Brevitubus ellipticus, Zhu & Liao & Yin & Xu, 2025

Zhu, Shixiong, Liao, Rongrong, Yin, Haiqiang & Xu, Xiang, 2025, Brevitubus gen. nov. (Araneae, Phrurolithidae), a new guardstone spider genus from southern China, with descriptions of four new species and proposal of four new combinations, Zootaxa 5637 (3), pp. 450-468 : 455-458

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5637.3.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2AEF30EC-BCE0-4A0D-8793-3CCDF0C6176B
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D766C41B-FFC9-FF9D-F4DC-6800B578FC52
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Brevitubus ellipticus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Brevitubus ellipticus sp. nov. (a圆Sŝe)

Figs 2–3 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 , 8 View FIGURE 8

Type material. China • ♂ holotype; Guangxi, Laibin City, Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County, Shengtangshan Scenic Area ; 23°58'03"N, 110°06'31"E; 1523 m a.s.l.; 11 Oct. 2021; A.L. He, J.X. Liu, Z.G. Huang, R. R. Liao, Q. Li, X.M. Yang, Y.L. Wen, Z. Ye, and Y. Liu leg.; HNU599 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Paratypes. China • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; HNU598 View Materials GoogleMaps . • 2 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; Pingzhu Nature Reserve Station ; 23°57'07"N, 110°16'21"E; 1148 m a.s.l.; 13 Oct. 2021; collected by the same collectors as for the holotype; HNU600 View Materials GoogleMaps to 601 View Materials .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word “ ellipticus ” meaning “elliptical”, referring to the shape of the spermathecae; adjective.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to B. haitun ( Liu, Xu & Yin, 2023) comb. nov. in having similar spermathecae, copulatory ducts and femoral apophysis, but can be distinguished by the presence of a distinct Vshaped anterior margin of epigyne (versus epigyne without a V-shaped anterior margin in B. haitun ) in female (compare Fig. 3C–D View FIGURE 3 with fig. 9C–D in Liu et al. 2023), and by RTA forming an about three-quarters circle, with a long and sharp distal end (in dorsal view) (versus RTA forming a half-circle, with a short and flat distal end, also with an additional triangular apophysis at the base in B. haitun ) in male (compare Fig. 2C–F View FIGURE 2 with fig. 8C–F in Liu et al. 2023).

Description. Male (holotype): total length 3.61, carapace 1.57 long, 1.22 wide; abdomen 1.82 long, 0.98 wide. Carapace nearly round, with black marginal bands. Cervical groove and radial furrow indistinct. Fovea dark red, longitudinal. AER and PER recurved. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.09, PME 0.08, PLE 0.09, AME−AME 0.05, AME−ALE 0.02, PME−PME 0.09, PME−PLE 0.05, ALE−PLE 0.07, AME−PME 0.07,

ALE−ALE 0.44, PLE−PLE 0.54. CH 0.10. Chelicera with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth. MOA 0.20 long, anterior width 0.23, posterior width 0.29. Leg measurements: I 6.33 (1.57, 0.56, 2.02, 1.48, 0.70); II 5.22 (1.07, 0.51, 1.58, 1.25, 0.81); III 4.53 (1.05, 0.45, 1.04, 1.15, 0.84); IV 6.80 (1.67, 0.52, 1.59, 2.04, 0.98); Leg formula: 4123. Leg spination: Femur I pv1-1-1-1, II pv1-1-1; Tibia I v2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2, II v2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2; Metatarsus I v2-2-2-2, II pv1-1-1-1, rv1-1-1. Abdomen oval, dorsally with short transverse white strip close to posterior end, ventrally with 2 longitudinally light brown stripes, 1 black patch anterior to spinnerets, and 1 additional patch centrally ( Figs 2A, 2B View FIGURE 2 ).

Palp. Femur with a distinct apophysis ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ). RTA strong, modified, forming a half-circle-shaped bend in dorsal view, and with sharp distal end and finger-shaped basal apophysis ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ); in prolateral view, both sharp distal end and finger-shaped basal apophysis red brown, highly sclerotized ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ). Tegular apophysis triangular. Sperm duct distinct, U-shaped (about a three-quarter circle), occupying ~1/3 length of tegulum. Embolus small and short. Conductor membranous, longitudinally elongated and supporting base of embolus ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ).

Female (paratype HUN600): total length 3.80; carapace 1.77 long, 1.49 wide; abdomen 1.93 long, 1.12 wide. Carapace yellowish-brown, with a chrysanthemum-petal-shaped pattern (but not very conspicuous) ( Figs 3A, 3B View FIGURE 3 ). Cervical groove and radial furrow integrating into the pattern of carapace. Fovea dark red, longitudinal. AER and PER slightly recurved. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.09, PME 0.09, PLE 0.10, AME−AME 0.02, AME−ALE 0.01, PME−PME 0.06, PME−PLE 0.03, ALE−PLE 0.07, AME−PME 0.07, ALE−ALE 0.45, PLE−PLE 0.56. CH 0.08. Chelicera with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth. MOA 0.26 long, anterior width 0.23, posterior width 0.31. Leg measurements: I 6.59 (1.60, 0.58, 2.02, 1.54, 0.85); II 5.58 (1.33, 0.55, 1.58, 1.30, 0.82); III 4.68 (1.13, 0.54, 1.02, 1.21, 0.78); IV 6.99 (1.72, 0.54, 1.69, 2.08, 0.96). Leg formula: 4123. Leg spination: Femur I pv1-1-1-1, II pv1-1-1; Tibia I v2-2-2-2-2-2-2, II pv1-1-1-1-1-1-1, rv1-1-1-1-1-1; Metatarsus I v2-2-2-2, II pv1-1-1-1, rv1-1-1. Characteristics of abdomen resemble those of male, except for the absence of a ventral central patch in female.

Epigyne. Copulatory openings indistinct ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ); copulatory ducts expanded sac-shaped ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ); connecting tubes short, upright, parallel and close to each other ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Spermathecae bean-shaped, obliquely and slightly elongating ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ). Fertilization ducts almost upright, originating from anterior margin of spermathecae, roughly equal in length to connecting tubes ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Guangxi, China ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ).