Qiongthela Xu & Kuntner

Xu, Xin, Liu, Fengxiang, Chen, Jian, Ono, Hirotsugu, Li, Daiqin & Kuntner, Matjaz, 2015, A genus-level taxonomic review of primitively segmented spiders (Mesothelae, Liphistiidae), ZooKeys 488, pp. 121-151 : 129-130

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Liphistiidae

Genus Qiongthela Xu & Kuntner gen. n. Figures 22-27

Type species.

Qiongthela baishensis sp. n.

Etymology.

The genera of heptathelines contain in their name the word ‘thela’ referring to spinnerets as the Greek word thele means nipple-like protuberance ( Ono 2000). We continue this tradition, but name the genus to start with Qiong-, referring to Hainan Province, China.

Diagnosis.

Qiongthela males differ from all other Heptathelinae genera by the conductor with a narrow, blade-like, slightly hooked apex (Figures 22, 25-26), and by tegulum with two apophyses (Figures 23, 25-26). Qiongthela females can be distinguished from all other Heptathelinae by two paired receptacular clusters located at the anterior margin of the bursa copulatrix (Figure 27).

Description.

Total length (excluding chelicerae) = 13-31 mm (N = 14); male palp with a distally free conductor, narrow, blade-like with slightly hook-like apex, (Figures 22, 25-26); tegulum with two margins, spinose paracymbium (Figures 23, 25-26); female genitalia with two paired receptacular clusters, all situated at the anterior margin of the bursa copulatrix with more or less distinct tubular stems (Figure 27).

Species composition.

Qiongthela australis (Ono, 2002), comb. n., Qiongthela nui (Schwendinger & Ono, 2011), comb. n., Qiongthela baishensis sp. n. (3♂2♀), and three undescribed species (6♂8♀, 1♀ and 1♂1♀, respectively) from Hainan, China.

Distribution.

Hainan (China) and Vietnam.

Remarks.

Based on morphological descriptions, but not on phylogenetic analyses, we include two species from Vietnam in this genus, originally described as Songthela australis Ono, 2002 and Heptathela nui Schwendinger & Ono, 2011.