Gongylidioides ensis 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 : 67-70

Gongylidioides ensis Irfan, Zhang & Peng , sp. n.

(剑ä圆be)

Figures 88–90 , 307 , 312

Types. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hubei Prov.: Xuanen Co., Zhang Tanhe Township , Mahuping Vill ., 29.97436°N, 109.582645°E, 509 m, 05.V.2016, W. Liu et al. leg. Paratypes: 9♀, with same data as for holotype; Chongqing: 2♂ 2♀, Nanchuan Co., Dayou Town , 28.99736°N, 107.33591°E, 1021 m, 13.VIII.2015, X.J. Peng et al. leg. ( HNU–CQ– IV–1508 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin noun “ensis ” meaning “sword” and referring to the sword-shaped retrolateral tibial apophysis in ventral view in male palp.

Diagnosis. The male of Gongylidioides ensis sp. n. resembles that of G. microdontus sp. n. in having the similar disc-shaped radix and the long, sclerotized, helical-shaped embolus ( Figs 88A–D ; Figs 91A–D ), but can be distinguished by the tibia with a sword-shaped reterolateral tibial apophysis in ventral view in G. ensis sp. n. ( Figs 88B–D ), vs. reterolateral tibial apophysis Lshaped, retrodorsal margin with teeth in G. microdontus sp. n. ( Figs 91B–D ); retrodorsal tibial apophysis present in G. ensis sp. n. ( Figs 88B–D ), vs. absent in G. microdontus sp. n. ( Figs 91B–D ); suprategular membrane slightly curved, almost equal to the apex of cymbium in G. ensis sp. n. ( Figs 88A, B, D ), vs. tongue-shaped tapering towards tip, extending above to the apex of cymbium in G. microdontus sp. n. ( Figs 91A, B, D ). Female of G. ensis sp. n. resembles those of G. microdontus sp. n. with long copulatory ducts forming pair of large round loops anteriorly and the dorsal plate resembles those of G. microdontus in epigyne ( Figs 89A–C ; Figs 92A–D ; Tu & Li, 2006, fig. 2J), and can be distinguished by the copulatory ducts forming two loops before joining the spermathecae in G. ensis sp. n. ( Figs 89B–D ), vs. forming one loop before joining the spermathecae in G. microdontus sp. n. ( Figs 92C–E ); spermathecae pointing towards the posterior end in G. ensis sp. n. ( Figs 89B, C ), vs. pointing towards the anterior end of the epigyne in G. microdontus sp. n. ( Figs 92B, C ).

Description. Male (holotype, Figs 90A, B ): Total length: 1.87. Carapace 0.84 long, 0.70 wide, cephalic region elevated with cephalic pits, ocular quad narrow, yellow brown, fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.25 high. Chelicerae with five promarginal and six retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, yellowish brown with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER straight, slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.07, PME 0.07, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.05, AME–ALE, 0.02, PME–PLE 0.04, AME–PME 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.27, PLE–PLE 0.32, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 3.11 (0.85, 1.06, 0.69, 0.51), II 2.74 (0.79, 0.89, 0.63, 0.43), III 2.3 (0.67, 0.74, 0.52, 0.37), IV 3.09 (0.89, 0.99, 0.73, 0.48). Tibial spine formula: 2-2-1-1. TmI 0.29 and TmIV 0.23. Opisthosoma 1.03 long, 0.60 wide, oval, dusky grey, mid–dorsally with black band, ventral side dusky grey with light green band.

Palp ( Figs 88A–D ): Femur unmodified, almost longer than both patella and tibia. Patella as long as tibia, slightly curved mesally. Tibia with one reterolateral and one dorsal trichobothria; reterolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) longer than wide; retrodorsal tibial apophysis (rDTA) sclerotized, longer than wide with serrated tip, longer than half the length of retrolateral tibial apophysis; dorsal tibial apophysis (DTA) tongue-shaped, with blunt end, covered with spines; cymbium unmodified, hoof-shaped; paracymbium (PC) sclerotized, J-shaped, apical tip hook-shaped; suprategular membrane (STM) transparent, tongue-shaped, longer than wide almost equal to the apex of cymbium; tegulum (T) with a transparent bifurcated protegulum (PT); distal suprategular apophysis (DSA) stout. Radix (R) sclerotized, disc-shaped; tailpiece long, slightly curved with blunt tip, pointing towards the basal margin of cymbium; lamella (L) translucent, tapering towards the tip; embolus (E) sclerotized, long, helical-shaped, extending above the apex of cymbium.

Female (one of paratype, Figs 90C, D ): Total length: 2.06. Carapace 0.94 long, 0.72 wide, cephalic region slightly elevated, yellow brown, fovea, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Clypeus 0.21 high. Chelicerae with five promarginal and six retromarginal teeth. Sternum longer than wide, brown with microsetae. Eyes: AER recurved, PER straight, slightly wider than AER. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.07, PME 0.06, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.02, PME–PME 0.06, AME–ALE, 0.01, PME–PLE 0.04, AME–PME 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.27, PLE–PLE 0.32, ALE–PLE contiguous. Length of legs: I 2.82 (0.79, 0.96, 0.63, 0.44), II 2.66 (0.78, 0.87, 0.58, 0.43), III 2.25 (0.67, 0.71, 0.54, 0.33), IV 2.86 (0.84, 0.95, 0.67, 0.40). Tibial spine formula: 2-2-1-1. TmI 0.31 and TmIV 0.24. Opisthosoma 1.12 long, 0.69 wide, oval, dusky grey, dorsally with greenish black band, ventral side dusky grey with greenish black band.

