Songthela lixi Zhang & Xu, 2025

Han, Shoushuo, Zhang, Yan, Li, Daiqin & Xu, Xin, 2025, Two new species of the spider genus Songthela (Mesothelae, Liphistiidae) from Hunan Province, China, ZooKeys 1241, pp. 291-300 : 291-300

Songthela lixi Zhang & Xu sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 3

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Hunan Province, Shaoyang City, Suinng County, Lixi Town, Jiangtang Village ; 26.79°N, 110.41°E; alt. 407 m; 24 August 2022; X. Xu, Y. Zhan, Y. Zhang, Y. X. Li leg.; XUX-2022-241 . Paratypes: China • 2 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀; same data as for the holotype; XUX-2022-239 , 240, 242–244 .

Diagnosis.

Male palp of S. lixi sp. nov. resembles those of S. lianhe and S. unispina by conductor with a thick apical spine, but can be distinguished from S. lianhe by contrategulum with larger teeth proximally (Fig. 3 A, D vs. fig. 14 d in Li et al. 2022), and by curved marginal apophysis of tegulum (Fig. 3 G vs. fig. 14 g in Li et al. 2022); from that of S. unispina by slightly smaller terminal apophysis of tegulum (Fig. 3 C, F vs. fig. 17 f in Li et al. 2022). Female genitalia of S. lixi sp. nov. resemble those of S. lianhe and S. unispina by four receptacular clusters situated nearly along the anterior margin of the bursa copulatrix, but differ from S. lianhe by middle receptacular clusters distinct smaller than the lateral ones, from S. unispina by longer middle genital stalks (Fig. 3 H – K vs. figs 15, 17 h – k in Li et al. 2022).

Description.

Male (holotype). Carapace yellowish brown; opisthosoma light brown, with 12 dark brown tergites, the 2 nd to 6 th larger than others and the 4 th largest; sternum narrow, longer than wide; ocular area slightly raised with several pointed hairs; chelicerae robust with promargin of cheliceral groove with 8 denticles of variable size; each leg with 3 claws, with strong setae and spines; 7 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 9.41, CL 4.40, CW 4.09, OL 3.96, OW 2.99; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; leg I 14.53 (4.07, 1.81, 2.90, 3.89, 1.86), leg II 14.79 (3.96, 1.79, 2.93, 4.09, 2.02), leg III 15.70 (3.76, 1.82, 2.96, 4.95, 2.21), leg IV 20.78 (5.24, 1.98, 4.07, 6.57, 2.92).

Palp. Paracymbium unpigmented and unsclerotised in prolateral view, with several setae and spines on the tip (Fig. 3 A – C ). Contrategulum with a row of serrated edge (Fig. 3 A, D ). Tegulum with a helicoid curved marginal apophysis and dorsal extension of terminal apophysis, and with a thumb-like terminal apophysis (Fig. 3 C, F, G ). Conductor smooth, fused with embolus basally, with a slightly curved and long apical spine pointed to the one-third of opening of embolus proximally (Fig. 3 A, B, D, G ). Embolus highly sclerotised, with a wide smooth opening, with several longitudinal ribs reaching tip in retrolateral view (Fig. 3 G ).

Female ( XUX-2022-239 ). Carapace yellowish brown; opisthosoma light brown, with 12 black brown tergites attached to a pair of thick bristles, the 2 nd to 6 th larger than others and the 4 th largest; sternum and ocular area similar as male; chelicerae robust with promargin of cheliceral groove with 12 denticles of variable size; each leg with three claws and strong setae hairs and spines; 7 spinnerets. Measurements: BL 11.64, CL 5.70, CW 5.00, OL 5.08, OW 4.15; ALE> PLE> PME> AME; palp 10.88 (3.80, 2.07, 2.35, 2.66), leg I 11.94 (3.85, 2.24, 2.16, 2.41, 1.28), leg II 11.33 (3.35, 2.06, 2.11, 2.31, 1.50), leg III 12.26 (3.57, 2.06, 2.08, 2.80, 1.75), leg IV 16.77 (4.61, 2.46, 3.00, 4.46, 2.24).

Female genitalia. Four receptacular clusters situated on the anterior margin of the bursa copulatrix; the middle ones with distinct stalks and V-shaped; the lateral ones larger than the middle ones; the anterior margin of the bursa copulatrix arc-shaped, the posterior margin of the genital area trapezoidal (Fig. 3 H – K ).

Variation.

Males and females differ in body size and the number of cheliceral teeth. Measurements for males (N = 3) are as follows: BL 8.97–9.41, CL 4.40–4.62, CW 3.98–4.09, OL 3.83–4.12, OW 2.77–3.04. For females (N = 3), measurements are: BL 10.90–14.12, CL 5.18–6.02, CW 4.47–5.26, OL 4.78–7.20, OW 3.93–5.46. The number of cheliceral teeth ranges from 8 to 12 (N = 6). In addition, the middle receptacular clusters exhibit variation: they either have longer stalks and are widely separated from each other at the base (Fig. 3 I ) or possess shorter stalks that are closely positioned at the base (Fig. 3 H ).

Etymology.

The species epithet, a noun in apposition, refers to the type locality.

Distribution.

Hunan (Shaoyang), China

GenBank accession number.

XUX-2022-239 : PV 330149; XUX-2022-240 : PV 330150; XUX-2022-241 : PV 330151; XUX-2022-242 : PV 330152; XUX-2022-243 : PV 330153; XUX-2022-244 : PV 330154.

Remarks.

Both the maximum and mean intraspecific genetic distances of the new species are 0 % based on K 2 P and p - distance. Among the 28 species analyzed, the closest interspecific genetic distance is 7.24 % (P 2 P) and 6.83 % (p - distance) between S. lixi sp. nov and S. lianhe (Table 1 ).

Figures

Figure 1. General somatic morphology and collection localities of two new Songthela species A, C male B, D female A, B Songthela dongta sp. nov. C, D Songthela lixi sp. nov. A XUX- 2023-017 B XUX- 2023-016 C XUX- 2022-240 D XUX- 2022-244 E Map showing the type localities of the two new and 23 known Songthela species (black dots) in Hunan Province, China. Scale bar: 5 mm.

Figure 3. Male palp and female genitalia of Songthela lixi sp. nov. A, D palp, prolateral view B, E palp, ventral view C, F palp, retrolateral view G palp, distal view H, I vulvae, dorsal view J, K vulvae, ventral view A – C XUX- 2022-241 D – G XUX- 2022-240 H, J XUX- 2022-239 I, K XUX- 2022-244. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.