Houcosa zhaoi, 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

Houcosa zhaoi sp. nov.

Common name. 赵氏犼蛛 Figs 2 , 3 , 16

Type material.

Holotype ♂ ( SWUC -T-LY-19-01 ): China, Guangxi, Laibin City, Jinxiu Co., Pingban , 24°05'25"N, 110°10'34"E, elev. 1053 m, 26 April 2023, W. Q. Zhao leg. Paratypes: 4 ♂ 5 ♀ ( SWUC -T-LY-19-02 – 10), with same data as for holotype .

Etymology.

The specific epithet is taken from the family name of Mr Wenqi Zhao (Nanchang, China), who collected this species.

Diagnosis.

See genus diagnosis.

Description.

Male (holotype, Fig. 3 A ). Total length 6.85. Prosoma 3.21 long, 2.43 wide; opisthosoma 3.51 long, 2.43 wide. Carapace greyish brown, lacking distinct pattern, with lighter median band in posterior part. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.12, PME 0.37, PLE 0.32; AME – AME 0.07, AME – ALE 0.07, PME – PME 0.30, PME – PLE 0.35. Clypeus height 0.22. Legs yellow brown, with black pigmentation. Leg measurements: I 8.69 (2.24, 3.10, 2.23, 1.12); II 8.40 (2.23, 2.89, 2.09, 1.19); III 8.63 (2.23, 2.69, 2.56, 1.15); IV 11.87 (2.84, 3.74, 3.78, 1.51). Opisthosoma oval. Dorsum greyish brown, with yellow brown markings. Venter yellow brown.

Palp (Fig. 2 ). Tibia with 2 pairs of prolateral spines. Embolus whip-shaped. Basoembolic apophysis biforked. No conductor. Terminal apophysis long and membranous. Tegular apophysis small and semicircular. Retrolateral tegular apophysis triangular.

Female (paratype SWUC -T-LY-19-02 , Fig. 3 B ). Total length 8.15. Prosoma 3.62 long, 2.79 wide; opisthosoma 4.35 long, 2.96 wide. Carapace with distinct light median band, wide in cephalic part as wide as PME – PME, and thin in posterior part. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.13, PME 0.38, PLE 0.34; AME – AME 0.13, AME – ALE 0.10, PME – PME 0.32, PME – PLE 0.38. Clypeus 0.15 high. Leg measurements: I 8.70 (2.54, 3.13, 2.08, 0.95); II 8.54 (2.43, 3.12, 1.90, 1.09); III 8.18 (2.26, 2.55, 2.25, 1.12); IV 12.59 (3.08, 4.10, 3.92, 1.49).

Epigyne (Fig. 3 C, D ). Septum slightly longer than wide with semicircular posterior part. Copulatory openings located between septum and lateral walls. Stalk of spermatheca S-shaped, head of spermatheca suboval. Fertilization ducts crescent-shaped.

Habitat.

Live on the forest floor of broad-leaved forests.

Distribution.

Currently known only from the type locality, China (Guangxi, Fig. 15 ).

Figures

Figure 2. Houcosa zhaoi sp. nov. A – C holotype male D – F paratype male A male left palp, prolateral view B same, ventral view C same, retrolateral view D left male palp, bulb, ventral view E same, retrolateral view F embolus and terminal apophysis, ventral view. Abbreviations: BEA = basoembolic apophysis; E = embolus; RTeA = retrolateral tegular apophysis; St = subtegulum; TA = Terminal apophysis; Te = tegulum; TeA = Tegular apophysis.

Figure 3. Houcosa zhaoi sp. nov. A holotype, male B – D paratype, female A male habitus, dorsal view B female habitus, dorsal view C epigyne, ventral view D vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CO = copulatory opening; FD = fertilization duct; HS = head of spermatheca. Se = septum; SS = stalk of spermatheca.

Figure 15. Loongcosa wuyiensis (Yu & Song, 1988), comb. nov. from Tianmu Mountain A male habitus, dorsal view B female habitus, dorsal view C epigyne, ventral view D vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: AH = anterior hood; CO = copulatory opening; FD = fertilization duct; HS = head of spermatheca. Se = septum; SS = stalk of spermatheca.

Figure 16. Geographic distribution of Houcosa, Kuncosa and Loongcosa.