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| Flagelliphantes yunxia Yao & Irfan, in Yang, Yao, Irfan et He, 2023. |
Abstract
Background: The genus Flagelliphantes Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996 was proposed by Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996 to accommodate three ex-Lepthyphantes species distributed in northern Eurasia. Male Flagelliphantes are easlily recognised by having a hood-shaped thumb on the embolus. The females have a long, S-shaped scape and the posterior median plate of the epigyne is grossly enlarged (“hypertrophied”).
New information: While examining Linyphiidae Blackwall, 1859 specimens from Yunxia Cave in China’s Jilin Province, we discovered a new cave-dwelling species of the genus Flagelliphantes, F. yunxia sp. n. In this paper, we provide detailed description and photos of its diagnostic somatic and genitalic features. It is the first record of the genus from China.
Keywords: biodiversity, description, morphology, sheet-web spiders, taxonomy
Flagelliphantes yunxia Yao & Irfan, sp. n.
Diagnosis: The new species resembles Flagelliphantes flagellifer (Tanasevitch, 1988) described from the Kolyma Upland in northeastern Siberia by Tanasevitch (1988). In both cases, the male palps have similar ribbon-shaped “lamella characteristica”, both apically abruptly broadened with serrated margin; the epigynes are also similar with a broad, S-shaped scape (Figs 1, 2, 3; Tanasevitch (1988), figs 12, 14 and 15). The males of the two species can be distinguished by the following: apical part of terminal apophysis oval in the new species (Fig. 1A, Fig. 2A and B) vs. apical part elongated in F. flagellifer (Tanasevitch (1988), figs 12 and 13); apex of pit hook with seven teeth in the new species (Fig. 1A, Fig. 2A and B) vs. apex bifurcated in F. flagellifer (Tanasevitch (1988), fig. 12); lamella characteristica of F. flagellifer is much wider apically than in the new species (Fig. 1A, Fig. 2A and B; Tanasevitch 1988, fig. 13). The females can be distinguished by the following: posterior median plate as long as the proscape (Fig. 3) vs. half the length of proscape in F. flagellifer (Tanasevitch (1988), figs 14 and 15).
Etymology: The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.
Distribution: China (Jilin).
Biology: The species was found in the aphotic zone inside cave.
Lan Yang, Zhiyuan Yao, Muhammad Irfan and Qiaoqiao He. 2023. A newly recorded genus with description of A New Cave-dwelling Species of Flagelliphantes (Araneae, Linyphiidae) from northeastern China. Biodiversity Data Journal. 11: e105488. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e105488
