Vacrothele baiseensis, Zheng & Zhao & Yang, 2025

Vacrothele baiseensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C500F418-A5FB-4B0C-9608-DA3E6C265B65

Figs 1 View Fig , 8–11 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The new species is similar to Vacrothele digitata ( Chen, Jiang & Yang, 2020) 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 ( Chen et al. 2020): embolus ends uniformly dilated into a flared shape (vs embolus ending basally thinned and then dilated into a flared shape in similar species); embolus length: 4.29 (vs 6.18); PLS length: 4.96 (vs 12.15); tibia of leg II with 5 long spines (vs 9 long spines). Females of V. baiseensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from V. digitata by copulatory duct time shorter, thick wall at the base (vs thin-walled at base).

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the type locality.

Material examined

Holotype

CHINA • ♂; Guangxi Province, Baise City, Jiangyuan Highway Station ; 23°91′29′′ N, 106°64′57′′ E; 282 m a.s.l.; 4 Nov. 2023, Zi-Zhong Yang, Yu-Lin Zheng leg.; DUIER, Specimen No. GX-VA-20231104001 .

Paratypes

CHINA • 2 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; DUIER, Specimen No. GX-VA-20231104002 , GX-VA-20231104003 ; 3 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; DUIER, Specimen No. GX-VA-20231104004 to GXVA-20231104006 .

Description

Male (holotype, Figs 8–9 View Fig View Fig )

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 13.39 (not including chelicerae and spinnerets): cephalothorax 5.94 long, 5.23 wide; abdomen 7.40 long, 3.96 wide ( Fig. 8A View Fig ).

PROSOMA. Carapace dark chestnut, gray hairy. Fovea transverse. In dorsal view, both eye rows recurved. Labium and maxillae brown and with numerous cuspules; maxillae l.62 long, cuspules area 1.0 long ( Fig. 8B View Fig ). Sternum black, with three pairs of sigilla.

PALP. Palp tibia with 8 stout dorsal spines ( Fig. 9A–D View Fig ). Embolus conical, flared at end, 4.26 long ( Fig. 9E–H View Fig ).

EYES. Eyes sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.277, ALE 0.375, PME 0.220, PLE 0.305; ALE–AME 0.096, AME–AME 0.117, ALE–PLE 0.071, PME–PME 0.52. Eye group 0.672 long, 1.398 wide.

CHELICERAE. Black brown, with 11 stout promarginal teeth ( Fig. 8D View Fig ).

LEGS. Brown, with some spines. Leg I: NPTS 2, NRTS 1, NVTS 3; NPMS 3 prolateral and NVMS 9; NPTaS 3. Leg II: NPTS 2, NVTS 5 ( Fig. 8E View Fig ); NPMS 1, NVMS 7; NPTaS 6, NVTaS 4. Leg III: NPTS 6, NVTS 1; NVMS 4, NPMS 9; NPTaS 4, NVTaS 8. Leg IV: NPTS 3, NVTS 5, NDTS 1; NPMS 11, NDMS 3, NVMS 5; NDTaS 1, NPTaS 15. Measurement of legs: I 16.31 (4.55, 2.43, 3.30, 3.74, 2.26); II 17.16 (4.84, 2.44, 3.47, 3.79, 2.62); III 15.2 (3.35, 2.40, 3.03, 3.88, 2.54); IV 18.94 (4.08, 2.69, 4.05, 5.21, 2.91). Leg formula: 4321.

SPINNERETS. PMS grayish white; PLS slenderness, basal, distal end white; PMS 1.335 long, 0.335 wide; PLS 4.96 long (1.54, 1.63, 1.79); PMS–PMS 1.0 4 ( Fig. 8C View Fig ).

Female ( Fig. 10 View Fig )

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 17.16 (not including chelicerae and spinnerets), cephalothorax 7.3 long, 5.70 wide; abdomen 10.04 long, 6.55 wide ( Fig. 10A View Fig ).

EYES. Eyes sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.28, ALE 0.39, PME 0.30, PLE 0.33; AME–AME 0.18, ALE–AME 0.14, ALE–PLE 113, PME–PME 0.53. Eye group 0.758 long, 1.5 wide.

CHELICERAE. Brownish, with 11 stout internal teeth, basomesally with 20 tiny teeth, with 11 smaller external teeth ( Fig. 10B View Fig ).

LEGS. Brown, with numerous spines. Leg I: NPMS 4, NVMS 3; NPTaS 4 and NVTaS 3. Leg II: NVPS 2; NPTS 1; NPMS 4 and NVMS 2; NVTaS 5. Leg III: NPTS 2, NVTS 1; NVMS 5, NPMS 8, NDMS 1; NVTaS 5, NPTaS 4. Leg IV: NPTS 4, NDTS 1; NPMS 7, NDMS 3, NVMS 5; NDTaS 1. Measurement of legs: I 14.59 (3.95, 2.67, 2.98, 3.11, 1.88); II 13.78 (3.51, 2.60, 2.87, 3.10, 1.70); III 12.78 (3.20, 2.32, 2.69, 2.76, 1.81); IV 16.73 (3.71, 2.58, 3.41, 4.77, 2.26). Leg formula: 4321.

SPERMATHECAE. Receptacula nearly finger-like. Copulatory ducts broad at base, slightly curled in the middle, gradually tapering posteriorly ( Fig. 10C View Fig ).

SPINNERETS. PMS 1.80 long; PLS 6.09 long (2.4, 1.68, 2.01); PMS–PMS 1.375.

Natural history

This species primarily inhabits existing soil slopes and crevices in tree bark along roadways ( Fig. 11 View Fig ).

Distribution

Baise City, Guangxi Province, China.