Mallinella tongbiguan Zhang & Zhang, 2025

Mallinella tongbiguan Zhang & Zhang sp. nov.

Figures 12‒15 View FIGURE 12 View FIGURE 13 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15

Type material. Holotype ♂ (MHBUARA-2024-881-5), CHINA: Yunnan, Yingjiang County, Tongbiguan Town , 24.6268°N, 97.6395°E, 1371.6 m elev., 5 October 2024, leg. K. Yu, Y. Ni, Y. Xu. GoogleMaps Paratypes. 2♂ 1♀ (MHBUARA-2024-881-6–8), same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The male of this new species resembles Mallinella banna Lu & Li, 2023 in having similar tegular apophysis, tegulum and conductor (see Lu et al. 2023: 326, figs 4A‒B), but differs by: 1) a sharp apex on triangular RTA ( Figs 13C View FIGURE 13 , 14C View FIGURE 14 , vs. a blunt apex in M. banna ); 2) the triangular VTA ( Figs 13B‒C View FIGURE 13 , 14B‒C View FIGURE 14 , vs. fan-shaped in M. banna ); 3) mesal and lateral branches of embolus approximately equal in length ( Figs 13A‒B View FIGURE 13 , 14A‒B View FIGURE 14 , vs. mesal branch longer than lateral branch in M. banna ). The female resembles M. acutidentata sp. nov. in having tube-like spermatheca ( Figs 10E View FIGURE 10 , 11E View FIGURE 11 ), but can be distinguished by: 1) the rectangular epigynal plate ( Figs 13D View FIGURE 13 , 14D View FIGURE 14 , vs. trapezoidal in M. acutidentata ); 2) rounded apical spermatheca ( Figs 13E View FIGURE 13 , 14E View FIGURE 14 , vs. with a spherical projection in M. acutidentata ); 3) visible fertilization duct in dorsal view ( Figs 13E View FIGURE 13 , 14E View FIGURE 14 , vs. invisible in M. acutidentata ).

Description. Male ( holotype, Figs 12A‒B View FIGURE 12 ): total length 4.87; carapace 2.47 long, 1.87 wide; abdomen 2.40 long, 1.79 wide. Carapace brown. Fovea reddish brown. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.13, PME 0.4, PLE 0.17; AME‒AME 0.09, AME‒ALE 0.12, ALE‒ALE 0.50, PME‒PME 0.13, PME‒PLE 0.23, PLE‒PLE 0.71, ALE‒PLE 0.05. MOA 0.41 long, anterior width 0.35, posterior width 0.39. CH 0.69. Chelicerae brown, without teeth on margins of fang furrow. Endites yellow, triangular. Labium brown. Sternum yellowish brown, edge slightly darker. Legs yellow. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 9.24 (2.26, 0.73, 2.20, 2.40, 1.65), II 8.02 (2.09, 0.77, 1.81, 2.14, 1.21), III 8.03 (2.03, 0.69, 1.69, 2.33, 1.29), IV 10.21 (2.52, 0.67, 2.30, 3.13, 1.59); leg formula 4132. Abdomen oval, dorsum brown, anterior portion with pair of chevron stripes, followed by two pairs of transverse stripes, a broad transverse band, a small spot and an inverted triangular patch. Spinnerets yellow.

Palp ( Figs 13A–C View FIGURE 13 , 14A–C View FIGURE 14 ). RTA triangular, with pointing and sharp apex. VTA triangular, with a blunt apex.

Cymbial fold 1/4 of cymbium length. Conductor beak-shaped, with a triangular apex and a dorsal, distally blunt process. Tegulum with a triangular tubercle. Tegular apophysis with a triangular mesal ridge and a beak-shaped apical process.

Females ( paratype, HBUARA#2024-881-6, Figs 12C–D View FIGURE 12 ): total length 5.51, carapace 2.82 long, 2.05 wide; abdomen 2.69 long, 1.91 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.14, PME 0.13, PLE 0.13; AME ‒ AME 0.08, AME ‒ ALE 0.14, ALE ‒ ALE 0.52, PME ‒ PME 0.12, PME ‒ PLE 0.25, PLE ‒ PLE 0.72, ALE ‒ PLE 0.05. MOA 0.49 long, anterior width 0.33, posterior width 0.38. CH 0.73. Sternum 1.27 long, 1.27 wide. Leg measurements: I 8.27 (2.08, 0.78, 1.80, 2.05, 1.56), II 7.40 (2.03, 0.62, 1.61, 1.71, 1.43), III 7.59 (1.96, 0.76, 1.56, 2.04, 1.27), IV 9.88 (2.41, 0.80, 2.16, 2.89, 1.62); leg formula 4132. Coloration like male .

Epigyne ( Figs 13D‒E View FIGURE 13 , 14D‒E View FIGURE 14 ). Epigynal plate rectangular. Copulatory opening hidden in a groove. Spermatheca tubular, with a rounded apex. Copulatory duct thick. Fertilization ducts visible in dorsal view.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 ).