Synagelides xiangyun, 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 : 256-259

Synagelides xiangyun sp. nov.

Chinese name: Ḝ云āãu

Figs 17–20

Type material. CHINA • Hunan Province: Holotype: ♂ (MHBU-ARA-00027440), Zhangjiajie City, Sangzhi County, Bamaoxi Township , Xiaozhuangping Village , Tianpingshan Management Office , 110.0955° E, 29.7808° N, 1532.32 m a.s.l., 15-16 August 2021, C. Jin, X. Guo & J. He leg. Paratypes: 1♀ (MHBU-ARA-00027441), 4♂ 5♀ (MHBU-ARA-00020441, 00027406), with same data as for holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the Chinese pinyin "xiáng yún" for "auspicious cloud"; it refers to the ventral view of the epigyne, which is strikingly similar to the cloud-shaped totem that symbolizes good fortune and auspiciousness in traditional Chinese culture; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to S. walesai Bohdanowicz, 1987 , S. tianmu Song, 1990 and S. serratus Liu, 2022 , but it differs from them in the following characters: male: (1) the retrolateral tibial apophysis maintains a nearly constant width from the proximal to the distal end, and the distal end is dorsally inclined at an angle of approximately 90° ( Figs 18D , 20B ; whereas it tapers gradually from the proximal to the distal end, and the dorsal inclination forms an obtuse angle, with the distal end being blade-like in S. serratus ; see Liu et al. 2022: fig. 6F, G; it is narrower in the middle, with the distal end wider than the proximal base, and instead of having a dorsal inclination angle at the distal end, it extends with a curvature in S. walesai , see Bohdanowicz 1987: fig. 23); (2) the prolateral cymbial apophysis is plate-like in prolateral view ( Fig. 18C ; whereas it is finger-like in S. walesai and S. serratus ; see Bohdanowicz 1987: fig. 24 and Liu et al. 2022: fig. 6D, C); female: (1) the septum is broad, and the posterior edge of the septum extends obliquely towards posterior central side (whereas it is almost horizontal in S. tianmu ; see Song 1990: fig. 4B; it is extremely narrow in S. walesai , see Bohdanowicz 1987: fig. 28); (2) the broad parts of the copulatory ducts, excluding the inflected part, almost entirely incline towards the center from the anterior to the posterior end of the epigyne ( Figs 19B–D , 20D ; whereas they are almost parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction in S. walesai , S. tianmu and S. serratus ; see Bohdanowicz 1987: figs 27, 29, Song 1990: fig. 4 C and Liu et al. 2022: fig. 8D); (3) the spermathecae are almost crescent-shaped with their ends curved forward ( Figs 19B–D , 20D ; whereas they are relatively flat, resembling two paramecia in S. walesai , S. tianmu and S. serratus ; see Bohdanowicz 1987: figs 27, 29, Song 1990: fig. 4 C and Liu et al. 2022: fig. 8D).

Description. Male. Measurements of holotype: total length 3.00; carapace 1.30 long, 0.93 wide, abdomen 1.49 long, 0.87 wide; eye measurements: AME 0.29, ALE 0.16, PME 0.05, PLE 0.16; leg measurements: Ⅰ 2.63 (0.79, 0.57, 0.67, 0.32, 0.28), II 1.91 (0.61, 0.30, 0.39, 0.37, 0.24), III 1.95 (0.59, 0.26, 0.36, 0.46, 0.28), IV 2.71 (0.81, 0.31, 0.64, 0.62, 0.33); leg formula IV-Ⅰ-III-II. Chelicerae ( Fig. 17G ) pale yellow, with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal fissidentate tooth. Carapace ( Fig. 17A, C ) length approximately one and half width, rough, with numerous short setae; almost entirely dark brown, except eye surroundings dark; fovea circular and pit-like; endites, labium and sternum white. Legs ( Fig. 17A, E ) with longitudinal pale stripes on both sides from femora to metatarsi, coxae and trochanters off-white, femora to tarsi yellow, except femora Ⅰ dark brown, patellae Ⅰ and tibiae Ⅰ white; leg Ⅰ spination: tibia v2-2-2-2, metatarsus v2-2. Dorsal of abdomen ( Fig. 17A ) almost entirely dark in dorsal view, with several pale spots and stripes distributed longitudinally, mostly concentrated in anterior part and lateral sides; ventral side off-white, with no patterns at all. Spinnerets ( Fig. 17A ) almost dark, except median spinnerets white, with some gray setae on surface.

Palp ( Figs 18A–E , 20A, B ): ventral femoral apophysis small, close to patella, almost sub-triangular; retrolateral tibial apophysis wide, maintaining nearly constant width from proximal to distal end, distal end dorsally inclined at approximately 90°; dorsal and prolateral cymbial apophyses obtusely rounded; embolus long, with wide and coiled base, terminal end propped by distal end of ventral cymbial apophysis; median apophysis hook-shaped, tip directed towards retrolateral side, and distal end with snake-scale-like processes.

Female. Measurements of paratype (MHBU-ARA-00027441): total length 3.32; carapace 1.41 long, 1.00 wide, abdomen 1.76 long, 1.07 wide; eye measurements: AME 0.31, ALE 0.16, PME 0.06, PLE 0.17; leg measurements: Ⅰ 2.57 (0.83, 0.54, 0.63, 0.29, 0.28), II 1.94 (0.59, 0.29, 0.40, 0.41, 0.25), III 1.99 (0.61, 0.22, 0.42, 0.46, 0.28), IV 2.96 (0.83, 0.38, 0.70, 0.73, 0.32); leg formula IV-Ⅰ-III-II. Chelicerae ( Fig. 17H ) coloration and dentation like that of male. Leg Ⅰ spination ( Fig. 17F ): tibia v2-2-2-2, metatarsus v2-2. Habitus ( Fig. 17B, D, F ) similar to that of male, but different in: dorsum of abdomen lightly colored, lacking extensive black areas, characterized by interlacing black and white stripes, several white arcuate stripes in middle that gradually become shorter and brighter from anterior to posterior; patellae Ⅰ and tibiae Ⅰ darker in color.

Epigyne ( Figs 19A–D , 20C, D ): width greater than length; anterior center with pocket, wide and almost sub-triangular; septum located posteriorly, wide and low; atrial ridge outermost, nearly from anterior to posterior; copulatory openings located on both sides of septum, facing backward; anterior part of copulatory ducts extending forward then bending backward, suddenly becoming thin and connecting to spermathecae, with accessory glands; spermathecae boat-shaped and touching in middle, fertilization ducts shorter than accessory glands.

Distribution. China (Hunan).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Synagelides xiangyun sp. nov., habitus of holotype male (A, C) and paratype female (MHBU-ARA-00027441, 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 18. Synagelides xiangyun 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 19. Synagelides xiangyun sp. nov., epigyne and vulva of paratype female (MHBU-ARA-00027441, A–D), in ventral (A) and dorsal (B–D) view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–D).

FIGURE 20. Synagelides xiangyun sp. nov., palp of holotype male (A, B), epigyne (C) and vulva (D) of paratype female (MHBU-ARA-00027441), in ventral (A, C), dorsal (D) and retrolateral (B) view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A–D).