Tegecoelotes spathaceus, Elmer & Wolf & Snippe & Scholz, 2025

Subfamily Coelotinae F. O. P. Cambridge, 1893

Tegecoelotes spathaceus n. sp. ( Figs. 1 View Fig , 2 View Fig , 3A, 3B View Fig )

(Japanese name: Gojo-yamayachigumo)

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Type material: Holotype Ə, Nakabara, Oto-cho, Gojo City , Nara Pref., 13 November 2018, K. Kumada leg. (NSMT-Ar 26076) . Paratype: 1 Ə, Sakamoto, Oto-cho, Gojo City , Nara Pref., 13 November 2018, K. Kumada leg. (NSMT-Ar 26077) .

Distribution: Nara Pref., Japan. ( Fig. 4 View Fig )

Etymology: The trivial name, an adjective, is derived from the Latin meaning wide sword-shaped and refers to the large and broad conductor of the male palp.

Diagnosis: The conductor of male palp of Tegecoelotes spathaceus n. sp. is large and broadly sword-shaped, different from all other species. The three species, T. mizuyamae Ono, 2008 , T. echigonus Nishikawa, 2009 , and T. otomo Nishikawa, 2009 , also have large conductor, but the morphology of each species is overall rounded and not sword-shaped ( Okumura et al., 2009). Tegecoelotes spathaceus n. sp. resembles T. michikoae (Nishikawa, 1977) in having the membranous CDA, but can be distinguished from the latter species by the following: The CDA of Tegecoelotes spathaceus n. sp. is thin and fan-shaped, while that of T. michikoae is rounded and has a tiny protrusion; the size and shape of the conductor are also quite different from one another. There is no clear CDA in the male palp of other Tegecoelotes species. As described above, the shape of male palp of the new species is very unique. There are three other congeneric species, T. corasides (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) , T. religiosus (Nishikawa, 2009) and T. michikoae , living in the same area or in nearby regions, but the new species is clearly distinct from all of them ( Fig. 3 View Fig ). Although a female specimen has not yet been obtained, the new species can be easily distinguished from other species just by the males.

Description. Male holotype: Total length 7.84, carapace 3.54 long, 2.43 wide; abdomen 4.30 long, 2.68 wide; sternum 1.80 long, 1.52 wide. Eye sizes; AME 0.13, ALE 0.18, PME 0.16, PLE 0.16. Distances between eyes; AME-AME 0.05, AME-ALE 0.05, PME-PME 0.13, PME-PLE 0.12, AME-PME 0.15, ALE-PLE 0.05. MOA; anterior width 0.31, posterior width 0.45, length 0.44. Leg measurements: I: 13.33 (3.21, 1.25, 3.16, 3.68, 2.03); II: 11.10 (2.89, 1.17, 2.38, 2.96, 1.70); III: 9.90 (2.71, 1.04, 2.10, 2.80, 1.25); IV: 13.37 (3.45, 1.15, 3.08, 4.01, 1.68).

Palp ( Figs. 2 View Fig , 3A, 3B View Fig ): patella thick and three times as long as tibia, patellar apophysis short and slightly curved, a tiny protrusion (dorsal patellar apophysis) also on the dorsal side of patella, tibia short, RTA small, LTA almost reduced, cymbial furrow one-fourth of cymbial length, conductor broad and sword-shaped, gently curving overall, CDA large fan-shaped, median apophysis hook-shaped with a circular structure at the lower part, embolus flagelliform.

Chelicera: promargin and retromargin with three teeth.

Coloration: carapace yellowish brown, with median furrow and indistinct radial flecks, dor- sum of abdomen grayish brown with unclear chevrons, and light gray line in median anterior portion, sternum yellowish brown and lateral portion black, labium yellowish brown, chelicerae and maxillae brown, legs yellowish brown with ring flecks on femur of the second to fourth legs and tibia of the third to fourth legs.