A ten-year inventory of the Gaoligongshan in western Yunnan Province, China, yielded more than 1000 adult spider specimens belonging to the symphytognathoid families Theridiosomatidae, Mysmenidae, Anapidae, and Symphytognathidae. These specimens belong to 36 species, all herein described as new. In Theridiosomatidae: Epeirotypus dalong sp. n., Ogulnius barbandrewsi sp. n., Baalzebub nemesis sp. n., Theridiosoma diwang sp. n., Theridiosoma shuangbi sp. n., Zoma dibaiyin sp. n., Wendilgarda muji sp. n., Coddingtonia euryopoides gen. n., sp. n.; in Mysmenidae: Mysmena changouzi sp. n., Mysmena jinlong sp. n., Mysmena bizi sp. n., Mysmena goudao sp. n., Mysmena haban sp. n., Mysmena shibali sp. n., Simaoa yaojia gen. n., sp. n., Simaoa kavanaugh sp. n., Simaoa maku sp. n., Simaoa bianjing sp. n., Gaoligonga changya gen. n., sp. n., Gaoligonga zhusun sp. n., Mosu nujiang gen. n. sp. n., Mosu huogou sp. n., Chanea suukyii gen. n., sp. n., Maymena paquini sp. n., Maymena kehen sp. n.; in Anapidae: Gaiziapis zhizhubagen. n., sp. n.; in Symphytognathidae: Patu jidanweishi sp. n., Patu qiqi sp. n., Patu xiaoxiao sp. n., Crassignatha pianma sp. n., Crassignatha yinzhi sp. n., Crassignatha quanqu sp. n., Crassignatha yamu sp. n., Crassignatha ertou sp. n., Crassignatha gudu sp. n., Crassignatha longtou sp. n. The first species of Zoma Saaristo, 1996 (previously monotypic, known from Seychelles) and Maymena Gertsch, 1960 (previously known from the Americas) are reported from China. The genus Crassignatha Wunderlich, 1995 (previously known from a single male from Malaysia) is represented by seven new Chinese species and is transferred to Symphytognathidae. The first Epeirotypus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1894 species from beyond the Neotropics is described, although the presence of the genus in Asia was previously noted. Notes on morphological characters exhibited by this fauna and implications for the limits and diagnosis of some symphytognathoid families are given. Dichotomous keys to species are provided. Quantitative biodiversity analysis suggests a high degree of endemism for symphytognathoids in the Gaoligongshan.

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Staff publications

Miller, J., Griswold, C. E., & Yin, C. M. (2009). The symphytognathoid spiders of the Gaoligongshan, Yunnan, China (Araneae, Araneoidea): Systematics and diversity of micro-orbweavers.