Female (Holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 1A and B and Fig. 2C and D. Total length 2.81, carapace 1.23 long, 1.06 wide.

Figure 1.  

Aculithus languan sp. nov., female (holotype). A Habitus, dorsal view; B Same, ventral view; C Left chelicera, ventro-retrolateral view; D Epigyne, ventral view; E Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Bu − bursa, CD − copulatory duct, CO − copulatory opening, CT − connecting tube, FD − fertilisation ducts, GA − glandular appendage, MS − median septum, Spe − spermathecae. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A, B), 0.1 mm (C−E).

Figure 2.  

Habitat and live specimen of Aculithus languan sp. nov.. A–B Habitat; C–D Female.

Figure 3.  

Habitus and chelicerae of Aculithus ruijin sp. nov.. A Male (holotype), dorsal view; B Same, ventral view; C Right chelicera of male, ventro-retrolateral view; D Female, dorsal view; E Same, ventral view; F Left chelicera of female, ventro-retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A−D), 0.1 mm (C−F).

Figure 4.  

Aculithus ruijin sp. nov., male palp (holotype) and epigyne (paratype). A Left palp, prolateral view; B Same, ventral view; C Same, retrolateral view; D Same, dorsal view; E Epigyne, ventral view; F Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Bu − bursa, CD − copulatory duct, CO − copulatory opening, CT − connecting tube, DTA − dorsal tibial apophysis, Em − embolus, FA − femoral apophysis, FD − fertilisation ducts, GA − glandular appendage, MS − median septum, rTA − retrolateral tegular apophysis, RTA − retrolateral tibial apophysis, Spe − spermathecae. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A−F).

Eye sizes and interdistances (Fig. 1A): AME 0.05, ALE 0.08, PME 0.04, PLE 0.07; AME−AME 0.03, AME−ALE 0.02, PME−PME 0.07, PME−PLE 0.08, AME−PME 0.08, AME−PLE 0.14, ALE−ALE 0.14, PLE−PLE 0.26, ALE−PLE 0.05. MOA 0.15 long, frontal width 0.11, posterior width 0.14. Chelicerae (Fig. 1C) with three promarginal (proximal largest, distal smallest) and seven retromarginal teeth (the distal one largest, gradually decreasing in size, compact). Sternum (Fig. 1B), longer than wide, posteriorly triangular, relatively blunt. Leg measurements: I 3.77 (1.02, 0.47, 1.1, 0.79, 0.39); II 3.47 (0.93, 0.42, 0.82, 0.84, 0.46); III 3.19 (0.9, 0.37, 0.59, 0.81, 0.52); IV 4.32 (1.13, 0.42, 0.92, 1.23, 0.62). Left leg spination (Figs. 1A and B): femora I d11, p111, II d1, III d1, IV d1; tibiae I v222222, II v222221; metatarsi I v2221, II v2221. Pedicel 0.14 long. Abdomen (Fig. 1A and B) 1.44 long, 1 wide.

Colouration (Fig. 1A and B). Carapace yellow, with radial, irregular dark stripes mediolaterally and arc-shaped dark stripes around margin. Fovea distinct, brown. Chelicerae, endites and labium yellow. Sternum yellow, margins with dark brown mottled spots. Legs yellow, femora I−IV distally each with black annulations; tibia II distally with blackish-brown mottled markings, tibiae III−IV distally with blackish-brown annulations. Abdomen yellowish, anteriorly with a pair of large C-shaped markings, covering more than half of the anterior region; posteriorly with five dark brown V-shaped stripes extending towards the abdomen and converging towards the spinnerets; venter posteromedially has a pair of dark brown triangular spots.

Epigyne (Fig. 1D and E and Fig. 5A). Epigynal plate weakly sclerotised. Copulatory openings (CO) small, oval, shorter than the length of copulatory ducts (CD), located anterolaterally, widely separated by median septum (MS). Copulatory ducts slightly longer and thicker than spermathecae (Spe), anteriorly with pair of translucent bursae (Bu) covering nearly half of the epigyne. Glandular appendages (GA) slightly thicker than fertilisation ducts (FD), near base of bursae, located on inner side of copulatory ducts. Connecting tubes (CT) extremely short and narrower than spermathecae, extending posteriorly to connect with spermathecae. Spermathecae peanut-shaped, directed medially. Fertilisation ducts longer than spermathecae, directed anteriorly.

Figure 5.  

