Three new species of the spider genus Meotipa Simon, 1895 from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China (Araneae: Theridiidae) Author Liang, Yun 60C737E6-1165-4DA0-AEA2-AE4794731F50 College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China. lyliangyun@outlook.com Author Yin, Haiqiang 1CF43D1F-B786-4203-8FCC-767434A6737B College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China. & Qiongtai Normal University, Haikou 571100, Hainan, China. yinhaiqiang@hunnu.edu.cn Author Xu, Xiang 4CAB4D03-272D-4EDF-BD4B-52EE2A43C9F3 College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China. xux@hunnu.edu.cn text European Journal of Taxonomy 2024 2024-11-05 968 156 173 https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/2725/12521 journal article 305459 10.5852/ejt.2024.968.2725 139c5fa9-ed62-4bfc-818f-771051c7f77a 2118-9773 14221641 089DE7B1-E940-4197-B192-266F786E92D7 Meotipa lingulata sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7A407F13-8D06-4DB6-BC6C-3C4C161BF86E Figs 1–2 , 11 , Tables 1–3 Diagnosis This new species is similar to M. multuma Murthappa et al. 2017 in having a curved CD and spherical S (compare Figs 1F , 2F with Murthappa et al. 2017 : fig. 3f), but can be distinguished from the latter by an upwardly extended abdomen (triangular in lateral view), indistinct CO hidden by epigynal projection, a slender CD maintaining a consistent width, and V-shaped CT; this is in contrast to the not extended abdomen, clearly visible and large CO, extremely long CD with enlarged starting part but abruptly becoming slender, and the absence of CT in M. multuma (compare Figs 1 D−F, 2 with Murthappa et al. 2017 : fig. 3a−f). Etymology The specific name is derived from the Latin word ‘ lingulata ’, meaning ‘tongue ’ , referring to the shape of projection of epigyne, and is an adjective, feminine. Type material Holotype CHINA • ♀ ; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region , Fangchenggang City , Shangsi County , Shiwandashan Nature Reserve , Songpai Protection Station ; 21°59′ N , 108°53′ E ; alt. 303 m ; 4 May 2021 ; A. He , J. Liu , Y. Liang , R. Liao , Q. Li and Y. Liu leg.; HNU800 . Paratype CHINA • 1 ♀ ; same data as for holotype; HNU801 . Description Female ( holotype HNU800) Total length 3.1, carapace 1.07 long, 0.88 wide, 0.41 height, abdomen 2.03 long, 1.20 wide, 2.25 height. Carapace yellowish, with dark gray longitudinal band extending to clypeus, and heart-shaped patch in front of fovea. Fovea deep, radial furrow black ( Fig. 1A ). Eye area slightly elevated. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.07, PME 0.07, PLE 0.07; AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.03, PME–PME 0.08, PME–PLE 0.05. Clypeus height 0.24. Clypeus bulged outwards. Chelicerae yellow-brown, with three promarginal and one retromarginal teeth. Pedipalp yellowish, tibia and metatarsus with dark brown spots ventrally, patella with one and tibia with two black flattened spines. Endite yellowish, wider than long. Labium nearly rectangle. STL 0.61, STW 0.50. Sternum yellowish, shield-shaped, with brown patches laterally. Legs yellowish, slender, with scattered brown spots ventrally, patellae and tibiae with one or two black flattened spines. Leg measurements: I 9.93 (3.13, 0.47, 2.00, 2.80, 0.93); II 5.68 (1.95, 0.27, 1.21, 1.54, 0.71); III 3.55 (1.24, 0.24, 0.58, 0.95, 0.54); IV 6.32 (2.14, 0.48, 1.22, 1.79, 0.69). Leg formula I IV II III. Abdomen gray, with several snowy patches and black spots ( Fig. 1A ). Caudal region extending upwards beyond spinnerets. Caudal region and region above spinnerets with black flattened spines ( Fig. 1C ). Venter of abdomen yellowish, with brown spots ( Fig. 1B ). Fig. 1. Meotipa lingulata sp. nov. , ♀, holotype (HNU800). A–C . Habitus. A . Dorsal view. B . Ventral view. C . Lateral view. D–E . Epigyne, ventral view. F . Vulva, dorsal view (E–F, after digestion with pancreatin). Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: A–C = 1 mm; D–F = 0.1 mm. Fig. 2. Meotipa lingulata sp. nov. , ♀, holotype (HNU800). A . Epigyne, ventral view. B . Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars = 0.1 mm. Table 3. The distributions of known species of Meotipa Simon, 1895 in China.

species	distribution
Meotipa argyrodiformis (Yaginuma, 1952) (♂♀)	China, Japan, Philippines, India
Meotipa capacifaba Li, Liu, Xu & Yin, 2020 (♂♀)	China
Meotipa luoqiae Lin & Li, 2021 (♂)	China
Meotipa lingulata sp. nov. (♀)	China
Meotipa menglun Lin & Li, 2021 (♂)	China
Meotipa picturata Simon, 1895 (♂♀)	China, India, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia
Meotipa pulcherrima ( Mello-Leitão, 1917 ) (♂♀)	tropical Africa, introduced to the Americas, Papua New Guinea, China, Korea, Japan, and Pacific Islands
Meotipa pseudopicturata Deng, Agnarsson, Chen & Liu, 2022 (♀)	China
Meotip pseudomultuma sp. nov. (♂♀)	China
Meotipa spiniventris (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869) (♂♀)	Sri Lanka to China, Japan, introduced to the Netherlands
Meotipa vesiculosa Simon, 1895 (♂♀)	China, Vietnam to Japan, Philippines, Indonesia
Meotipa zhengguoi Lin & Li, 2021 (♂)	China
Meotipa striata Deng, Agnarsson, Chen & Liu, 2022 (♀)	China
Meotipa tortuosa sp. nov. (♂♀)	China

EPIGYNE ( Figs 1 D−F, 2). Atrium deep, with tongue-shaped and double-layered projection. CO indistinct and hidden by depression of epigynal projection. CD slender, surrounding S in loop before connecting to S laterally. S spherical and connected by V-shaped CT. FD relatively long and thick, curved, arising from middle of S. Male Unknown. Distribution Known only from the type locality, China ( Guangxi ) ( Fig. 11 ).