BioFormosa (2006) 41(2): 67-70
*Corresponding author: Shyh-Hwang Chen; FAX: 886-2-29312904; E-mail: alchen@ntnu.edu.tw 67
A New Spider of the Genus Matidia (Araneae, Clubionidae) from
Taiwan
Shyh-Hwang Chen
1*, Wen-Jean Huang
1,21
Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University Taipei, Taiwan
2
Luyeh Junior High School Taitung, Taiwan
(Received: 6 September 2006, accepted: 13 October 2006)
ABSTRACT
A new species of clubionid spider, Matidia spatulata sp. nov., is described from the low mountain areas of Taiwan. It can be distinguished from other congeners by having a coiled, ribbon-shaped embolus and a spatulate tibial apophysis widened distally and densely covered with fine denticles on its distal end. The female remains unknown. The genus Matidia is reported from Taiwan for the first time.
Key words: Araneae, Clubionidae, Matidia, new species, Taiwan
Introduction
Matidia Thorell, 1878 comprising of 13
species (Platnick 2006), is a small genus of the family Clubionidae that occurs mainly in South and Southeast Asia, from West Iran to the Philippines and the New Guinea (Barrion and Litsinger, 1995; Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001). The Matidia spiders are nocturnal, leaf-dwellers having a long slender, greenish body and searching for small arthropods for food at night. The genus Matidia was recently reviewed by Deeleman-Reinhold (2001) and can be distinguished from other genera of the Clubionidae in having the combination of following characteristics: leg I being the longest; head narrow, about half of the carapace width and both sides sinuted; teeth on the promarginal fang groove shifting distal-wards so that the distal-most tooth of the promargin is more closer to the fang-base than that of the retromargin one; abdomen thin and elongated; male with a ribbon-shaped embolus; female epigyne with a central depression, short copulatory ducts, and often with hyaline bursa.
Chen (1996) listed 15 species of clubionid spiders from Taiwan, including Cheiracanthium
lascivum Karsch, 1879 and 14 species of the genus
Clubiona Latreille, 1804. However,
Cheiracanthium lascivum in addition to four other
species of Cheiracanthium from Taiwan had been transferred to the family Miturgidae (Chen and Huang, 2004; Chen et al., 2006) according to Ramírez et al. (1997). Thus, only 14 species belonging to the genus Clubiona of the family Clubionidae are known from Taiwan. No species of the genus Matidia have ever been recorded from Taiwan and its adjacent areas, Japan, Korea, and the Mainland China previously (Chen, 1996; Namkung, 2003; Platnick, 2006; Song et al., 1999; Tanikawa, 2006). Recently, we examined all preserved clubionid specimens obtained as early as in 1983 from various localities of Taiwan. Among hundreds of clubionid spiders, two male specimens belonging to an un-described species of the genus Matidia were discovered. This new species undoubtedly is rare in Taiwan. In this paper, the new species is described and the genus Matidia is reported from Taiwan for the first time.
Materials and Methods
Spiders were obtained by searching the vegetation for wandering individuals at night along the trails or roadsides from various localities of Taiwan, especially in the low and moderate altitude mountain areas. Type specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol and deposited in the Arachnological
Shyh-Hwang Chen, Wen-Jean Huang
68 collection of the Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan (NTNUB-Ar). Alcohol-preserved specimens were examined and measured under a stereomicroscope (Leica M3Z) using an ocular micrometer with up to 80x magnification. Figures were drawn with the aid of a drawing tube attached to the stereomicroscope (Leica M3Z). All measurements were in mm. Measurements of legs are shown as: total length (femur, patella and tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). Abbreviations used in this paper are: AER, anterior eye row; ALE, anterior lateral eye; AME, anterior median eye; AW, anterior width of MOA, distance between lateral borders of AMEs; MOA, median ocular area; MOA-AW / PW, ratio of AW to PW; MOA-L / AW, ratio of length of MOA to AW; PER, posterior eye row; PLE, posterior lateral eye; PME, posterior median eye; PW, posterior width of MOA, distance between lateral borders of PMEs.
Results and Discussion
Matidia spatulata Chen et Huang, sp. nov.
(Fig. 1 A-C)
Type series. Holotype: male, Chilan, Tatung, Ilan
County, 500 m, coll. Shyh-Hwang Chen, 31 Mar. 1997 (NTNUB-Ar 7386). Paratype: 1 male, Kuantzeling, Paiho, Tainan County, 350 m, coll. Shyh-Hwang Chen, 14 Mar. 2004 (NTNUB-Ar 21666).
Diagnosis. Matidia spatulata most resembles M.
simia from Celebes (Sulawesi), Indonesia but can
be distinguished from the latter (characters in parentheses) by having a coiled embolus (not completely coiled) and a spatulate tibial apophysis widened distally (parallel on both sides and rounded apex) on the male palp.
Description. Male (holotype). Body length 5.54.
Carapace length 2.16, width 1.58. Abdomen length 3.38, width 0.92. Carapace greenish yellow, longer than wide, somewhat flattened. Thoracic groove short and shallow. Eyes in two parallel transverse rows, PER wider than AER. Diameters of AME 0.09, ALE 0.12, PME 0.10, PLE 0.12. Length of MOA slightly longer than AW (ratio of MOA-L / AW 1.15), PW longer than AW (ratio of MOA-AW / PW 0.56). Height of clypeus 0.05. Chelicerae armed with three promarginal and two
retromarginal teeth; the distal-most promarginal tooth is closer to the fang-base than that of the retromarginal one (Figure 1A). Labium greenish yellow, longer than wide. Palpus greenish yellow, with a coiled, ribbon-shaped embolus (Figure 1B), and a spatulate tibial apophysis widened distally and densely covered with fine denticles on its distal end (Figure 1C). Leg measurements: I 11.89 (3.09, 4.70, 2.72, 1.38), II 10.04 (2.69, 4.00, 2.19, 1.16), III 6.06 (1.72, 2.09, 1.59, 0.66), IV 10.29 (3.03, 3.25, 3.13, 0.88). Leg formula 1-4-2-3. Abdomen greenish yellow, with a dark green patch between book lungs on venter.
Female. Unknown.
Variations. Measurements including holotype given for 2 males. Body length 5.54 - 5.67. Carapace length 2.16 - 2.20, width 1.50 - 1.58, ratio of carapace length / width1.37 - 1.47. Abdomen length 3.38 - 3.47, width 0.92 - 0.94. Diameters of AME 0.09 - 0.10, ALE 0.12, PME 0.10 - 0.12, PLE 0.12; ratio of MOA-L / AW 1.15, ratio of MOA-AW / PW 0.56.
Distribution. Taiwan.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the
spatula-shaped tibial apophysis on the male palp.
Remarks. Matidia spatulata occurs in the
secondary forest of the low mountain areas at elevations below 500 m in Taiwan. Although the phenology of the new species is not clear, both specimens were obtained in March. It infers the breeding season of M. spatulata is probably in spring and in early summer.
Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank Ya-Huei Chen, Ya-Jing Young, Yu-Ting Lin, and Ying-Yuan Lo, at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan for their field assistance.
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A New Spider of the Genus Matidia from Taiwan
69
Figure 1. Matidia spatulata sp. nov. A. Left chelicera, posterior view. B. Left male palp, ventral view. C. Left male palp,
lateral view. Abbreviations: c, Cymbium; pmt, Promarginal tooth; pta, Palpal tibial apophysis; rmt, retromarginal tooth. Scales = 0.2 mm.
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通信作者：陳世煌（Shyh-Hwang Chen）；FAX：886-2-29312904；E-mail：alchen@ntnu.edu.tw 70
