Thelcticopis chongzu Lin & Li, 2024

Lin, Yejie, Li, Shuqiang, Mo, Haolin & Wang, Xihao, 2024, Thirty-eight spider species (Arachnida: Araneae) from China, Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam, Zoological Systematics 49 (1), pp. 4-98 : 60-63

Thelcticopis chongzu Lin & Li , sp. nov. ( Figs 51–54 )

Etymology.The specific name is the website name of the collector; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The male of the new species resembles T. pinmini Cai & Zhong, 2021 by having an embolic apophysis and embolus with an outgrowth but differs by the slender, needle-shaped median retrolateral tibial apophysis (vs. stout, almost as long as wide, median retrolateral tibial apophysis with blunt tip). The female of the new species resembles T. folia Jäger & Praxaysombath, 2009 and T. pinmini in having a distinct median plate and similarly shaped internal duct system, but it can be distinguished from other species by the posterior of the median plate narrowed (vs. wide in T. folia and T. pinmini ), the anterior part of the internal duct system touching and distinctly narrower than posterior part (vs. separated, median part narrower than the other parts in T. folia ).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 8.09, carapace 4.32 long, 4.05 wide, opisthosoma 3.55 long, 2.91 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.26, ALE 0.23, PME 0.21, PLE 0.20, AME–AME 0.20, AME–ALE 0.18, PME–PME 0.37, PME–PLE 0.30, AME–PME 0.16, ALE–PLE 0.11. Chelicerae with 4 promarginal and 5 retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: I 12.73 (3.58, 5.19, 2.94, 1.02), II 13.31 (3.99, 5.35, 3.03, 0.94), III 11.83 (3.66, 4.46, 2.73, 0.98), IV 12.05 (3.49, 4.09, 3.31, 1.16).

Coloration ( Fig. 53A ). Carapace deep yellowish brown, lateral margins dark. Fovea and radial furrows obvious. Labium and gnathocoxae reddish brown, both with distal parts brighter. Sternum deep reddish brown, covered by small setae. Legs yellowish brown with dark spots. Opisthosoma dorsally grayish brown covered by short, dark setae, venter yellowish brown covered by dense dark spots.

Palp ( Fig. 51 ). Femur almost 3 times longer than wide. Patella almost as long as tibia. Retrolateral tibial apophysis arising medially from tibia, with 3 apices: ventro-retrolateral tibial apophysis tip hook-shaped, median retrolateral tibial apophysis needle shaped, dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis distinctly curved. Cymbium approximately 2 times longer than tibia in ventral view. Bulb oval, sperm duct distinctly curved in retrolateral view. Tegular apophysis spoon shaped, most conspicuous in ventral view. Conductor arising from tegulum in 12:00-o’clock-position. Embolus arising from tegulum at 8:00-o’clock-position, with embolic tip distinctly wider than embolic base outgrowth.

Female (one paratype Ar44861). Total length 11.68, carapace 5.33 long, 5.24 wide, opisthosoma 6.43 long, 5.30 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.29, ALE 0.22, PME 0.19, PLE 0.23, AME–AME 0.25, AME–ALE 0.28, PME–PME 0.48, PME–PLE 0.46, AME–PME 0.45, ALE–PLE 0.12. Chelicerae with 2 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: I 12.32 (3.81, 5.49, 2.20, 0.82), II 13.31 (4.35, 5.80, 2.40, 0.76), III 12.01 (4.08, 4.77, 2.22, 0.94), IV 13.09 (3.87, 4.85, 3.23, 1.14).

Coloration ( Fig. 53B ). Similar to that of male except darker.

Epigyne ( Fig. 52 ). Epigynal plate wider than long. Median plate about 1/2 of epigynal width medially, with 2 teeth posteriorly. Posterior margin with 2 hooks, each directed medially. Both sides of internal duct system separated. Fertilization ducts arising postero-laterally.

Material examined. Holotype ♂ (IZCAS-Ar44860), China: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna , Mengla Co., Mengyuan Vil., Mengyuan Xianjing , 7 IV 2022, Ming Yi leg. Paratypes. 3♀ (IZCAS-Ar44861–Ar44863), same data as holotype .

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 51. Thelcticopis chongzu Lin & Li, sp. nov., holotype male. A. Left palp, ventral view; B. Same, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: C—conductor; dRTA—dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis; E—embolus; EO—Embolic outgrowth; mRTA—medium retrolateral tibial apophysis; SD—sperm duct; TA—tegular apophysis; vRTA—ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars = 0.5mm.

Figure 52. Thelcticopis chongzu Lin & Li, sp. nov., paratype female.A. Epigyne, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: MP—median plate; S—spermatheca. Scale bars=0.3mm.

Figure 53. Thelcticopis chongzu Lin & Li, sp. nov., dorsal view, habitus. A. Holotype male; B. Paratype female. Scale bars=2.0mm.

Figure 54. Thelcticopis chongzu Lin & Li, sp. nov., female, alive. Photo by Zehao Ma.