Lysiteles falcifer, Liu & Zhang, 2025

Liu, Chang & Zhang, Feng, 2025, Three new species of crab-spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae) from Yunnan, China, Zootaxa 5632 (2), pp. 377-389 : 378-382

Lysiteles falcifer sp. nov. (șḛēse)

Figs 2–4

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( MHBU-ARA- 2022-95-1) from CHINA: Yunnan Province: Lincang City, Shuangjiang County, Mengmeng Town , 23.424°N, 99.865°E, alt. 1969 m, 15 June 2022, Lu Zhang leg.

Paratypes: 1♂, 3♀ ( MHBU-ARA- 2022-95-2–5), with same data as holotype, but collected by Weihang Wang, Mengjiao Xu and Zhiyong Yang.

Etymology. The specific name comes from the Latin word “ falcifer ”, which means sickle-bearing or scytheholding, reflecting the sickle-shaped embolus; adjective.

Diagnosis. This new species aligns with the diagnostic characteristics of genus Lysiteles Simon, 1985 , but can be characterized by the shape of embolus, RTA and copulatory duct, especially the sickle-shaped embolus. This new species resembles Lysiteles bicuspidatus Yu, Li and Jin, 2017 ( Yu et al. 2017: 1077, figs 1–2) in having similar tegulum and body color pattern, but can be distinguished from the latter by the sickle-shaped embolus (vs. drill-shaped in L. bicuspidatus ) and the non-bifurcate RTA (vs. bifurcate in L. bicuspidatus ). It also resembles L. transversus Tang, Yin, Peng, Ubick and Griswold, 2008 ( Tang et al. 2008: 36, figs 19 h–i) in having similar atrium and spermathecae, but can be distinguished by the less tapering copulatory ducts (vs. tapering in L. transversus ).

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 2A, C, E , 3A–E ): Measurements. Total length 2.74; carapace 1.38 long, 1.35 wide; opisthosoma 1.56 long, 1.35 wide; clypeus height 0.25. Labium 0.44 long, 0.22 wide. Sternum 0.74 long, 0.66 wide. Diameters and interdistances of eyes: AME 0.09, ALE 0.158, PME 0.09, PLE 0.11; AME–AME 0.15, AME– ALE 0.13, ALE–ALE 0.6, PME–PME 0.22, PME–PLE 0.26, PLE–PLE 0.76, ALE–PLE 0.19. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 5.33 (1.58, 0.58, 1.36, 1.15, 0.66), II 4.45 (1.65, 0.66, 1.44, 1.06, 0.70), III 2.22 (0.10, 0.35, 0.78, 0.58, 0.41), IV 3.12 (0.98, 0.30, 0.78, 0.63, 0.43); leg formula 1243. Coloration in ethanol ( Figs. 2A, C, E ). Carapace yellow with a pair of paramedian brownish stripes. Chelicerae and eye field blackish brown. Sternum yellow. Legs pale-yellow. Endites and labium yellowish brown. Opisthosoma oval, dorsum off-white, anteriorly with a pair of symmetrical red curved strips, medially with two sets of small white spots, posteriorly with two pairs of large and a pair of small blackish brown transverse stripes; venter pale-yellow, laterally with brown stripes.

Palp ( Fig. 3A–C ). Bulb simple; tegulum oval; embolus sickle-shaped with spout-shaped apex, thick and straight base, and sharp dorsal process; VTA hook-shaped, curving prolaterally and dorsally at apex; ITA absent; RTA dagger-shaped, curving at apex.

Female (one of the paratypes; MHBU-ARA-2022-95-3) ( Figs 2B, D, F , 4A–B ): Measurements. Total length 2.77; carapace 1.39 long, 1.42 wide; opisthosoma 1.55 long, 1.62 wide; clypeus height 0.22; labium 0.42 long, 0.24 wide; sternum 0.75 long, 0.66 wide. Diameters and interdistances of eyes: AME 0.10, ALE 0.15, PME 0.08, PLE 0.12; AME–AME 0.16, AME–ALE 0.20, ALE–ALE 0.74, PME–PME 0.26, PME–PLE 0.31, PLE–PLE 0.85, ALE–PLE 0.22. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 4.09 (1.31, 0.44, 1.04, 0.72, 0.58), II 4.35 (1.41, 0.49, 1.09, 0.76, 0.60), III 2.84 (0.90, 0.37, 0.72, 0.47, 0.38), IV 3.03 (1.00, 0.36, 0.73, 0.53, 0.41); leg formula: 2143. Coloration in ethanol. similar to male, but carapace darker, opisthosoma lighter than male; chelicerae and eye field yellowish brown, same as carapace; carapace with wider stripes extending to the lateral margins; opisthosoma medially with two pairs of white stripes.

Epigynum and vulva ( Fig. 4A, B ). Atrium distinct with arch-shaped hood, copulatory openings originating under sclerotized edge. Copulatory ducts broad and curved in J-shape, almost as wide as half of width of spermathecae, anteriorly with accessory glands; spermathecae pyriform-shaped.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lysiteles falcifer sp. nov., male holotype (A, C, E) and female paratype (B, D, F). A–B Habitus dorsal (A male, B female); C–D Habitus ventral (C male, D female); E–F Head frontal (E male, F female).

FIGURE 3. Lysiteles falcifer sp. nov. A–C Male left palp (A prolateral, B ventral, C retrolateral); D Embolus ventral slightly tilted to lateral; E RTA in ventral view. Abbreviations: E, embolus; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; VTA, ventral tibial apophysis.

FIGURE 4. Lysiteles falcifer sp. nov., female. A Epigyne ventral; B Vulva dorsal. Abbreviations: AG, accessory gland; CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory opening; FD, fertilization duct; H, hood; S, spermatheca.