Biodiversity Data Journal : Taxonomy & Inventories
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Taxonomy & Inventories
Description of the unknown male of Vappolotes tianjiayu Li, Zhao & Li, 2023 (Araneae, Agelenidae, Coelotinae) from China
expand article infoBing Li‡, Zhe Zhao§, Shuqiang Li§,|, Chunyan Xie‡
‡ Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Diversity, College of Life Sciences, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, Hebei, China
§ Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Corresponding author: Zhe Zhao (zhaozhe@ioz.ac.cn), Chunyan Xie (xcy8046@163.com)
Academic editor: Yanfeng Tong
Received: 13 Oct 2023 | Accepted: 15 Nov 2023 | Published: 29 Nov 2023
© 2023 Bing Li, Zhe Zhao, Shuqiang Li, Chunyan Xie
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Li B, Zhao Z, Li S, Xie C (2023) Description of the unknown male of Vappolotes tianjiayu Li, Zhao & Li, 2023 (Araneae, Agelenidae, Coelotinae) from China. Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e114147. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e114147
 Open Access

Abstract

Background

Vappolotes Zhao & Li, 2019 is one of the troglophilous genera, with five known species. The previous description of V. tianjiayu from China was based solely on female specimens collected from caves in the Wuling Mountains in southern China without any males.

New information

The present study, deals with the first record of the male of V. tianjiayu from its type locality: Guluo Cave. The validation of species is based on the morphological characteristics of both male and female.

Keywords

Asia, Wuling Mountains, cave-dwelling spiders, taxonomy

Introduction

The changes in ancient oceans (Zhao et al. 2022) and mountains (Li et al. 2021, Yao et al. 2021, Lu et al. 2022) made Asia a region with a high spider diversity. Intensified research on Chinese spiders has increased in recent years and many new species have been discovered and described in China (Li 2020, Liu et al. 2022, Lin et al. 2023). The overwhelming majority of them are found from caves in China (Liu and Li 2013, Lin and Li 2014, Li and Wang 2017, Yang et al. 2023, Yang et al. 2023). The family Agelenidae C.L. Koch, 1837 (Koch 1837) is the tenth largest spider family in the world with 96 genera and 1387 species (WSC 2023). Many species are troglophilous, especially within subfamily Coelotinae, such as Guilotes Zhao & Li, 2018 (Li et al. 2018), Troglocoelotes Zhao & Li, 2019 (Li et al. 2019a), Yunguirius Li, Zhao & Li, 2023 (Li et al. 2023b) and also Vappolotes Zhao & Li, 2019 (Li et al. 2019b).

The genus Vappolotes is one of the cave-dwelling genera within this subfamily Coelotinae F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893 (Pickard-Cambridge 1893) and comprises five known species: V. ganlongensis Zhao & Li, 2019 from Chenjia Cave, V. hei Li, Zhao & Li, 2023 from Li Bai Reading Cave, V. jianpingensis Zhao & Li, 2019 from Xinlong Cave, V. longshan Li, Zhao & Li, 2023 from Da Cave and more caves and V. tianjiayu Li, Zhao & Li, 2023 from three unnamed caves and Guluo Cave (Li et al. 2019b, Li et al. 2023a).

After a seven-year interval, two male specimens of V. tianjiayu were collected from the previously explored Guluo Cave (type locality), followed by ten females. The long and thin embolus of the male palp matches the long and spiral tubular spermatheca of the female vulva and the strong conductor of the male palp matches the broad copulatory opening of the female epigyne and pocket-shaped copulatory duct of the female vulva. By the collection of female and male specimens together and the matched morphological characteristics, we believe them to be conspecific and present comprehensive descriptions along with accompanying morphological photographs in this study.

