Bifidocoelotes Wang 2002
Creators: name: Liao, Rongrong
name: Wang, Ziwei
name: Yin, Haiqiang
name: Xu, Xiang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Agelenidae
Bifidocoelotes

description: Genus Bifidocoelotes Wang, 2002
Type species: Bifidocoelotes tsoi Li & Blick, 2020.
Diagnosis: Females can be recognized by the combination of the following characteristics: a single epigynal tooth pale in color and variably keratinized (this kind of tooth is often difficult to see) which originates on the anterior margin of the epigyne, is at least half the length of epigyne, and has a bifurcated tip of varying degrees (Fig. 1A–F); the presence of a spermathecal head, and the different configuration of spermathecae and copulatory ducts. Males can be recognized by the combination of the following characteristics: a more or less bifid conductor; a long and slender embolus originating proximally; an extremely long cymbial furrow; a relatively small and spoon-like median apophysis; a broad retrolateral tibial apophysis; a lateral tibial apophysis present and a finger-like patellar apophysis (Figs 2A–D, 4C–E; Zhou et al. 2017: figs 1C–E, 2E–G, 3C–E, 4E–G, 5; Wang et al. 2001: figs 3, 4). Both sexes have three promarginal and two retromarginal cheliceral teeth.
Composition: Six species, Bifidocoelotes elongatus sp. nov. (♀), B. mammiformis sp. nov. (♀, ♁), B. quadratus sp. nov. (♀); B. obscurus Zhou, Yuen & Zhang, 2017 (♀, ♁), B. primus (Fox, 1937) (♀, ♁) and B. tsoi Li & Blick, 2020 (♀, ♁).
Distribution: China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Taiwan) (Fig. 7).
Key to the Bifidocoelotes species
1. Male............................................................................................... 2
- Female............................................................................................. 5
2. Conductor slightly bifurcated terminally (Fig. 2C; Zhou et al. 2017: fig. 5)................................ B. primus
- Conductor strongly bifurcated terminally (Fig. 2A, B, D)..................................................... 3
3. The two branches of conductor subequal in length (Fig. 2B).............................................. B. tsoi
- One branch of conductor clearly longer than the other (Fig. 2A, D)............................................. 4
4. The proximal branch of conductor smaller and shorter than the other (Fig. 2A)................ B. mammiformis sp. nov.
- The proximal branch of conductor stronger and longer than the other (Fig. 2D)........................... B. obscurus
5. Epigynal tooth only slightly bifurcated (Fig. 1A, E).......................................................... 6
- Epigynal tooth deeply bifurcated (bifurcated ca. 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the epigynal tooth) (Fig. 1B–D, F).............. 7
6. Spermathecal head mammillary (Zhou et al. 2017: figs 1B, 2D)....................................... B. obscurus
- Spermathecal head thumb-shaped (Fig. 3D)................................................ B. elongatus sp. nov.
7. Atrium extremely large, quadrate (Figs 1F, 6C)............................................ B. quadratus sp. nov.
- Atrium relatively small or absent (Fig. 1B–D).............................................................. 8
8. Spermathecae longitudinally extended (Wang et al. 2001: figs 1, 2)........................................ B. tsoi
- Spermathecae more or less globular (Fig. 5D; Zhou et al. 2017: figs 3B, 4D)...................................... 9
9. Spermathecae long finger-shaped, almost touching each other (Zhou et al. 2017: figs 3B, 4D)................. B. primus
- Spermathecae small ball-shaped and separated far from each other (Fig. 5D).................. B. mammiformis sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Liao, Rongrong, Wang, Ziwei, Yin, Haiqiang & Xu, Xiang, 2022, A review of the genus Bifidocoelotes Wang, 2002, with the description of three new species from China (Araneae, Agelenidae), pp. 179-189 in Zootaxa 5222 (2) on pages 180-181, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5222.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/7456717