Aculithus languan sp.nov. and A. ruijin sp. nov., paratypes. A A. languan sp.nov., epigyne, ventral view; B A. ruijin sp. nov., left palp, ventral view; C Same, detail of Em and rTA, ventral view; D Same, retrolateral view; E Same, detail of Em, retrolateral view; F Same, dorsal view; G Same, detail of DTA, dorsal view; H Same, epigyne, ventral view. Abbreviations: CO − copulatory opening, DTA - dorsal tibial apophysis, Em - embolus, MS − median septum, rTA −retrolateral tegular apophysis, RTA − retrolateral tibial apophysis.

Figure 6.  

Habitat and live specimens of Aculithus ruijin sp. nov.. A−D Habitat, red arrows show the sampling location; E Male; F Female.

The females of the new species are similar to A. taoyuan (Fu, Chen & Zhang, 2016) comb. nov. in having the large, widely-spaced copulatory openings, the copulatory ducts broader and longer than the spermathecae and the extremely short connecting tubes and the spermathecae directed medially (see Fu et al. (2016): 283−284, figs. 9G−H and 10D−E), but can be separated from it by copulatory openings directed laterally (Fig. 1D and E) (vs. directed anteriorly), the indistinct median septum (vs. distinct median septum) (cf. Fig. 1D and Fu et al. (2016): 283, fig. 9G), the peanut-shaped spermathecae (vs. globular spermathecae) and the fertilisation ducts longer than spermathecae (vs. shorter than spermathecae) (cf. Fig. 1E and Fu et al. (2016): 283, fig. 9H).

The specific epithet refers to the Chinese name of Garrulax courtoisi (Ménégaux, 1923), 'lan guan zao mei', a critically endangered bird species from the Wuyuan National Nature Reserve for Forest Birds; noun in apposition.

Known only from the type locality in Jiangxi Province, China (Fig. 7).

Figure 7.  

Records of Aculithus languan sp. nov. (green circle) and A. ruijin sp. nov. (red triangle) from Jiangxi Province, China.

It was collected from leaf litter in areas of broad-leaved forests and bamboo broadleaf mixed forests in hilly areas (Fig. 2A and B).

Male (Holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 3A and B and Fig. 6E. Total length 2.28, carapace 1.17 long, 0.99 wide.

Eye sizes and interdistances Fig. 3A: AME 0.04, ALE 0.06, PME 0.06, PLE 0.07; AME−AME 0.03, AME−ALE 0.02, PME−PME 0.07, PME−PLE 0.05, AME−PME 0.07, AME−PLE 0.11, ALE−ALE 0.13, PLE−PLE 0.27, ALE−PLE 0.06. MOA 0.17 long, frontal width 0.1, posterior width 0.18. Chelicerae (Fig. 3C) with three promarginal (proximal largest, distal smallest and separate) and two retromarginal teeth (distal larger, compact). Sternum (Fig. 3B) slightly longer than wide, posteriorly triangular, relatively blunt. Leg measurements: I 3.68 (1.06, 0.32, 1.15, 0.72, 0.43); II 3.38 (0.87, 0.43, 0.83, 0.85, 0.4); III 2.9 (0.77, 0.35, 0.62, 0.77, 0.39); IV 4.31 (1.14, 0.4, 0.93, 1.2, 0.64). Left leg spination (Fig. 3A and B): femora I d11, p111, II d1, IV d1; tibiae I v222222, II v222222; metatarsi I v2222, II v2221. Pedicel 0.08 long. Abdomen (Fig. 3A and B) 1.03 long, 0.79 wide, dorsal scutum covering more than 1/2 length of abdomen.

Colouration (Fig. 3A and B). Carapace yellow, with irregular radial pale brown mottled markings around submargin and arc-shaped pale brown stripes along the margin. Chelicerae, endites and labium yellow. Sternum yellow, with yellow brown lateral margins. Legs yellow, with darker tibiae and metatarsi, distally bearing faint brown annulations. Abdomen yellowish-white, with a pair of large arc-shaped markings on both sides of the medial dorsal scutum, five dark brown wavy transverse stripes posteriorly and brown markings on the anterior half of the scutum; venter with a pair of slanting spots posterolaterally.

Palp (Fig. 4A−D and Fig. 5B−G). Femoral apophysis (FA) strong, not sclerotised, width less than half of its length. Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) large, finger-shaped, longer than tibia, strongly sclerotised, apex pointed, bent ventrally. Dorsal tibial apophysis (DTA) shorter than retrolateral tibial apophysis, curved prolaterally, sclerotised and tapered at the subapex. Sperm duct (SD) nearly C-shaped, extending from below the retrolateral tegular apophysis (rTA) and gradually narrowing. Retrolateral tegular apophysis relatively broad, membranous, protruding and blunt retrolaterally. Embolus (Em) relatively long, spine-like.

