Vacrothele jiangkouensis, Zheng & Zhao & Yang, 2025

Vacrothele jiangkouensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:58085DAA-6B1F-47ED-AD50-3640ECBECA99

Figs 1 View Fig , 5–7 View Fig View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The new species is similar to V. emei Lin & Li, 2021 in having the conical spines dorsally on palpal tibia and the embolus of the same shape, but males can be distinguished by the following characters ( Lin et al. 2021): palpal tibia with 11 short spines visible in dorsal view (vs 7 short spines on the palpal tibia). Females of Vacrothele jiangkouensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from receptacula nearly teardrop shaped (vs receptacula finger-like in V. emei ).

Etymology

This new species name is derived after the type locality of the specimen.

Material examined

Holotype

CHINA • ♂; Guizhou Province, Jiangkou County, Walnut Ping; 108°47′38′′ E, 27°55′35′′ N; 700 m a.s.l.; 15 Sep. 2016; Zi-Zhong Yang, Cheng-Gong Li leg.; DUIER, Specimen No. GZ-VA-20160915001 .

GoogleMaps

Paratypes

CHINA • 3 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; DUIER, Specimen No. GZ-VA-20160915002 to GZ-VA-20160915004 • 2 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; DUIER, Specimen No. GZ-VA-20160915005 , GZVA-20160915006 GoogleMaps .

GoogleMaps

Description

Male (holotype, Figs 5–6 View Fig View Fig )

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 12.23 (not including chelicerae and spinnerets), cephalothorax 5.91 long, 5.13 wide; abdomen 5.78 long, 4.07 wide ( Fig. 5A View Fig ).

PROSOMA. Carapace hirsute, brown and gray. Fovea transverse. Dorsal view of both eyes concave posteriorly. Labium basally and terminally brown; maxillae inner and outer chestnut color. Labium and maxillae with numerous cuspules; maxillae 1.77 long, cuspules area 1.26 long ( Fig. 5B View Fig ). Sternum chestnut color, with three pairs of sigilla ( Fig. 5B View Fig ).

EYES. Eyes sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.28, ALE 0.33, PME 0.18, PLE 0.20; ALE–AME 0.17, AME–AME 0.15, ALE–PLE 0.15, PLE–PME 0.08, PME–PME 0.57. Eye group 0.91 long, 1.42 wide.

CHELICERAE. Brown, with 12 stout internal teeth, 8 smaller external teeth, basomesally with 16 tiny teeth ( Fig. 5D View Fig ).

PALP. Palpal tibia with 1 anterolateral spine and 11 stout dorsal spines ( Fig. 6A–C View Fig ). Embolus conical, flared at end, embolus 5.43 long ( Fig. 6D–E View Fig ).

LEGS. Brown, with numerous spines. Leg I: NVTS 4; NPMS 1, and NVMS 26. NVTaS 5. Leg II: NPFS 2; NPTS 3, NVTS 7 ( Fig. 5E View Fig ); NDMS 1, NVMS 7; NVTaS 5. Leg III: NVFS 6; NPPS 1; NVTS 6, NRTS 2, NVMS 8, NRMS 2; NPTaS 10, NRTas 10. Leg IV: NPFS 3; NPPS 1, NRPS 1; NRTS 3, NVTS 5; NPMS 6, NRMS 8, NDMS 2; NPTaS 11, NRTaS 14. Measurement of legs: I 14.10 (3.13, 1.82, 3.83, 3.40, 1.92); II 15.01 (3.87, 1.15, 3.84, 3.86, 2.29); III 15.75 (4.39, 1.19, 3.42, 4.08, 2.67); IV 15.84 (3.98, 1.60, 4.18, 3.35, 2.73). Leg formula: 4321.

SPINNERETS. PMS grayish white; PLS, slenderness, basal, distal end white ( Fig. 5C View Fig ). PMS 1.43 long, 0.37 wide; PLS 6.93 long (2.34, 2.14, 2.45); PMS–PMS 1.48 ( Fig. 6B View Fig ).

Female ( Fig. 7 View Fig )

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 15.08 (not including chelicerae and spinnerets), cephalothorax length: 4.94, width: 5.06; abdomen width: 8.17, width: 5.60 ( Fig. 7A View Fig ).

EYES. Eyes sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.25, ALE 0.34, PME 0.30, PLE 0.32; AME–AME 0.20, ALE–AME 0.15, ALE–PLE 0.19, PME–PME 0.63, PLE–PME 0.02. Eye group 0.79 long, 1.35 wide.

CHELICERAE. Brownish, with 11 stout internal teeth, basomesally with 20 tiny teeth, with 15 smaller external teeth ( Fig. 7B View Fig ).

LEGS. Brown, with some spines. Leg I: NPMS 3; NVTaS 2, NRTaS 8. Leg II: NDTS 1; NVMS 10; NVTaS 12. Leg III: NVMS 4; NRTas 10. Leg IV: NVMS 4; NRTaS 8. Measurement of legs: I 11.68 (3.53, 1.27, 2.48, 2.50, 1.89); II 12.77 (3.70, 1.84, 2.44, 2.86, 1.93); III 12.91 (3.75, 1.80, 2.51, 2.96, 1.89); IV 13.28 (3.82, 1.95, 2.67, 2.79, 2.05). Leg formula: 4321.

SPERMATHECAE. Receptacula nearly teardrop shaped, copulatory ducts long, broad at base and outward bending ( Fig. 7C View Fig ).

SPINNERETS. PMS white; PLS, slenderness, basal, distal end white. PMS 1.68 long, 0.36 wide; PLS 7.08 long (2.01, 2.54, 2.53); PMS–PMS 1.13.

Natural history

This species primarily inhabits existing rock crevices or caves, dirt slopes, and under leaf litter along highways.

Distribution

Jiangkou County, Guizhou Province, China