Vappolotes hei Li & Zhao & Li 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Li, Bing
name: Zhao, Zhe
name: Li, Shuqiang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Agelenidae
Vappolotes
Vappolotes hei

description: Vappolotes hei sp. n.
Figs 5–7
LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C1707500-5E8B-4DEF-B424-D5E6724F4C80
Type material. Holotype: ♁ (IZCAS-Ar44387, YX371): China: Sichuan Prov.: Mianyang City: Jiangyou Co.: Wudu Town, Tuanshan Vil., Li Bai Reading Cave, (N31.9085°, E104.7808°, 604 m), 1.XII.2018, L. He leg. Paratypes: 2♀♀ (IZCAS-Ar44388, Ar44389, YX371): same data as holotype.
Etymology. The new species is named after Li He, the collector of the specimens used in this study; noun (name) in the genitive case.
Diagnosis. The male of Vappolotes hei sp. n. can be distinguished from those of V. ganlongensis Zhao & Li, 2019 (i.e., the type species of Vappolotes) by tibia ca. 1.5 times longer than the length of the patella (Fig. 5C), but subequal in length in the latter (Fig. 1C); lateral tibial apophysis small, inconspicuous, and squared (Fig. 5C), but conspicuous and finger-shaped in the latter (Fig. 1C); anterior conductor ca. 2 times wider than the posterior conductor, dorsal conductor lamellar (Fig. 5B), but 3 times wider than the posterior conductor, dorsal conductor finger-shaped in the latter (Fig. 1B); posterior conductor pointed towards the posterior diagonally, with shallow apical concavity (Fig. 5A, B), but almost horizontally, with deeper apical concavity in the latter (Fig. 1A–C). The female of V. hei sp. n. can be distinguished from those of its congeners by the thin and long spermathecae, 5 times longer than wide (Fig. 6B), but ca. 3 times in V. jianpingensis Zhao & Li, 2019 and V. tianjiayu, ca. 2 times in V. longshan and V. ganlongensis Zhao & Li, 2019.
Description. Male (holotype). Abdomen with a xiphoid pattern, rest as for the genus (Fig. 6C). Total length 5.55. Carapace 3.02 long, 1.99 wide. Abdomen 2.53 long, 1.46 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.09, PME 0.08, PLE 0.09; AME–AME 0.02, AME–ALE 0.03, AME–PME 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.01, PME–PME 0.04, PME–PLE 0.04. Leg measurements: I 12.11 (3.24, 0.81, 3.17, 2.82, 2.07); II 11.01 (3.00, 0.92, 2.54, 2.71, 1.84); III 10.44 (2.92, 0.59, 2.58, 2.98, 1.37); IV 13.98 (3.65, 1.03, 3.11, 4.12, 2.07). Palp as in Fig. 5A–C: femur 3 times longer than tibia, while tibia slightly longer than patella; patellar apophysis finger-shaped, ca. 2 times longer than wide; retrolateral tibial apophysis ca. 2 times longer than wide; lateral tibial apophysis small, squared, and inconspicuous; cymbium more than 2 times longer than bulb; cymbial furrow short, ca. 1/3 the length of cymbium; anterior conductor enlarged, ca. 1.5 times longer and 2 times wider than the posterior conductor; dorsal conductor expanding and lamellar; posterior conductor pointed towards the posterior diagonally, the proximal end with a finger-shaped outgrowth, the distal end with shallow median concavity; embolus originates around a 5 o’clock position.
Female (IZCAS -Ar44388): Abdomen light brownish gray and without any pattern, rest as for the genus (Fig. 6D, E). Total length 5.78. Carapace 2.78 long, 1.84 wide. Abdomen 3.00 long, 1.83 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.07, PME 0.07, PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.02, AME–ALE 0.03, AME–PME 0.03, ALE– PLE 0.03, PME–PME 0.05, PME–PLE 0.05. Leg measurements: leg I 9.08 (2.37, 0.92, 1.81, 2.31, 1.67); II 8.49 (2.31, 0.83, 1.72, 2.11, 1.52); III 8.23 (2.08, 0.71, 1.67, 2.37, 1.40); IV 10.79 (2.81, 0.86, 2.66, 2.65, 1.81). Epigyne as in Fig. 6A, B: ca.1.5 times longer than wide; atrium large, occupying ca. 3/5 of epigynal field, ca. 1.4 times longer than wide, its posterior margin conspicuous, ca. 1/5 the length of the atrium, as the same width as its lateral margin; copulatory ducts located posteriorly, ca. 1.5 times longer than spermathecae; spermathecae thin and long, 5 times longer than wide, occupying 1/7 of epigynal field, spermathecal head long and finger-shaped; fertilization ducts broad, ca. 3 times longer than wide.
Variation. Total length of females: 5.78–6.02 (n=2).
Distribution. Known only from Sichuan Province, China (Fig. 7).
description: Published as part of Li, Bing, Zhao, Zhe & Li, Shuqiang, 2023, Three new species of the genus Vappolotes Zhao & Li, 2019 (Araneae, Agelenidae) from southwest China, pp. 325-336 in Zootaxa 5270 (2) on pages 332-335, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5270.2.8, http://zenodo.org/record/7865018