Asceua banlaoensis Zhang & Zhang, 2025

Asceua banlaoensis Zhang & Zhang sp. nov.

Figures 1‒2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 , 15 View FIGURE 15

Type material. Holotype ♂ (MHBUARA-2024-907-1), CHINA: Yunnan, Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County, Banlao Town , 23.3226°N, 98.9890°E, 1510.7 m elev., 22 November 2024, leg. X. Guo. GoogleMaps

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. This new species resembles Asceua forcipiformis Li, Liu & Peng, 2022 in having similar RTA, VTA and embolus (see Li, Liu & Peng, 2022: 63, figs 7A‒F), but it differs by: 1) the bifurcate median apophysis ( Figs 1E‒F View FIGURE 1 , 2B‒C View FIGURE 2 , vs. unforked median apophysis in A. forcipiformis ); 2) ventral and retrolateral branches of VTA similarly sized, with blunt, rounded tips ( Figs 1F View FIGURE 1 , 2C View FIGURE 2 , vs. retrolateral branch thinner than ventral branch in A. forcipiformis ); 3) embolus carrying two tooth-like spines on its distal half, terminal end fan-shaped ( Figs 1D View FIGURE 1 , 2A View FIGURE 2 , vs. one tooth-like spine and pointed, slender terminal end in A. forcipiformis ).

Description. Male ( holotype, Figs 1A‒B View FIGURE 1 ): total length 2.88; carapace 1.53 long, 1.21 wide; abdomen 1.35 long, 1.14 wide. Carapace brown, median portion with a V-shaped dark patch, radial grooves and fovea distinct. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.06, PME 0.09, PLE 0.10; AME‒AME 0.06, AME‒ALE 0.05, ALE‒ALE 0.20, PME‒PME 0.09, PME‒PLE 0.12, PLE‒PLE 0.42, ALE‒PLE 0.09. MOA 0.34 long, anterior width 0.25, posterior width 0.37, PER slightly wider than AER. CH 0.46. Chelicerae brown, with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Endites and labium yellowish brown, triangular. Sternum 0.69 long, 0.69 wide, pale yellow, edge slightly darker. Legs yellow. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 4.62 (1.25, 0.44, 1.14, 1.12, 0.67), II 3.44 (1.03, 0.42, 0.73, 0.86, 0.40), III 3.77 (1.04, 0.45, 0.77, 0.92, 0.59), IV 5.37 (1.51, 0.46, 1.08, 1.61, 0.71); leg formula 4132. Abdomen oval, dorsum brown, anterior portion with two pairs of spots and posterior portion with three inverted V-shaped stripes. Spinnerets yellow.

Palp ( Figs 1C‒F View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 ). VTA trifurcate, median branch rectangular and sclerotized. RTA bifurcate, crab-clawlike. Median apophysis fan-shaped, with a distinct hook-like branch. Conductor membranous, willow-leaf shaped. Embolus slender and whip-like, terminal end fan-shaped.

Females. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 ).