Sub guardstone spider (Otacilia subshanxi) named the species based on its similarity to Otacilia shanxi

NEWS - Sub guardstone spider (Otacilia subshanxi sp. nov.) from Duheyuan Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, China, was diagnosed and described as a new species. The researchers found the specimen known only from the type locality and named the species based on its similarity to O. shanxi.

Otacilia Thorell 1897 is the largest genus in the Phrurolithidae, containing 143 species, distributed in East and Southeast Asia with 120 species reported in China. A recently reported eyeless species collected from a cave shows the great potential for species diversity.

The new species resembles O. shanxi Mu & Zhang 2021 in having similar femoral apophyses, atrium, curved connecting tubes, but a wide embolus (vs. thin in O. shanxi), a thin (vs. wide) retrolateral tibial apophysis and a thin (vs. wide) median septum.

Male (Holotype): total length 3.04, carapace 1.50 long, 1.30 wide; abdomen 1.54 long, 1.03 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.09, PME 0.08, PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.22, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.40, ALE–PLE 0.08. EAW 0.52, CRW 0.68, EAW/CRW 0.76, CRW/CW 0.52. MOA 0.26 long, anterior width 0.21, posterior width 0.27. CH 0.11, CH/AME 1.38.

Labium 0.15 long, 0.22 wide. Sternum 0.87 long, 0.78 wide. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 6.15 (1.57 + 0.55 + 1.81 + 1.48 + 0.74), Ⅱ 4.91 (1.30 + 0.51 + 1.27 + 1.15 + 0.68), Ⅲ 4.02 (1.08 + 0.45 + 0.80 + 1.07 + 0.62), Ⅳ 6.51 (1.78 + 0.54 + 1.53 + 1.80 + 0.86). Spination: femur I d 1 pl 4, femur Ⅱ d 1 pl 2, femur Ⅲ–Ⅳ d 1, tibia Ⅰ pv 7 rv 8, tibia Ⅱ pv 7 rv 6, metatarsus Ⅰpv 4 rv 4, metatarsus Ⅱ pv 4 rv 3.

Carapace slightly brown, radial striae indistinct, with one black longitudinal stripe nearly same width as eye area. Abdomen grey, with small dorsal scutum darker than carapace, with black pattern beside dorsal scutum anteriorly and four black transverse stripes at posterior of abdomen. Legs yellow, with black annuli near ventral of tibiae I–Ⅳ tip.

Femur with large, well-developed apophysis at middle part. Prolateral tibial apophysis distinct. Tibial nearly as long as wide. Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) with wide base and narrow, tip blunt, base of retrolateral with a small tuber, a row of strong setae at base of RTA. Bulb pyriform, sperm duct distinct, tapering off close to embolus. Embolus wide, hook-like, blade-shaped. Conductor small, triangular, membranous.

Female (Paratype): total length 3.52, carapace 1.52 long, 1.36 wide; abdomen 2.00 long, 1.22 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.10, PME 0.08, PLE 0.09; AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.21, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.37, ALE–PLE 0. 06. EAW 0.48, CRW 0.69, EAW/CRW 0.69, CRW/CW 0.51. MOA 0.27 long, anterior width 0.19, posterior width 0.27. CH 0.09, CH/AME 1.00.

Labium 0.15 long, 0.25 wide. Sternum 0.93 long, 0.79 wide. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 6.00 (1.50 + 0.52 + 1.85 + 1.44 + 0.69), Ⅱ 4.93 (1.25 + 0.51 + 1.33 + 1.13 + 0.71), Ⅲ 4.29 (1.14 + 0.47 + 0.93 + 1.12 + 0.63), Ⅳ 6.32 (1.68 + 0.59 + 1.37 + 1.77 + 0.91). Spination:femur I d 1 pl 4, femur Ⅱ d 1 pl 3, femora Ⅲ–Ⅳ d 1, tibia Ⅰ pv 7 rv 8, tibia Ⅱ pv 7 rv 6, metatarsus Ⅰ pv 4 rv 4, metatarsus Ⅱ pv 4 rv 3. Other characters as in male, except dorsal scutum absent (Fig. 1B, Fig. 2C and D).

Epigynal plate sclerotised, non-transparent, with two large atriums. Median septum wide, edge arched, widest at middle part. Copulatory openings located at middle part of atrium, separated by septum. Copulatory ducts short and thick, straight. Connecting tubes long and thin, curved. Bursae balloon-shaped, transparent. Spermathecae oval and small, bean-shaped. Fertilisation ducts short, located anteromesally on spermathecae.

Original research

Guo M, Mu Y, Zhang F (2024). A new Otacilia Thorell, 1897 species from Hubei Province, China (Araneae, Phrurolithidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e137014, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.12.e137014

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