Mutatus gelao, Mu & Wang & Zhang & Zhang, 2025

Mutatus gelao sp. nov.

Chinese name: 仡佬幻蛛 Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Guizhou Province, Tongren City, Shiqian County, Gelao Village ; 27°2'3.12"N, 108°9'6.94"E, elev. 647 m, 08 May 2023; Z. Y. Li, W. H. Wang leg. GoogleMaps Paratype: 1 ♀, with same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Etymology.

The specific name comes from the word “ Gelao ”. The name is one of the Chinese ethnic minorities that live adjacent to the area inhabited by the new species; a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

The new species can be differentiated from Mutatus tujia sp. nov. and M. tianyan sp. nov. by the ventrally bulging tibia of the male palp (vs not inflated; compare Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 with Figs 4 B View Figure 4 , 6 B View Figure 6 ), almost bifurcate tip of the retrolateral tibial apophysis (vs smooth and tapering from base to tip; compare Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 with Figs 4 C View Figure 4 , 6 D View Figure 6 ), spade-shaped tegular sheet (vs tobacco-pipe-shaped, compare Fig. 2 B View Figure 2 with Figs 4 D View Figure 4 , 6 C View Figure 6 ), spiculate prolateral tegular apophysis (vs truncated, compare Fig. 2 B View Figure 2 with Figs 4 D View Figure 4 , 6 C View Figure 6 ), copulatory ducts which form a right angle with connecting tubes (vs forming a obtuse angle; compare Fig. 2 H View Figure 2 with Figs 4 F View Figure 4 , 6 F View Figure 6 ), and larger and deeper, kidney-shaped atria (vs atria oval, small, and shallow; compare Fig. 2 G View Figure 2 with Figs 4 E View Figure 4 , 6 E View Figure 6 ).

Description.

Male (holotype, Fig. 1 A, B View Figure 1 ). Total length 3.35, carapace 1.73 long, 1.55 wide; abdomen 1.62 long, 1.32 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.13, PME 0.09, PLE 0.10; AME – AME 0.04, AME – ALE 0.01, ALE – ALE 0.27, PME – PME 0.10, PME – PLE 0.08, PLE – PLE 0.41, ALE – PLE 0.09. EAW 0.56, CRW 0.81, EAW / CRW 0.69. CRW / CW 0.52. MOA 0.27 long, anterior width 0.24, posterior width 0.26. Clypeal height 0.15, CH / AME 1.36. Labium 0.22 long, 0.24 wide. Sternum 0.96 long, 0.96 wide. Carapace oval, cervical groove inconspicuous. Sternum, labium, and endite brown. Abdomen dark brown, smooth, with large dorsal scutum covering almost entire abdomen. Legs brown.

Palp (Fig. 2 A – F View Figure 2 ). Femoral apophysis (FA) well developed, thumb-shaped, located at middle part. Patella about 1 / 3 length of femur, as long as tibia. Tibia longer than wide, slightly bulged ventrally, retroventral apophysis (RvTA) tail-shaped, tip slightly curved; retrolateral apophysis (RTA) longer and wider than RvTA, tip bifurcated. Bulb pyriform, sperm duct (SD) V-shaped. Prolateral tegular apophysis (PTA) coniform, slightly curved, originating at nearly 9 o’clock position. Tegular sheet (TS) spade-shaped, anterior part with curved tip, posterior part tongue-shaped. Embolus (E) needle-like, tapering towards tip, slightly curved.

Female (Fig. 1 C, D View Figure 1 ). Total length 4.78, carapace 1.79 long, 1.64 wide; abdomen 3.08 long, 2.27 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.12, PME 0.08, PLE 0.10; AME – AME 0.04, AME – ALE 0.01, ALE – ALE 0.24, PME – PME 0.08, PME – PLE 0.08, PLE – PLE 0.39, ALE – PLE 0.09. EAW 0.54, CRW 0.80, EAW / CRW 0.68. CRW / CW 0.49. MOA 0.28 long, anterior width 0.24, posterior width 0.24. Clypeal height 0.16, CH / AME 1.36. Labium 0.23 long, 0.25 wide. Sternum 1.07 long, 0.97 wide. Other characters as for male, except dorsal scutum absent, color darker and body slightly larger.

Epigyne (Fig. 2 G, H View Figure 2 ). Epigynal plate slightly sclerotized, with a pair of atria. Median septum (MS) dumbbell-shaped. Copulatory openings (CO) small, located at anterior of atrium. Copulatory ducts (CD) slightly curved, X-shaped, longer and thinner than connecting tubes (CT). Bursae (B) nearly balloon-shaped, translucent. Glandular appendages (GA) mastoid-shaped. Spermathecae (S) clavate, separated by septum. Fertilization ducts (FD) located at median margin of spermathecae.

Measurement of legs:

Spination of legs:

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.