Materials and methods

All examined specimens studied in this paper are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS). Specimens were examined with a LEICA M205 C stereomicroscope at IZCAS. Laboratory habitus photographs were taken with a Sony A7RIV digital camera, equipped with a Sony FE 90 mm Goss lens. Left male palp and epigyne photos were taken with an Olympus C7070 wide zoom digital camera (7.1 megapixels) mounted on an Olympus BX51 compound microscope. Images from multiple focal ranges were combined using Helicon Focus v.6.80 photo stacking software. One left male palp was dissected for examination. Images of it are illustrated. Measurements were obtained with a LEICA M205 C stereomicroscope and are given in mm. Eye diameters were measured as the maximum distance in either dorsal or frontal views. Leg measurements are given as follows: total length (coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus and tarsus). Terminology follows Li et al. (2023b).

Abbreviations of eyes used in the text are as follows: ALE anterior lateral eye; ALE–PLE distance between ALE and PLE; AME anterior median eye; AME–ALE distance between AME and ALE; AME–AME distance between AME and AME; AME–PME distance between AME and PME; PLE posterior lateral eye; PME posterior median eye; PME–PLE distance between PME and PLE; PME–PME distance between PME and PME.

Taxon treatment

Vappolotes tianjiayu Li, Zhao & Li, 2023

Nomenclature

Vappolotes tianjiayu Li, Zhao & Li, 2023: 330, figs. 4A–E (female).

