Bathyphantes pseudogracilis Irfan, Zhang & Peng

Irfan, Muhammad, Zhou, Gu-Chun, Peng, Xian-Jin & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2025, Survey of Linyphiidae spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from some Oriental Regions of China, Megataxa 15 (1), pp. 1-248 : 18-19

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 ).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Bathyphantes pseudogracilis sp. n., male holotype. A Palp, prolateral view; B Palp, retrolateral view; C Palp, ventral view; D Palp, dorsal view.Abbreviations: APE—anterior projection of embolic; DPE—dorsal projection of embolic plate; DSA—distal suprategular apophysis; E—embolus; EPL—embolic plate; PC—paracymbium; ST—subtegulum; T—tegulum; VPL—ventral projection of embolic plate.

FIGURE 18. Bathyphantes pseudogracilis sp. n., female paratype.A, B Epigyne,ventral view; C Vulva, dorsal view.Abbreviations: CD—copulatory duct; SC—scape; P—parmula; FD—fertilization duct; S—spermatheca.

FIGURE 19. Bathyphantes pseudogracilis sp. n., male holotype (A, B), female paratype (C, D). A, C Habitus, dorsal view; B, D Habitus, ventral view.

FIGURE 315. Distribution of Linyphiidae species in Hunan Prov.: 1. Acanoides cornutus sp. n.; 2. Acanoides ningxiangensis sp. n.; 4. Auriculaiana yongshunensis sp. n.; 5. Baryphyma xiaoxiense sp. n.; 6. Bathyphantes paracymbialis Tanasevitch, 2014; 7. Bathyphantes pseudogracilis sp. n.; 8. Bifurcia ramosa (Li & Zhu, 1987); 9. Bolyphantes arcuatus sp. n; 10. Bolyphantes gladius sp. n.; 11. Capsulia tianmushana (Chen & Song, 1987); 12. Dicristatus cordatus sp. n.; 13. Diplocephalus circularis sp. n.; 14. Drapetisca boletus sp. n.; 15. Drapetisca nanpingensis sp. n.; 16. Drapetisca yuelushanensis sp. n.; 17. Erigone prominens Bösenberg & Strand, 1906; 18. Frontinella zhui Li & Song, 1993; 19. Gnathonarium dentatum (Wider, 1834); 20. Gnathonarium gibberum Oi, 1960; 21. Oedothorax fortis sp. n.; 22. Tapinocyba sulcata sp. n.; 23. Himalaphantes azumiensis (Oi, 1979); 24. Hylyphantes graminicola (Sundevall, 1830); 25. Kaestneria bicultrata Chen & Yin, 2000; 26. Lepthyphantes frondeus sp. n.; 27. Microlinyphia zhejiangensis (Chen, 1991); 3. Microneta acutalis sp. n.; 28. Nematogmus sanguinolentus (Walckenaer, 1841); 29. Nippononeta alpina (Li & Zhu, 1993); 30. Nippononeta coreana (Paik, 1991); 31. Oia baiyunensis sp. n.; 32. Oia lata sp. n.; 33. Oia yinae sp. n.; 34. Oilinyphioides triangularis sp. n.; 35. Paikiniana lurida (Seo, 1991); 36. Parameioneta bilobata Li & Zhu, 1993; 37. Prosoponoides sinensis (Chen, 1991); 38. Ryojius lianghekouensis sp. n.; 39. Ryojius nanyuensis (Chen & Yin, 2000); 40. Scotinotylus longiprojectus sp. n.; 41. Shaanxinus insectus sp. n.; 42. Shaanxinus longiembolus sp. n.; 43. Sinolinyphia henanensis (Hu, Wang & Wang, 1991); 44. Syedra yuelushanensis sp. n.; 45. Tenuiphantes taipingensis sp. n.; 46. Ummeliata feminea (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906); 47. Ummeliata insecticeps (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906); 48. Walckenaeria xingdouensis sp. n.; 49. Walckenaeria extenuata sp. n.; 50. Walckenaeria yanglinensis sp. n.; 51. Wuliphantes tongluensis (Chen & Song, 1988); 52. Yuelushannus diaotangensis sp. n.; 53. Yuelushannus jinyuanensis sp. n.; 54. Yuelushannus wenfengensis sp. n..