Alboculus Liu, 2020

Liu, Ke-Ke, Luo, Hui-Pu, Ying, Yuan-Hao, Xiao, Yu-Xin, Xu, Xiang & Xiao, Yong-Hong, 2020, A survey of Phrurolithidae spiders from Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China, ZooKeys 947, pp. 1-37 : 1

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.947.51175
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A6378B16-EE56-4DB1-8DD1-C073CA10D366
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3EF7496B-294B-4683-9887-C4367E06BA63
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:3EF7496B-294B-4683-9887-C4367E06BA63
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Alboculus Liu
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Alboculus Liu View in CoL gen. nov.

Diagnosis.

The new genus differs from other Phrurolithidae by the oval PME without a layer of black pigment around the eye cup (Figs 1A, D View Figure 1 , 3A View Figure 3 ) (vs. with layer of black pigment around eye cup), posterior eye row slightly procurved (Figs 1A, D View Figure 1 , 3A View Figure 3 ) (vs. straight to recurved), lacking distinct longitudinal and radial stripes on the dorsal carapace (Figs 1A, D View Figure 1 , 3A View Figure 3 ) (vs. black longitudinal or radial stripes present), and lacking a chevron-shaped marking on the abdominal dorsum (Figs 1A View Figure 1 , 3A View Figure 3 ) (vs. with at least two chevron-shaped markings). Males of this genus can be easily distinguished by the lack of a dorsal tibial apophysis on the palp (Figs 2A-C View Figure 2 , 6A, B, D View Figure 6 ) (vs. palpal tibia with dorsal tibial apophysis) and the well-developed terminal apophysis of the bulb (Figs 2A-C View Figure 2 , 6B-D View Figure 6 ) (vs. absent). The female of this genus has the glandular appendages slender (Fig. 3C, D View Figure 3 ) (vs. relatively short and thick) and the spermathecal tail of epigyne distinct (Fig. 3D, E View Figure 3 ) (vs. without a spermathecal tail).

Type species.

Otacilia zhejiangensis (Song & Kim, 1991).

Etymology.

The genus name is formed from two Latin words albus and oculus, alluding to the light-coloured posterior median eyes; the gender is masculine.

Remarks.

The type species O. zhejiangensis was first described by Song and Kim (1991) as a new species of Phrurolithus based on a single female specimen from Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang province, China. Recently, it was transferred to Otacilia by Zamani and Marusik (2020). It is interesting to compare the three specimens of this species, clearly recognised by differences in morphological characters with the type species of Otacilia and Phrurolithus . Males of this genus differ from Phrurolithus festivus (C.L. Koch, 1835) by lacking a layer of black pigment around the PME (Figs 1A, B, D View Figure 1 , 3A View Figure 3 ) (vs. PME with black pigment), and having a single tibial apophysis (Figs 2A-C View Figure 2 , 6A, B, D View Figure 6 ) (vs. present two tibial apophysis). Although the male of Otacilia armatissima is unknown, male Alboculus species differ from Otacilia males (e.g., Figs 7A View Figure 7 , 9A View Figure 9 , 13A View Figure 13 , 15A View Figure 15 , 18A View Figure 18 ) by the procurved posterior eye row (vs. recurved), and by the dorsal scutum covering the entire dorsal surface of the abdomen (Fig. 1A, C View Figure 1 ) as opposed to a narrow scutum only extending to approximately half the abdomen length in Otacilia (e.g., Figs 7A View Figure 7 , 9A View Figure 9 ). The females clearly differ from these two type species ( O. armatissima and P. festivus ) by the slender glandular appendages (Fig. 3C, D View Figure 3 ) (vs. relatively short and thick [Figs 8D View Figure 8 , 10D View Figure 10 , 12D View Figure 12 , 14D View Figure 14 , 16D View Figure 16 , 19D View Figure 19 , 21D View Figure 21 ]) and the spermathecal tail of epigyne (Fig. 3C, D View Figure 3 ) (vs. without the spermathecal tail [Figs 8D View Figure 8 , 10D View Figure 10 , 12D View Figure 12 , 14D View Figure 14 , 16D View Figure 16 , 19D View Figure 19 , 21D View Figure 21 ]).

Description.

Small, body length 1.8-2.8 mm. Eyes: AME rounded, PME oval, light-coloured, without black pigment, anterior eye row straight, posterior eye row procurved. Each chelicera with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Femur I with wo spines, tibia I with five pairs of ventral spines, metatarsus I with three pairs of ventral spines. Abdomen without dorsal scutum in females, covering entire dorsum in males.

Male palp: femur with large ventral extension; tibia with long, sharply-pointed retroventral tibial apophysis, without dorsal apophysis; bulb without median apophysis or conductor; sperm duct long, reaching middle part of the tegulum, narrowed near base of embolus; base of embolus slightly narrowed, embolus very small, hook-shaped, directed antero-prolaterally, embolus accompanied by thick, short distal terminal apophysis (TA) (larger than embolus). Epigyne with clear copulatory atrium medially; glandular appendages slender, located on anterior of connecting tubes; spermathecae rounded, with clavate-like tail.

Distribution.

China (Map 1 View Map 1 ) (Zhejiang and Jiangxi Provinces)