Materials   Download as CSV 
Holotype:
  1. scientificName:
    Vappolotes tianjiayu
    ; country:
    China
    ; stateProvince:
    Hunan
    ; locality:
    Changde City, Shimen County, Hupingshan Town, Tianjiayu Village, an unnamed cave
    ; verbatimElevation:
    448 m
    ; verbatimLatitude:
    29.9065
    ; verbatimLongitude:
    110.8087
    ; year:
    2016
    ; month:
    4
    ; day:
    14
    ; individualCount:
    1
    ; sex:
    female
    ; lifeStage:
    adult
    ; catalogNumber:
    IZCAS-Ar44376
    ; recordedBy:
    Yulong Li & Zhigang Chen
    ; occurrenceID:
    D45D8BC1-932D-545E-B7D9-0A3BABF36E8E
Paratypes:
  1. scientificName:
    Vappolotes tianjiayu
    ; country:
    China
    ; stateProvince:
    Hunan
    ; locality:
    Changde City, Shimen County, Hupingshan Town, Qingshanxi Village, an unnamed cave
    ; verbatimElevation:
    442 m
    ; verbatimLatitude:
    29.9869
    ; verbatimLongitude:
    110.863
    ; year:
    2016
    ; month:
    4
    ; day:
    12
    ; individualCount:
    1
    ; sex:
    female
    ; lifeStage:
    adult
    ; catalogNumber:
    IZCAS-Ar44382
    ; recordedBy:
    Yulong Li & Zhigang Chen
    ; occurrenceID:
    8AC445B4-B138-5E5C-95DB-C02D0E1915F2
  2. scientificName:
    Vappolotes tianjiayu
    ; country:
    China
    ; stateProvince:
    Hunan
    ; locality:
    Changde City, Shimen County, Hupingshan Town, Tianjiayu Village, an unnamed cave
    ; verbatimElevation:
    448 m
    ; verbatimLatitude:
    29.9065
    ; verbatimLongitude:
    110.8087
    ; year:
    2016
    ; month:
    4
    ; day:
    14
    ; individualCount:
    5
    ; sex:
    female
    ; lifeStage:
    adult
    ; catalogNumber:
    IZCAS-Ar44377–381
    ; recordedBy:
    Yulong Li & Zhigang Chen
    ; occurrenceID:
    51518BFF-8FF2-5431-98B2-7F4E5F3DF325
  3. scientificName:
    Vappolotes tianjiayu
    ; country:
    China
    ; stateProvince:
    Hunan
    ; locality:
    Changde City, Shimen County, Hupingshan Town, Tianjiayu Village, another an unnamed cave
    ; verbatimElevation:
    455 m
    ; verbatimLatitude:
    29.9066
    ; verbatimLongitude:
    110.8088
    ; year:
    2016
    ; month:
    4
    ; day:
    14
    ; individualCount:
    1
    ; sex:
    female
    ; lifeStage:
    adult
    ; catalogNumber:
    IZCAS-Ar44383
    ; recordedBy:
    Yulong Li & Zhigang Chen
    ; occurrenceID:
    A521E119-2755-5FE1-A792-BCDD330D6E65
  4. scientificName:
    Vappolotes tianjiayu
    ; country:
    China
    ; stateProvince:
    Hunan
    ; locality:
    Changde City, Shimen County, Hupingshan Town, Guluo Village, Guluo Cave
    ; verbatimElevation:
    395 m
    ; verbatimLatitude:
    29.9362
    ; verbatimLongitude:
    110.8574
    ; year:
    2016
    ; month:
    4
    ; day:
    12
    ; individualCount:
    3
    ; sex:
    female
    ; lifeStage:
    adult
    ; catalogNumber:
    IZCAS-Ar44384–386
    ; recordedBy:
    Yulong Li & Zhigang Chen
    ; occurrenceID:
    852DEAEF-60CE-5F0F-A8C9-E09087DC0BDD
Other materials:
  1. scientificName:
    Vappolotes tianjiayu
    ; country:
    China
    ; stateProvince:
    Hunan
    ; locality:
    Changde City, Shimen County, Hupingshan Town, Guluo Village, Guluo Cave
    ; verbatimElevation:
    356 m
    ; verbatimLatitude:
    29.9389
    ; verbatimLongitude:
    110.8523
    ; year:
    2023
    ; month:
    8
    ; day:
    29
    ; individualCount:
    1
    ; sex:
    male
    ; lifeStage:
    adult
    ; catalogNumber:
    IZCAS-Ar44788
    ; recordedBy:
    Zhe Zhao & Xiaoqing Zhang
    ; occurrenceID:
    BF5CC0D0-72D0-53D0-9E3F-8D01DB3EEC40
  2. scientificName:
    Vappolotes tianjiayu
    ; country:
    China
    ; stateProvince:
    Hunan
    ; locality:
    Changde City, Shimen County, Hupingshan Town, Guluo Village, Guluo Cave
    ; verbatimElevation:
    356 m
    ; verbatimLatitude:
    29.9389
    ; verbatimLongitude:
    110.8523
    ; year:
    2023
    ; month:
    8
    ; day:
    29
    ; individualCount:
    8
    ; sex:
    female
    ; lifeStage:
    adult
    ; catalogNumber:
    IZCAS-Ar44789
    ; recordedBy:
    Zhe Zhao & Xiaoqing Zhang
    ; occurrenceID:
    51227165-C745-586E-A5A8-A5CC94248633

Description

Male (first description) (IZCAS-Ar44788) (Fig. 1A and B). Total length 6.27. Carapace 3.18 long, 2.09 wide. Abdomen 3.09 long, 1.82 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.17, PME 0.20, PLE 0.19; AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.07, AME–PME 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.01, AME–ALE 0.03, PME–PLE 0.05. Leg measurements: I: 13.48 (0.83, 0.24, 3.13, 1.11, 3.01, 2.99, 2.17); II: 12.64 (0.88, 0.23, 3.05, 0.94, 2.81, 2.79, 1.94); III: 11.88 (0.81, 0.27, 2.59, 0.98, 2.51, 2.88, 1.84); IV: 15.37 (1.01, 0.34, 3.38, 0.95, 3.38, 4.04, 2.27). Leg formula 4 > 1 > 2 > 3. Carapace yellowish-brown (Fig. 1A), chelicerae reddish-brown with three promarginal teeth and two retromarginal teeth, endites and labium white to brownish (lighter than chelicerae) towards the base (Fig. 1B), sternum yellowish-brown (Fig. 1B), legs yellowish-brown without ring flecks, abdomen grey, with four to five grey chevrons posterodorsally (Fig. 1A), spinnerets yellowish-brown with grey hair (Fig. 1A, B). Palp (Fig. 2A–C): femur long, ca. 3.5 times longer than patella and three times longer than tibia (Fig. 2A); cymbial furrow long and thick, throughout the cymbium (Fig. 2C); patellar apophysis small, ca. 1/6 the length of patella, longer than wide, dark distally (Fig. 2C); retrolateral tibial apophysis thumb-shaped, while lateral tibial apophysis triangular (Fig. 2C); conductor complex, anteriorly spoon-shaped with lamella, dorsally strong and thick with a blunt distal end (Fig. 2B), posteriorly lamellar, with a small concavity, extending diagonally downwards in the retrolateral view (Fig. 2C); embolus long, slender and filiform (Fig. 2A–C), originating around a 3 o’clock position in the ventral view (Fig. 2B).

