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: figs 33, 34 and Li et al. 2021: fig. 5A–C; it is over half of the spermatheca, and the tip extend beyond the endpoints of the spermatheca in S. zhilcovae , see Omelko & Fomichev 2021: figs 39, 40). The new species is also very similar to S. hubeiensis Peng & Li, 2008 , but its dorsal abdomen lacks two lateral light-colored spots in the anterior half, and the transverse bands close to the posterior end are not obvious ( Fig. 9A ; whereas the dorsal abdomen has two lateral light-colored spots in addition to the two pairs of spots close to midline, and the transverse bands close to the posterior end are obvious in S. hubeiensis ; see Peng et al. 2008: fig. 15). In addition, the male palp differs from that of S. hubeiensis in: (1) the ventral femoral apophysis is sub-triangular and wide ( Fig. 10E ; whereas it is tapered and curved at tip in S. hubeiensis ; see Peng et al. 2008: figs 17, 19); (2) the tip of dorsal cymbial apophysis is rounded in dorsal view, with the distal edge not curved ( Fig.10B ; whereas it is slightly pointed in dorsal view, with the distal edge curved in S. hubeiensis ; see Peng et al. 2008: fig. 18); (3) the prolateral proximal edge of the bulb is smooth without any indentation in ventral view ( Figs 10A , 12A ; whereas it is indented in S. hubeiensis ; see Peng et al. 2008: fig. 16); (4) the proximal edge of the bulb forms an obtuse angle in retrolateral view ( Figs 10D , 12B ; whereas it is protruding towards the proximal side, and forming a apophysis in S. hubeiensis ; see Peng et al. 2008: fig. 17); (5) the prolateral proximal branch of the median apophysis has its tip directed towards the proximal side in ventral view ( Figs 10A , 12A ; whereas its tip is directed towards the retrolateral side in S. hubeiensis ; see Peng et al. 2008: fig. 16); (6) the presence of retrolateral tibial apopysis ( Figs 10D , 12D ; whereas absent, might have been overlooked in the original description of S. hubeiensis ; see Peng et al. 2008: fig. 17).

Description. Male. Measurements of holotype: total length 3.02; carapace 1.35 long, 0.95 wide, abdomen 1.42 long, 0.83 wide; eye measurements: AME 0.32, ALE 0.16, PME 0.06, PLE 0.19; leg measurements: Ⅰ 2.63 (0.80, 0.61, 0.66, 0.30, 0.26), II 1.79 (0.58, 0.25, 0.39, 0.34, 0.23), III 1.90 (0.57, 0.22, 0.43, 0.43, 0.25), IV 2.62 (0.77, 0.29, 0.65, 0.58, 0.33); leg formula Ⅰ-IV-III-II. Chelicerae ( Fig. 9G ) pale yellow, with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal fissident tooth. Carapace ( Fig. 9A, C ) length approximately one and half width, rough, with numerous short setae; almost entirely brown, except eye surroundings dark; fovea circular and pit-like; endites, labium and sternum pale yellow. Legs ( Fig. 9A, E ) with longitudinal pale stripes on both sides from femora to metatarsi, coxae and trochanters off-white, femora to tarsi yellow, except femora and metatarsi Ⅰ brown; leg Ⅰ spination: tibia v2-2-2, metatarsus v2-2. Dorsal of abdomen ( Fig. 9A ) anterior two-thirds yellow and posterior one-third grayish brown; two white spots surrounded by grayish brown at anterior part; middle part with three wavy stripes extending to lateral sides, color transitions grayish brown to white to grayish brown from anterior to posterior; ventral side off-white, with light longitudinal stripe in middle. Spinnerets ( Fig. 9A ) almost yellow, with some gray setae on surface.

Palp ( Figs 10A–E , 12A, B ): femur short, ventral femoral apophysis close to patella, almost sub-triangular; tibia sub-hexagonal in dorsal view, retrolateral tibial apophysis prong-like, slightly curved dorsally; dorso-retrolateral tibial apophysis not prominent; cymbium with dorsal and prolateral apophyses, dorsal apophysis curved distally in prolateral and retrolateral view; embolus long, with wide and coiled base, terminal end propped by ventral cymbial apophysis; median apophysis with exaggerated shape, retrolateral middle with ventrally directed branch, prolateral side with two branches directed distally and proximally in ventral view.

Female. Measurements of paratype (MHBU-ARA-00027439): total length 3.30. Carapace 1.47 long, 0.99 wide. Abdomen 1.62 long, 0.94 wide. Eye measurements:AME 0.33, ALE 0.18, PME 0.06, PLE 0.19. Leg measurements: I 2.72 (0.88, 0.55, 0.66, 0.36, 0.27), II 2.04 (0.68, 0.30, 0.44, 0.35, 0.27), III 2.19 (0.67, 0.28, 0.41, 0.53, 0.30), IV 2.97 (0.87, 0.33, 0.72, 0.71, 0.34); leg formula IV-Ⅰ-III-II. Chelicerae ( Fig. 9H ) light brown, dentation like that of male. Leg Ⅰ spination ( Fig. 9F ): tibia v2-2-2, metatarsus v2-2. Habitus ( Fig. 9B, D, F ) similar to that of male, but color slightly darker.

Epigyne ( Figs 11A–D , 12C, D ): longer than wide; atrial ridge almost in shape of inverted “W”; septum trapezoidal, wider at base; copulatory openings anterior in position; copulatory ducts anterior part wide, posterior part narrow and sclerotized with curves, with accessory glands, each length almost half of spermatheca; spermathecae touched in middle, combined distance almost equal to septum width, fertilization ducts short.

Distribution. China (Gansu).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Synagelides qin sp. nov., habitus of holotype male (A, C) and paratype female (MHBU-ARA-00027439, B, D); leg Ⅰ of holotype male (E) and paratype female (F); chelicera of holotype male (G) and paratype female (H); in dorsal (A, B), front (C, D), prolateral (E, F) and back (G, H) view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B), 0.5 mm (C–F), 0.1 mm (G, H).

FIGURE 10. Synagelides qin sp. nov., palp of holotype male (A–E), in ventral (A), dorsal (B), prolateral (C) and retrolateral (D, E) view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–E).

FIGURE 11. Synagelides qin sp. nov., epigyne and vulva of paratype female (MHBU-ARA-00027439, A–D), in ventral (A) and dorsal (B–D) view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–D).

FIGURE 12. Synagelides qin sp. nov., palp of holotype male (A, B), epigyne (C) and vulva (D) of paratype female (MHBU- ARA-00027439), in ventral (A, C), dorsal (D) and retrolateral (B) view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–D).