Draconarius laosensis, Hoang & Nophaseud & Jäger, 2025

Hoang, Quang Duy, Nophaseud, Liphone & Jäger, Peter, 2025, Notes on the genus Draconarius Ovtchinnikov, 1999 (Araneae: Agelenidae) with description of two new species from Laos, Zootaxa 5590 (4), pp. 555-567 : 557-561

Draconarius laosensis spec. nov.

Figs 1–5 , 8 , 10–11

Type material. Holotype male: LAOS: Vientiane Province: west Vang Vieng, Tham Khan , 18°55'32.52"N, 102°25'8.04"E, 314 m a.s.l., inside cave, by day, by hand, 27 December 2023, Q.D. Hoang leg. ( VNMN) . Paratypes: 2 females, with same data as for holotype ( VNMN) , 1 male, west Vang Vieng , Tham Soksay, 18°5523.30"N, 102°23'8.71"E, 273 m a.s.l., inside cave, by day, by hand, 7 Dec. 2023, C. Kennedy leg. ( SMF) ; 1 female, with same data as previous specimen, except for: Tham Puna , 18°55'33.16"N, 102°22'56.60"E, 280 m a.s.l., 9 October 2024 ( SMF) ; 2 females, north Vang Vieng , west Ban Phoxay, Tham Kieo, 19°0'48.00"N, 102°25'54.12"E, 370 m a.s.l., inside cave, by hand, 2 Dec. 2012, P. Jäger leg. ( SMF) .

Additional material examined. 1 immature female, with same data as for holotype ( VNMN) ; 1 juvenile female, with same data as for holotype, except for: P. Jäger & S. Packheiser leg. 24 Jul. 2018 ( SMF) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis. Males of the new species ( Figs 1B–C , 2A–C ) resemble those of D. linzhiensis (Hu, 2001) ( Li et al. 2019: fig. 3A–C) in having a similar conformation of RTA and LTA, short cymbial furrow, conductor with jagged margin and embolus without coil, but it differs from the latter by the following characteristics: patellar apophysis thin and pointed tip ( Fig. 1B–C ), relatively blunt and wide tip in D. linzhiensis ( Li et al. 2019, fig. 3B–C); RTA nearly as half as tibia in the new species and swollen medially ( Fig. 1C ), more than half tibia length and slightly concave in D. linzhiensis ( Li et al. 2019, fig. 3C); conductor blunt ( Fig. 1B–C ) vs. pointed tip in D. linzhiensis ( Li et al. 2019, fig. 3B, C), embolus base narrow at 5 o’clock ( Fig. 1B ) while wide and at 6 o’clock in D. linzhiensis ( Li et al. 2019, fig. 3B). Females of the new species ( Figs 3A–D , 4A–D ) are similar to that of D. episomos Wang, 2003 ( Wang 2003, fig. 30B) in having a small atrium situated near epigastric furrow, similar shape and position of epigynal teeth, but can be distinguished from the latter by: copulatory ducts wide and long, running parallel anteriorly and connecting spermathecae posteriorly, extremely short in D. episomos ( Wang 2003, fig. 30B); spermathecal heads invisible in the new species, visible in D. episomos , ( Wang 2003, fig. 30B).

Description. Male (holotype). Measurements: Total length 8.41. Prosoma length 4.23, width 2.81. Opisthosoma length 4.18, width 2.24. Prosoma dorsally yellowish brown covered by sparse short grey setae, with a conspicuous longitudinal fovea ( Fig. 1A ). Sternum yellowish brown covered by some grey setae. Chelicerae brown, with 3 promarginal, 2 retromarginal teeth and 1 escort seta. Opisthosoma yellowish brown covered with dense long grey setae and with some lighter inverted chevrons, dorsally ( Fig. 1A ). Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.16, PME 0.17, PLE 0.18; AME–AME 0.07, AME–ALE 0.04, AME–PME 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.01, PME–PME 0.06, PME–PLE 0.09. Leg measurements: I 22.94 (5.64, 7.29, 6.58, 3.43); II 19.41 (5.05, 5.88, 5.59, 2.89); III 17.39 (4.54, 5.21, 5.50, 2.14); IV 22.49 (5.75, 6.50, 7.43, 2.81). Leg formula I–IV–II–III.

Palp ( Figs 1B, C ): Yellowish brown. Patellar apophysis thin, pointed and ventrad ( Figs 1B, C ), RTA nearly half of tibia length, LTA about ¼ of RTA length ( Fig. 1C ), cymbial furrow nearly half cymbium length, conductor simple and wide, lamella with jagged margin ( Figs 1B, C ), embolus stout and without any coils, slightly bent at tip, embolus arising in 6 o’clock position, turning retrolateral first, and then prolaterally and distally, median apophysis elongated ( Figs 1B, C ).