Figure 1.  

Male habitus of Vappolotes tianjiayu. A dorsal view; B ventral view. Scale bar equal for A and B.

Figure 2.  

Left male palp of Vappolotes tianjiayu. A prolateral view; B ventral view; C retrolateral view. Scale bar equal for A–C. Abbreviations: AC = anterior conductor; CF = cymbial furrow; DC = dorsal conductor; E = embolus; EB = embolic base; LC = lamella of conductor; LTA = lateral tibial apophysis; PA = patellar apophysis; PC = posterior conductor; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; ST = subtegulum; T = tegulum; TS = tegulum sclerite.

Female (holotype, examined) (IZCAS-Ar44376, XQ270) (Fig. 3A and B cited figs. 4A and B in Li et al. (2023a)). For descriptions, see Li et al. (2023a).

Figure 3.  

Epigyne of Vappolotes tianjiayu. A epigyne, ventral view; B vulva, dorsal view. Scale bar equal for A and B. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; S = spermatheca.

Natural History

Guluo Cave (entrance to the Guluo Cave in Fig. 4A) is one of the karst caves. Specimens were collected on 29 Aug 2023 from the rock walls of this cave (pointed by the white arrow in Fig. 4B). Previous studies have also documented this species as cave-dwelling species found in karst caves (Li et al. 2023a).

Figure 4.  

Habitat of Guluo Cave, Hunan, China. A entrance to the Guluo Cave (by Cuncun Yang); B inside of the Guluo Cave and the white arrow shows where the species inhabit (by Zhe Zhao).

Diagnosis

The male Vappolotes tianjiayu resembles V. ganlongensis (type species of Vappolotes) by the size and shape of patellar apophysis, retrolateral tibial apophysis and lateral tibial apophysis, long and filiform embolus and spoon-shaped anterior conductor with lamella. However, it can be distinguished from V. ganlongensis as follows: 1) anterior conductor accounts for a third of the whole in V. tianjiayu (Fig. 2B) vs. accounts for two-thirds of conductor in V. ganlongensis (fig. 2B Li et al. (2019b)); 2) dorsal conductor with a blunt distal end in V. tianjiayu (Fig. 2B) vs. pointed in V. ganlongensis (fig. 2B in Li et al. (2019b)); 3) embolic base beginning horizontally in V. tianjiayu (Fig. 2A–C) vs. vertically in V. ganlongensis (fig. 2A–C in Li et al. (2019b)). For diagnosis of the female, see Li et al. (2023a).

Distribution

China, Hunan (Li et al. 2019b, Li et al. 2023a and current record).

Acknowledgements

The manuscript benefitted greatly from comments by Yanfeng Tong, Seung Tae Kim and another anonymous referee. Thanks to Cuncun Yang and Xiaoqing Zhang for their fieldwork. This study was supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (NSFC–32170447) and the program of Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. 2019087).

References

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