''Gonatium tridentatum'' is a species of dwarf spider in the family

Linyphiidae Linyphiidae, spiders commonly known as sheet weavers (from the shape of their webs), or money spiders (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal) is a family of very small spiders comprising 4706 described species in 6 ...

, described in 2025 by Muhammad Irfan, Chang-Cheng Zhang, Yu-Jun Cai, and Zhi-Sheng Zhang. It is endemic to Jiangjin District, Chongqing, China.

Diagnostic characteristics

''Gonatium tridentatum'' can be easily recognized by a unique feature in males: a small leg-like structure near their reproductive organ has three distinct tooth-like points, unlike its close relative '' Gonatium japonicum,'' which has only one. Another distinctive trait in males is a long, curved spine shaped like the letter "C", which wraps close to another part of the body called the cymbium, ending slightly beyond it. The cymbium itself is shaped like a hoof with a small bump on the side. Females of this species are identified by their reproductive structures, which include spiral-shaped internal ducts and round, globular organs (

spermathecae The spermatheca (pronounced : spermathecae ), also called ''receptaculum seminis'' (: ''receptacula seminis''), is an organ of the female reproductive tract in insects, e.g. ants, bees, some molluscs, Oligochaeta worms and certain other inver ...

) where sperm is stored, unlike the more oval shapes found in similar species.

Distribution

The species is known only from several localities within the

Jiangjin District Jiangjin District ( zh, c=江津区, p=Jiāngjīn Qū), one of the districts in the southwest of Chongqing, China, lies along the upper reaches of Yangtze River, and has a history extending back more than 1500 years. The district covers 3200 squa ...

Chongqing ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, collected at elevations between 1092 and 1226 meters.

Habitat

''Gonatium tridentatum'' inhabits broad-leaved and

coniferous forests Conifers () are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All e ...

, where specimens were collected using Malaise traps and leaf litter sifting.

References

External links

Gonatium tridentatum
in the World Spider Catalog. {{Taxonbar, from=Q135002849 Linyphiidae Spiders of China Spiders described in 2025