Female (paratype from Tham Khan). As in male, except for: Measurements: Total length 9.83. Prosoma length 4.28, width 2.90. Opisthosoma length 4.55, width 3.02. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.17, PME 0.16, PLE 0.15; AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.06, AME–PME 0.07, ALE–PLE 0.01, PME–PME 0.07, PME–PLE 0.11. Leg measurements: I 18.11 (4.67, 6.04, 4.89, 2.51); II 15.30 (4.21, 4.95, 3.97, 2.17); III 14.30 (3.86, 4.47, 4.03, 1.94); IV 18.52 (4.83, 5.78, 5.65, 2.26). Leg formula IV–I–II–III.

Epigyne ( Figs 3B–D ): Epigyne slightly wider than long; epigynal teeth short, far away from each other; atrium present near epigastric furrow; copulatory ducts wide, long, running parallel anteriorly and connecting to spermathecae posteriorly, touching each other dorsally; spermathecal heads invisible; spermathecal stalks broad, expanded anteriorly; spermathecal bases small and separated.

Variation. Males: Total length: 6.8, prosoma length 3.8, width 2.5. Opisthosoma length 3.1, width 1.9. Females: Total length: 8.1–9.2, prosoma length 3.8–4.3, width 2.5. Opisthosoma length 4.3–4.9, width 3.0. The male from Tham Soksay ( Figs 2A–C ) exhibits a variation compared to the holotype ( Figs 1B–C ) as patellar apophysis directed more distad ( Fig. 2C ). Similarly, the female from Tham Kieo ( Figs 4A–D ) also shows notable variation compared to specimens from Tham Khan ( Figs 3B–D ) as epigynal teeth situated more posteriorly ( Fig. 4A ). Furthermore, although the specimens in this study were collected from different caves, we consider all differences intraspecific variation.

Distribution. Laos (Vientiane Province) ( Figs 8 , 10 , 11 ).

Natural history. The species has only been found in the caves from Vang Vieng karst, Vientiane Province, Laos, spiders residing on a funnel-webs ( Figs 5A–D ).

Figures

FIGURES 1A–C. Draconarius laosensis spec. nov., holotype male from Tham Khan. A Habitus, dorsal; B Palp, ventral; C Same, retrolateral. Scale bars: A 2.0 mm; B–C 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 2A–C. Draconarius laosensis spec. nov., paratype male from Tham Soksay. A Palp, prolateral; B Same, ventral; C Same, retrolateral (spines in A and C omitted). Abbreviations: bH—basal haematodocha; C—conductor; E—embolus; LTA— lateral tibial apophysis; MA—median apophysis; PA—patellar apophysis; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; SP—spermophor; ST—subtegulum; T—tegulum.

FIGURES 3A–D. Draconarius laosensis spec. nov., paratype female from Tham Khan.A Habitus, dorsal; B Epigyne, ventral; C Same, ventral (macerated); D Vulva, dorsal view (macerated). Scale bars: A 2.0 mm; B–D 0.3 mm.

FIGURE 4A–D. Draconarius laosensis spec. nov., paratype female from Tham Kieo. A Epigyne, ventral; B Same, lateral; C Vulva, dorsal; D Schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal. Abbreviations: CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; ET—epigynal tooth; FD—fertilization duct; S—spermatheca.

FIGURES 5A–D. Draconarius laosensis spec. nov., paratype female from Tham Khan, live. A, B In original web; C when escaping; D in a plastic box. Photos by Connor Kennedy.

FIGURES 8A–B. Distribution of Draconarius spp. described in this paper in Laos. A Black quadrangle indicating position of Vang Vieng karst; B Vang Vieng karst with distribution records of D. laosensis spec. nov. (black dots) and D. externus spec. nov. (white quadrangle). Map scanned from Topographic map 1:100,000, Republique Democratique Populaire Lao, Service Geographique Etat, Edition 1985 (E-48-25: M. Kasi, E-48-37: Vangviang). Lines indicate rivers/streams (red—only surface, black—underground, blue—surface).

FIGURES 10A–B. A Published distributional records of Draconarius s.l. species sorted by elevational intervals of occurrence (inset, bottom left); B Distribution along elevational gradient (numbers of datasets [n] against elevation [m]).

FIGURES 11A–B. Published distributional records of Draconarius s.l. A by species; B by life style (A: numbers indicating species numbers in particular countries; B: blue triangles—cave dwelling specimens; red circles—outside dwelling specimens).