Houcosa, Wang & Marusik & Zhang, 2025

Wang, Lu-Yu, Marusik, Yuri M. & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2025, Three new genera of wolf spiders (Araneae, Lycosidae) living on the forest floor in East Asia, ZooKeys 1239, pp. 123-145 : 123-145

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1239.152834

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AEE92A19-F974-4182-B276-D88B764A9C4D

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15482667

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/65816340-F732-5716-A4F5-A61E28DD3442

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Houcosa
status

gen. nov.

Houcosa gen. nov.

Type species.

Houcosa zhaoi sp. nov.

Etymology.

The generic name is a compound noun derived from the ancient Chinese mythical creatures ‘ hou’ (犼) and ‘ - cosa’, a common ending for Lycosidae genera. The gender is feminine.

Diagnosis.

Houcosa gen. nov. is similar to Loongcosa gen. nov. in having a modified palp tibia, 2 pairs of spines on the male palp tibia, a biforked basoembolic apophysis (BEA, Figs 2 View Figure 2 , 12 View Figure 12 , 14 View Figure 14 ), absent median apophysis and conductor, an extended posterior septum of the epigynes (Figs 3 C, D View Figure 3 , 13 C, D View Figure 13 , 15 C, D View Figure 15 ), but differs by the tibia as long as cymbium (Fig. 2 A – C View Figure 2 ) (vs 1 / 3 length, Figs 12 A – C View Figure 12 , 14 A – C View Figure 14 ), the long and membranous terminal apophysis located on the anterior side of the embolus (TA, Fig. 2 F View Figure 2 ) (vs short and sclerotized, located on the posterior side of the embolus; Figs 12 F View Figure 12 , 14 F View Figure 14 ), the thin embolus (Fig. 2 F View Figure 2 ) (vs broad, Figs 12 B, D, F View Figure 12 , 14 B, D, F View Figure 14 ), the small and semicircular tegular apophysis (TeA, Figs 2 B – E View Figure 2 ) (vs absent), the triangular retrolateral tegular apophysis (RTeA, Fig. 2 A – E View Figure 2 ) (vs strongly sclerotized and grooved, Figs 12 B – E View Figure 12 , 14 B – E View Figure 14 ), the small and semicircular septum (Se, Fig. 3 C View Figure 3 ) (vs large and almost tongue-shaped, Figs 13 C View Figure 13 , 15 C View Figure 15 ), the S-shaped stalk of the spermatheca (SS, Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 ) (vs arc-shaped, Figs 14 D View Figure 14 , 15 D View Figure 15 ), large and spherical head of the spermatheca (HS, Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 ) (vs small and spherical or elongate, Figs 14 D View Figure 14 , 15 D View Figure 15 ).

Description.

Carapace brown, pear-shaped. Eyes region black. Cervical groove and radial furrows indistinct (Fig. 3 A, B View Figure 3 ). Chelicerae brown, with 3 teeth on both margins. Labium brown, with dark base, longer than wide. Endites brown, longer than wide. Sternum brown and scutellate, with sparse black setae. Legs brown, with black pigmentation. Leg formula: 4132 or 4123. Opisthosoma oval, dorsum black brown, with lanceolate cardiac mark in anterior half, venter brown.

Palp (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ): Tibia modified, rounded ventro-proximally and dorso-distally with 2 pairs of spines: pair of dorsal and pair of prolateral spines. Cymbium with short tip, cymbial claws absent. Subtegulum (St) located postero-prolaterally. Sperm duct waved. Tegulum with distal triangular apophysis (RTeA). Tegular apophysis (TeA) small, semicircular. Conductor and median apophysis lacking. Embolic division complex, palea lacking, with large and heavily sclerotized basoembolic apophysis with 2 horned-like extensions (BEA), terminal apophysis (TA) membranous. Embolus (E) originated on dorsal part of embolic division, whip-shaped.

Epigyne (Fig. 3 C, D View Figure 3 ): Epigynal plate slightly wider than long, fovea absent, septum (Se) small with semicircular posterior part. Spermathecae S-shaped with long stalks (SS) and suboval heads (HS).

Composition.

Houcosa zhaoi sp. nov.

Distribution.

China (Guangxi) (Fig. 16 View Figure 16 ).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Lycosidae