Houcosa gen. nov.

Type species.

Houcosa zhaoi sp. nov.

Etymology.

The generic name is a compound noun derived from the ancient Chinese mythical creatures ‘ hou’ (犼) and ‘ - cosa’, a common ending for Lycosidae genera. The gender is feminine.

Diagnosis.

Houcosa gen. nov. is similar to Loongcosa gen. nov. in having a modified palp tibia, 2 pairs of spines on the male palp tibia, a biforked basoembolic apophysis (BEA, Figs 2, 12, 14), absent median apophysis and conductor, an extended posterior septum of the epigynes (Figs 3 C, D, 13 C, D, 15 C, D), but differs by the tibia as long as cymbium (Fig. 2 A – C) (vs 1 / 3 length, Figs 12 A – C, 14 A – C), the long and membranous terminal apophysis located on the anterior side of the embolus (TA, Fig. 2 F) (vs short and sclerotized, located on the posterior side of the embolus; Figs 12 F, 14 F), the thin embolus (Fig. 2 F) (vs broad, Figs 12 B, D, F, 14 B, D, F), the small and semicircular tegular apophysis (TeA, Figs 2 B – E) (vs absent), the triangular retrolateral tegular apophysis (RTeA, Fig. 2 A – E) (vs strongly sclerotized and grooved, Figs 12 B – E, 14 B – E), the small and semicircular septum (Se, Fig. 3 C) (vs large and almost tongue-shaped, Figs 13 C, 15 C), the S-shaped stalk of the spermatheca (SS, Fig. 3 D) (vs arc-shaped, Figs 14 D, 15 D), large and spherical head of the spermatheca (HS, Fig. 3 D) (vs small and spherical or elongate, Figs 14 D, 15 D).

Description.

Carapace brown, pear-shaped. Eyes region black. Cervical groove and radial furrows indistinct (Fig. 3 A, B). Chelicerae brown, with 3 teeth on both margins. Labium brown, with dark base, longer than wide. Endites brown, longer than wide. Sternum brown and scutellate, with sparse black setae. Legs brown, with black pigmentation. Leg formula: 4132 or 4123. Opisthosoma oval, dorsum black brown, with lanceolate cardiac mark in anterior half, venter brown.

Palp (Fig. 2): Tibia modified, rounded ventro-proximally and dorso-distally with 2 pairs of spines: pair of dorsal and pair of prolateral spines. Cymbium with short tip, cymbial claws absent. Subtegulum (St) located postero-prolaterally. Sperm duct waved. Tegulum with distal triangular apophysis (RTeA). Tegular apophysis (TeA) small, semicircular. Conductor and median apophysis lacking. Embolic division complex, palea lacking, with large and heavily sclerotized basoembolic apophysis with 2 horned-like extensions (BEA), terminal apophysis (TA) membranous. Embolus (E) originated on dorsal part of embolic division, whip-shaped.

Epigyne (Fig. 3 C, D): Epigynal plate slightly wider than long, fovea absent, septum (Se) small with semicircular posterior part. Spermathecae S-shaped with long stalks (SS) and suboval heads (HS).

Composition.

Houcosa zhaoi sp. nov.

Distribution.

China (Guangxi) (Fig. 16).