Spartaeus siloi Ni, Yu & Zhang, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ni, Yi
name: Yu, Kun
name: Zhang, Junxia
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Salticidae
Spartaeus
Spartaeus siloi

description: Spartaeus siloi sp. nov.
Figs 3, 4, 5 Common name. 诗雷散蛛
Type material.
Holotype: China • ♂ (MHBU-ARA-00027416); Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongzuo City, Daxin County, Longdian; 22.6931°N, 107.036975°E, 211 m elev.; 27. IV. 2024; W. Wang leg. Paratypes: China • 1 ♀ (MHBU-ARA-00027417); same data as holotype; 1 ♂ (MHBU-ARA-00027538); Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Autonomous Region, Chongzuo City, Daxin County, Xinkang; 22.6538°N, 107.0755°E, 145 m elev.; 12. V. 2024; J. Zhang, K. Yu, Z. Yang, Y. Ni & Y. Li leg.
Etymology.
The specific epithet is derived from “Si Loi”, which is a unique artistic style of Zhuang folk songs in Daxin County (the type locality). Noun in apposition.
Diagnosis.
The new species resembles S. platnicki Song, Chen & Gong, 1991 in the shape of the palpal bulb and copulatory duct, but it can be distinguished by the following: (1) the length of the embolus is much less than half of the bulb width (Figs 4 B, 5 B; vs. in S. platnicki, the length of the embolus is more than half of bulb width; see Lin et al. 2023: fig. 18 A); (2) the end of the retrolateral tibial apophysis is relatively straight (Figs 4 B, 5 B; vs. in S. platnicki, the end of the retrolateral tibial apophysis is strongly curved; see Lin et al. 2023: fig. 18 A); (3) the ventral intermediate tibial apophysis is rounded at the distal end in ventral view (Figs 4 B, 5 B; vs. in S. platnicki, the ventral intermediate tibial apophysis is sharp at the distal end in ventral view; see Lin et al. 2023: fig. 18 A); and (4) the two copulatory ducts are nearly parallel (Figs 4 D, 5 D; vs. curved posteriorly in S. platnicki; see Lin et al. 2023: fig. 19 A).
Description.
Male. Measurements of holotype: total length 7.19. Carapace 3.42 long, 2.37 wide. Abdomen 3.58 long, 1.56 wide. Eye measurements: AME 0.81, ALE 0.45, PME 0.30, PLE 0.30. Leg measurements: I 15.55 (4.43, 1.28, 4.70, 3.7, 1.44), II 9.29 (2.30, 0.91, 2.61, 2.40, 1.07), III 10.05 (2.67, 0.89, 2.38, 2.53, 1.58), IV 13 (3.16, 1.07, 3.39, 4.19, 1.19); leg formula 1432. Chelicera (Fig. 3 D) dark brown, with seven promarginal and eight retromarginal teeth. Carapace (Fig. 3 B, C) yellow, margin and eye surroundings blackish-brown, anterior lateral margin deep black, eye field with black setae, eye surroundings covered by yellow and white setae, fovea dark and slit-like; endites and labium yellowish-brown, with black setae at distal end, endites slender. Legs (Fig. 3 B) with long and thin spines, coxa and trochanter off-white, femur to tibia with obvious grey stripes on anterior and posterior sides. Abdomen (Fig. 3 B) yellow, black strips interspersed with white setae around margins, broken near spinnerets; dorsal side with tawny patches and black setae; ventral side off-white, with white setae on both sides, center covered with greyish-white scales. Spinnerets (Fig. 3 B) white, spinnerets lateral inward white, lateral exterior with dark brown patches, covered with white setae.
Palp (Figs 4 A – C, 5 A – C): embolus thin and short, sheep-horn-like in retrolateral view, base of embolus hidden behind membrane formed by distal haematodocha; tegular oval, surface smooth; tegular apophysis triangular, weakly sclerotized in ventral view; ventral tibial apophysis thick, triangular in ventral view; retrolateral tibial apophysis soft and movable, long and flat in ventral view, with small processes on distal end; dorsal intermediate tibial apophysis blackish-brown, with snake-scale-like processes on outer surface, edge wide and flat; ventral intermediate tibial apophysis yellowish-brown, rounded at distal end in ventral view; distal end of cymbium with grey hair tuft.
Female. Measurements of paratype: total length 6.55. Carapace 2.92 long, 2.31 wide. Abdomen 3.33 long, 2.07 wide. Eye measurements: AME 0.68, ALE 0.40, PME 0.28, PLE 0.39. Leg measurements: I 9.15 (2.72, 1.03, 2.70, 1.84, 0.86), II 7.16 (2.25, 0.76, 1.88, 1.53, 0.74), III 7.45 (2.19, 074, 1.84, 1.83, 0.85), IV 8.68 (2.85, 0.72, 2.67, 1.52, 0.92); leg formula 1432. Chelicera (Fig. 3 F) brown, with six promarginal and eight retromarginal teeth. Habitus (Fig. 3 A, E) similar to that of male, but different in: carapace paler at margin forming a black band from anterior lateral eyes to rear edge of carapace; with a black band in lower position between the anterior median eyes and the posterior lateral eyes; black strips on lateral dorsal side of abdomen not continuous, but with intermittent small black bands.
Epigyne (Figs 4 D, E, 5 D, E): epigynal plate oval, slightly raised in a mound-like shape; copulatory openings small, slit-shaped in ventral view, anteriorly located; copulatory ducts extending to posterior part, dark and slender; spermathecae reddish-brown, large and kidney-shaped; fertilization ducts short, connecting with spermathecae at posterior part; accessory glands located centrally at inner margins of spermathecae, partly hidden by spermathecae in dorsal view.
Distribution.
China (Guangxi).
Comments.
Following a previous study on Spartaeus (Yang et al. 2017: figs 4, 8, 10), we labelled the weekly sclerotized apophysis derived from the tegulum of male palpal bulb as TA. This structure was identified as M 3 in Wanless (1984). Additionally, the membranous patch of the distal haematodocha at the base of embolus is referred to here as M, aligning with the designation of M 1 in Wanless’s (1984) study on Spartaeus. In the redescription of S. platnicki Song, Chen & Gong, 1991, the marked TA (Lin et al. 2023: fig. 18) is likely mislabelled and probably should be M in this study, considering its position at the base of embolus.
description: Published as part of Ni, Yi, Yu, Kun & Zhang, Junxia, 2025, Description of three new species of Spartaeini (Araneae, Salticidae, Spartaeinae) from China and Malaysia, pp. 343-355 in ZooKeys 1232 on pages 343-355, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1232.146855