Gushangzao 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 : 74

Genus Gushangzao Lin & Li , gen. nov.

Type species. Gushangzao shiqian Lin & Li , sp. nov.

Etymology. The genus is named after Gushangzao , nickname for one of the 108 outlaws in the classical Chinese literature Outlaws of the Marsh; masculine in gender.

Diagnosis. Gushangzao Lin & Li , gen. nov. can be distinguished by the subtegulum reduced, almost invisible in ventral view. Tegulum well-developed, almost covering entire cymbium. Sperm duct meandering intricately, visible throughout entire tegulum. Females can be easily recognized by the membranous spermathecae and the fertilization duct attached by a Y-shaped sclerotized structure. In its natural environment, this genus is a kleptoparasite, inhabiting the webs of other theridiid genera ( Fig. 74 ).

Description. Total length 1.67–2.13. Carapace oval, smooth, color gradually darkens dorsally. Fovea obvious, oval. Eight eyes, AER recurved and PER straight. Eyes subequal in size. Both promargin and retromargin of chelicerae with fissident tooth with 2 cusps. Female palp 1 claw, with 5 long denticles. Opisthosoma oval, black with white spots, covered with sparse black setae, with 3 or 4 pairs of outgrowths.

Palp. Femur almost 4 times longer than patella. Tibia 1.5 times longer than patella. Cymbium water drop shaped. Paracymbium absent. Bulb oval. Subtegulum reduced, almost invisible in ventral view. Tegulum large, almost as large as entire bulb. Sperm duct meandering intricately. Tegular apophysis tip expanded, with serration. Terminal apophysis with hood. Conductor tip needle shaped, slightly curved. Embolus curved, originating at approximately 10:00-o’clock-position, without outgrowth.

Genitalia. Epigynal plate oval, with hood anteriorly. Copulatory openings situated centrally. Copulatory ducts connected to spermathecae posteriorly. Spermathecae membranous, almost 3 or 4 times longer than copulatory, tip expanded. Fertilization ducts attached by a Y-shaped sclerotized structure, directed at 12:00-o’clock-position from spermatheca.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Species included. Gushangzao goemon Lin & Li , sp. nov., G. pelorosus ( Zhu, 1998) comb. nov., and G. shiqian Lin & Li , sp. nov.

Remarks. The absence of a second pair of spermathecae, as well as the weakly sclerotized spermathecae indicate that Gushangzao pelorosus ( Zhu, 1998) comb. nov. was mistakenly placed in Dipoena Thorell, 1869 , a member of Hadrotarsinae Thorell, 1881. However, generic placement in a subfamily is uncertain, so here we consider it as incertae sedis; further study is needed to clarify its taxonomy.

Figures

Figure 74. Gushangzao pelorosus (Zhu, 1998) comb. nov., female, alive. Photo by Qianle Lu.