Troglocoelotes gen. n., a new genus of Coelotinae spiders (Araneae, Agelenidae) from caves in South China
Author
Li, Bing
Author
Zhao, Zhe
Author
Zhang, Chuntian
Author
Li, Shuqiang
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-02-08
4554
1
219
238
journal article
27576
10.11646/zootaxa.4554.1.7
94cdd5b4-1428-46bc-ae1b-cea7e0976cfb
1175-5326
2623528
18AB16FA-399B-4A34-8811-B199C39F395D
Genus
Troglocoelotes
Z. Zhao & S. Li
gen. n.
(
Figs 1–15
)
Type
species.
Troglocoelotes yumiganen
sis Z. Zhao & S. Li gen. n.
Etymology.
The generic name refers to the cave habitat and coelotine spiders. The gender is masculine.
Diagnosis.
Troglocoelotes
is closely related to
Guilotes
Z. Zhao & S. Li 2018
based on the copulatory organs morphology but can be distinguished by having 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth (
Fig. 1D
)
vs
. with 5–6 promarginal and 5 retromarginal teeth in
Guilotes
, eyes reduced (
Fig. 1A
) or absent (
Fig. 1B
)
vs
. normal in
Guilotes
(
Fig. 1C
); male palp: median apophysis slice-shaped and with a bent tip (
Figs 5
B–C, 8B–C, 10B–C, 12B– C)
vs
. spoon-shaped, cymbium not suddenly narrowing (
Figs 5C
,
8C
,
10C
,
12C
), conductor without outgrowth, tegulum and bulbus not intumescent as in
Guilotes
(
Figs 5A
,
8A
,
10A
,
12A
); epigyne: epigynal teeth located anteriorly (
Fig. 1
E–F) or medially (
Figs 7A
,
9A
)
vs
. posteriorly, spermathecae ellipsoidal, anterior parts specialized, coiled by copulatory ducts, slender and long (
Fig. 1
G–H)
vs
. spermathecae long and heads fused with copulatory ducts.
FIGURE 1.
Characters of
Troglocoelotes
gen. n.
A–B, D–H (A. All eyes absent; B. Eyes reduced to white spots; D. Promarginal and retromarginal teeth of chelicerae; E–F. Epigyne, ventral view; G–H. Epigyne, dorsal view). C. Eyes in
Guilotes qingshitanensis
Zhao & Li 2018
.
Description.
Small to medium sized with a total length between 3.83–9.28. Coloration: carapace and chelicerae brown; abdomen and spinnerets pale; legs yellowish or pale. Prosoma, posterior radial furrows and both sides of fovea, and chelicerae covered with hairs. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth. Eyes reduced or absent. Legs without black annular striations, leg formula 4123. Abdomen covered with hairs, with cardiac pattern in the most species, without any other marks. Spinnerets: the proximal segment is as long as the basal segment. Male palp: patellar apophysis long in the most species (
Figs 8
B–C, 12B–C), but short in
T. liangensis
(
Fig. 5
B–C), wide at base in
T. tortus
(
Fig. 10
B–C); VTA wide and short (the tip just over patellar tibia) (
Fig. 5
B–C); RTA about 1/2 the length of VTA (
Figs 5C
,
8C
,
10C
,
12C
); cymbial furrow in most species long (
Figs 5C
,
8C
,
10C
), about 1/2 the length of cymbium in
T. yumiganensis
(
Fig. 12C
); embolus filiform, beginning at 6 to 7 o’clock position (
Figs 5
A–C, 8A–C, 10A–C, 12A–C); conductor simple but in most species with a blunt dorsal apophysis (
Figs 8
B–C, 10B–C) and a lamella (
Figs 5B
,
10B
,
12B
); median apophysis slice-shaped with bent tip (
Figs 5
B–C, 8B–C, 10B–C, 12B–C). Epigyne: atrium small (
Figs 3A
,
4A
,
6A
,
7A
,
9A
,
11A
,
13A
); epigynal teeth vary in shape but point medially in the most species (
Figs 3A
,
4A
,
6A
,
7A
,
9A
,
13A
); hoods absent; copulatory ducts long and semi-transparent with light color, spermathecae ellipsoidal with dark color, anterior parts specialized, coiled by copulatory ducts, slender and long (
Figs 3B
,
4B
,
6B
,
7B
,
9B
,
11B
,
13B
).
Natural history.
All species of
Troglocoelotes
gen. n.
were collected from the deep zone of moist and dark caves (
Fig. 15
). Characteristics like reduced eyes and pale body coloration indicate they are true troglobionts.
Distribution.
Guizhou
and
Guangxi
,
China
(
Fig. 14
).
Comments.
The relationships of coelotine spiders were recently analyzed using 8 genes from 286 species in 19 genera (
Zhao & Li 2017
). The molecular topologies supported
Troglocoelotes
as a new genus and suggested that
Guilotes
is the sister-group (
Fig. 2
).