Epigyne ( Figs89A–D ):Epigynal plate as long as wide; ventral plate (VP) wider than long; copulatory opening (CO) located in atrium ventro-mesally at the junction of dorsal and ventral plate; dorsal plate (DP) somewhat heart-shaped, slightly depressed posteriorly; copulatory ducts (CD) long, extend anteriorly than curve back as a loop to spermathecae; spermathecae (S) globular, present posterolaterally, spaced by six diameters; fertilization ducts (FD) short, extending mesally.

Distribution. Known only from the type localities (Chongqing and Hubei Province, Figs 307 , 312 ).

Figures

FIGURE 88. Gongylidioides ensis sp. n., male holotype. A Palp, prolateral view; B Palp, retrolateral view; C Palp, ventral view; D Palp, dorsal view.Abbreviations: DSA—distal suprategular apophysis; DTA—dorsal tibial apophysis; E—embolus; L—lamella; PC—paracymbium; PT—protegulum; R—radix; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; rDTA—retrodorsal tibial apophysis; SPM— suprategular membrane; SPT—suprategulum; ST—subtegulum; T—tegulum; TP—tailpiece.

FIGURE 89. Gongylidioides ensis sp. n., female (one of paratype). A, B Epigyne, ventral view; C Vulva, dorsal view; D Schematic course of internal duct system.Abbreviations:CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; DP—dorsal plate; FD—fertilization duct; S—spermatheca; VP—ventral plate.

FIGURE 90. Gongylidioides ensis sp. n., male holotype (A, B) and female, one of paratypes (C, D). A, C Habitus, dorsal view; B, D Habitus, ventral view.

FIGURE 91. Gongylidioides microdontus sp. n., male holotype. A Palp, prolateral view; B Palp, retrolateral view; C Palp, ventral view; D Palp, dorsal view. Abbreviations: DSA—distal suprategular apophysis; DTA—dorsal tibial apophysis; E—embolus; L—lamella; PC—paracymbium; PT—protegulum; R—radix; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; SPM—suprategular membrane; SPT—suprategulum; ST—subtegulum; T—tegulum; TP—tailpiece.

FIGURE 92. Gongylidioides microdontus sp. n., female (one of paratype). A, C Epigyne, ventral view; B Epigyne, lateral view; D Vulva, dorsal view; E Schematic course of internal duct system. Abbreviations: CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; DP—dorsal plate; FD—fertilization duct; S—spermatheca; VP—ventral plate.

FIGURE 307. Distribution of Linyphiidae species in Chongqing: 1. Bathyphantes paracymbialis Tanasevitch, 2014; 2. Diplocephalus circularis sp. n.; 3. Frontinella zhui Li & Song, 1993; 4. Gnathonarium dentatum (Wider, 1834); 5. Gongylidioides acuminatus sp. n.; 6. Gongylidioides ensis sp. n.; 7. Gongylidium uncatum sp. n.; 8. Himalaphantes azumiensis (Oi, 1979); 9. Hylyphantes graminicola (Sundevall, 1830); 10. Indophantes wushanensis Irfan, Wang & Zhang, 2023; 11. Lepthyphantes frondeus sp. n.; 12. Wulinggone qizimeiensis sp. n.; 13. Nematogmus ligulatus sp. n.; 14. Nematogmus sanguinolentus (Walckenaer, 1841); 15. Nippononeta alpina (Li & Zhu, 1993); 16. Nippononeta coreana (Paik, 1991); 17. Oia yinae sp. n.; 18. Oilinyphia xinqiaoensis sp. n.; 19. Oilinyphioides triangularis sp. n.; 20. Prosoponoides sinensis (Chen, 1991); 21. Scotinotylus guizhouensis sp. n.; 22. Sinolinyphia henanensis (Hu, Wang & Wang, 1991); 23. Syedra yuelushanensis sp. n.; 24. Ummeliata feminea (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906); 25. Ummeliata insecticeps (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906); 26. Walckenaeria sinuosa sp. n.; 27. Wuliphantes tongluensis (Chen & Song, 1988).

FIGURE 312. Distribution of Linyphiidae species in Hubei Prov.: 2. Asiagone xingdouensis sp. n.; 3. Bathyphantes paracymbialis Tanasevitch, 2014; 4. Bifurcia cochlearis sp. n.; 5. Capsulia tianmushana (Chen & Song, 1987); 6. Dicristatus cordatus sp. n.; 7. Diplocephalus circularis sp. n.; 8. Erigone prominens Bösenberg & Strand, 1906; 9. Frontinella zhui Li & Song, 1993; 10. Gnathonarium dentatum (Wider, 1834); 11. Gongylidioides ensis sp. n.; 12. Gongylidioides microdontus sp. n.; 13. Gongylidium dawolongense sp. n.; 14. Gongylidium minutum sp. n.; 15. Gongylidium uncatum sp. n.; 16. Houshenzinus rimosus Tanasevitch, 2006; 17. Hylyphantes graminicola (Sundevall, 1830); 18. Indophantes wushanensis Irfan, Wang & Zhang, 2023; 1. Microneta maliuxiensis sp. n..