Female (Paratype). Habitus as in Fig. 3D and E and Fig. 6F. Total length 2.7, carapace 1.29 long, 1.12 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.07, PME 0.07, PLE 0.09, AME-AME 0.02, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.06, PME-PLE 0.04, AME-PME 0.06, AME-PLE 0.14, ALE-ALE 0.14, PLE-PLE 0.28, ALE-PLE 0.06. MOA 0.17 long, frontal width 0.11, posterior width 0.21. Leg measurements: I 4.46 (1.16, 0.5, 1.28, 1.09, 0.43); II 3.77 (0.98, 0.47, 0.95, 0.9, 0.47); III 3.44 (0.85, 0.42, 0.7, 0.89, 0.58); IV 4.7 (1.26, 0.43, 1.03, 1.34, 0.64). Left leg spination (Fig. 3D, E): femora I d11 p111, II d1, III d1, IV d1; tibiae I v22222221, II v2222221, metatarsi I v2222, II v2221. Pedicel 0.06 long. Abdomen (Fig. 3D and E) 1.35 long, 0.85 wide.

Colouration (Fig. 3D and E). Darker than male, with legs I-IV bearing black annulations distally on femora, patellae and tibiae, while metatarsi I-II with blackish-brown mottled markings distally.

Epigyne (Fig. 4E and F and Fig. 5H). Epigynal plate mushroom-shaped, antero-medially with pair of small, oval copulatory openings (CO), medially with indistinct median septum (MS). Copulatory ducts (CD), connecting tubes (CT) and spermathecae (Spe) distinctly visible through integument in intact epigyne. Copulatory ducts shorter than half length of connecting tubes, located between copulatory openings and glandular appendages, both sides with pair of large, bean-shaped, transparent bursae (Bu), covering more than half of the epigyne. Glandular appendages (GA) longer than half the width of connecting tubes, near base of bursae, located on anterior of connecting tubes. Connecting tubes approximately half length of the bursae, with the anterior part nearly parallel and the posterior part S-shaped. Spermathecae oval, directed laterally. Fertilisation ducts (FD) as long as spermathecae, directed anteriorly and located near the posterior end of the vulva.

The males of the new species are similar to A. subfabiformis (Liu, 2020) in having a spine-like embolus, a C-shaped sperm duct and a broad retrolateral tegular apophysis (see Liu et al. (2020): 14, fig. 9), but can be separated from it by the retrolateral tegular apophysis with a broad retrolateral part (vs. thin), the dorsal tibial apophysis sharp narrowing medially (vs. gradually tapered) and the slender embolus (vs. short embolus) (cf. Fig. 4B−C and Fig. 5B−F and Liu et al. (2020): 14, fig. 9D). The female resembles A. subfabiformis (Liu, 2020) in having the large bursae covering more than half of the epigyne and the slightly curved and medially separated connecting tubes (see Liu et al. (2020): 16, fig. 11), but can be separated from it by the bursae separated posteriorly (vs. compact posteriorly) and the wide separated spermathecae (vs. closely touching) (cf. Fig. 4E and Liu et al. (2020): 14, fig. 11D).

The species name is derived from the name of the type locality; noun in apposition.

Known only from the type locality in Jiangxi Province, China (Fig. 7).

It was collected from leaf litter in areas of broad-leaved forests and bamboo broadleaf mixed forests in hilly areas (Fig. 6A−D).

Phrurolithus taoyuan Fu, Chen & Zhang, 2016 Fu et al. (2016): 283, figs. 9A−H, 10A−E (♂♀, type deposition in MHBU).

Otacilia taoyuan (Fu, Chen & Zhang, 2016) Zamani and Marusik (2020): 312.

See Fu et al. (2016).

Male of this species (see Fu et al. (2016): 283, figs. 9A−H and 10A−E) similar to other species of Aculithus in having irregular radial dark stripes mediolaterally on carapace, arc-shaped dark stripes along margin, small PME, large retrolateral and dorsal tibial apophyses, short spine-like embolus and membranous retrolateral tegular apophysis, but can be distinguished by retrolateral and dorsal tibial apophyses with sudden mid-length constriction (vs. gradually tapered), elongated retrolateral tegular apophysis (vs. short and thick). For females, see the diagnosis of A. languan sp. nov. (cf. Fu et al. (2016): 283, fig. 9H and Fig. 1E).

Known only from the type locality in Sichuan Province, China.