Tmarus scopulus, 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 : 386

Tmarus scopulus sp. nov. (ṳẽẹne)

Figs 8–9

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( MHBU-ARA- 2023-47-1) from CHINA: Yunnan Province: Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture , Longchuan County, 24.382458°N, 97.827372°E, alt. 1713m, 18 April 2023, leg. by Weihang Wang and Zhiyong Yang.

Etymology. The specific name “ scopulus ” is a Latin noun meaning “rock”. The coloration and shape of the species’ opisthosoma reminds the first author of a barnacle covered reef on the shore.

Diagnosis. This new species aligns with the diagnostic characteristics of the genus Tmarus Simon, 1875 but can be easily recognized by its scoop-shaped ITA. This new species resembles Tmarus byssinus Tang & Li, 2009 ( Tang and Li 2009: 50, figs 1B–D) in having similar embolus and VTA, but can be distinguished by the longer and scoop-shaped ITA on tibia (vs. ITA relatively shorter), the short RTA (vs. RTA relatively longer), and the embolic tip expending to approximately 5 to 6 o’clock position (vs. tip at 3 o’clock in T. byssinus ).

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 8 ): Measurements. Total length 4.89; carapace 2.20 long, 2.09 wide; opisthosoma 2.90 long, 1.50 wide; clypeus height 0.32; labium 0.50 long, 0.25 wide; sternum 1.20 long, 0.93 wide. Diameters and interdistances of eyes: AME 0.08, ALE 0.20, PME 0.08, PLE 0.19; AME–AME 0.16, AME–ALE 0.16, ALE–ALE 0.64, PME–PME 0.22, PME–PLE 0.33, PLE–PLE 1.04, ALE–PLE 0.20. Leg measurements: Ⅰ 11.78 (3.41, 1.09, 3.24, 2.78, 1.26), II 11.47 (3.34, 0.93, 3.10, 2.76, 1.34), III 5.53 (1.84, 0.49, 1.65, 0.94, 0.61), IV 5.78 (1.86, 0.60, 1.65, 1.00, 0.67); leg formula:1243. Coloration in ethanol. Carapace pale-yellow, with blackish-brown spots, a pair of blackish-brown, radial furrow with dark margin, cervical groove with a pair of blackish-brown marks. Eye field and chelicerae brown with dark spots. Endites and labium white to pale-yellow. Sternum yellow with dark spots. Legs pale-yellow. Opisthosoma dorsum black to dark-green, with symmetrical claret-red to dark-red spots and bilateral pair of off-white patterns; venter grey with wooden brown stripe medially.

Palp ( Fig. 9 ). Tegulum flat; embolus long and thread-like, extending from 3 o’clock and turning clockwise to approximately 4 o’clock position, rotating little more than full circle; VTA hook-shaped; ITA scoop-shaped, with wrinkles on its lateral surface; RTA subconical, relatively short and dark.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Female. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Tmarus scopulus sp. nov., male holotype. A–B Habitus (A dorsal, B ventral); C Head frontal.

FIGURE 9. Tmarus scopulus sp. nov., male holotype. A–C Left palp (A ventral, B retrolateral, C dorsal). Abbreviations: E, embolus; ITA, intermedial tibial apophysis; VTA, ventral tibial apophysis; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis.