Mimetus lanmeiae Liu, Yu & Xu 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhang, Jianshuang
name: Zhang, Haoshen
name: Liu, Jinxin
name: Yu, Hao
name: Xu, Xiang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Mimetidae
Mimetus
Mimetus lanmeiae

description: Mimetus lanmeiae Liu, Yu & Xu sp. nov.
Figs 2 A, 7, 8, 14 A, 15
Type material.
Holotype • ♂ (MGNU -2022-MIML 001), China: Guizhou Pro.: Guiyang City, Xinpu Town, Xiangzhigou, 26.57°N, 106.93°E, c. 1092 m, by hand, 1 VI 2022, L. Qian leg.
Etymology.
The specific name is a matronym in honor of Lanmei Tang, the mother of the collector.
Diagnosis.
Male of M. lanmeiae sp. nov. resembles that of M. contrarius (Zeng et al. 2019: 675, figs 1 A – G, 2 A – E) in having a C-shaped embolus (E), disc-shaped conductor (C), and elongated, shovel-shaped cymbial apex (CA), but differ by: (1) cymbium (Cy) with an ecto-medial process (CEMP) in the new species (vs. CEMP absent in the latter) (cf. Fig. 7 A, B, D and Zeng et al. 2019: figs 1 C, E, 2 B, C); (2) paracymbium (Pc) shaped like water drop, anteriorly with a highly sclerotized thumb-shaped apophysis in the new species (vs. nearly triangular, medially with a small tooth-shaped apophysis in the latter) (cf. Fig. 7 A, B, D and Zeng et al. 2019: figs 1 E, 2 C); and (3) palpal tibia approximately 1.4 × longer than wide in the new species (vs. palpal tibia distinctly longer than wide, the ratio of length / width is approximately 2.8 in the latter) (cf. Fig. 7 A – D and Zeng et al. 2019: figs 1 C – E, 2 A – C).
Description.
Male (holotype, MGNU -2022- MIML 001). Measurements. Total length 2.14. Carapace 0.96 long, 0.86 wide. Abdomen 1.18 long, 1.05 wide. Sternum 0.48 long and 0.49 wide. Labium wider than long. Clypeus height 0.18. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08, AME – AME 0.08, ALE – AME 0.03, PME – PME 0.04, PME – PLE 0.11. MOA 0.24 long, anterior width 0.24, posterior width 0.22. Leg measurements: I 6.2 (1.65, 2.15, 1.61, 0.79), II 4.92 (1.45, 1.65, 1.13, 0.69), III 2.91 (0.85, 0.91, 0.66, 0.50), IV 3.60 (1.12, 2.38, 0.75, 0.53).
Habitus (Figs 8, 14 A). Carapace oval, slightly longer than wide, basically yellowish white, with a large black Y-shaped pattern (both lateral margins of pattern are wave-like lines) between ocular area and fovea; fovea inconspicuous; ocular area slightly narrowed, cervical groove and radial grooves invisible; tegument smooth, without setae. Sternum white, heart- or shield-shaped. Labium band-shaped, slightly curved, light reddish brown. Endites anteriorly white, posteriorly colored as that of labium. Chelicerae light reddish brown, promargin with eight peg teeth, retromargin with two small teeth. Leg yellowish white, with several black spots in the distal half of femur. Abdomen round, yellowish white, dorsally with whitish and dark patches, and many weakly ossified hair bases, but almost all hairs have broken off from the body; venter basically yellowish-white, anteriorly with a pair of long, arc-shaped stripes on both sides, extending ca. 1 / 2 of abdomen length, forming a large, bracket-shaped pattern, posteriorly with a nearly circular black spot.
Palp (Fig. 7 A – D). Tibia ca. 1 / 3 of cymbium length, about 1.4 longer than wide. Cymbium (Cy) with a developed apex (CA), an ecto-medial process (CEMP), and a basal extension (CBE): cymbial apex elongated, ca. 1 / 3 of cymbium length, nearly triangular in ventral and dorsal views and shovel-shaped in both lateral views, its tip pointing ventro-retrolaterally; ecto-medial process triangular or tooth-shaped, slightly curved, apex sharp and pointing ventro-retrolaterally; cymbial basal extension thumb-like, partly membranous, its tip blunt. Paracymbium (Pc) broad, ca. 2 / 5 of cymbium length, with a highly sclerotized thumb-shaped apophysis. Tegulum (T) nearly circular, centrally and apically membranous, slightly excavated on prolatero-apical side to accommodate embolus; sperm duct distinct, forming a loop along tegular margin. Tegular apophysis (TA) triangular in ventral view and papilliform in prolateral view, located at proximal-prolateral position of tegulum (ca. 8–9 o’clock position of tegulum). Subtegulum (St) located postero-retrolaterally to tegulum, without apophysis. Embolus (E) C-shaped, arising at 6–7 o’clock position, terminating at ca. 12 o’clock position. Conductor (C) large, disc-shaped, slightly extending outward, membranous centrally and strongly sclerotized marginally, its anterior margin folded to cover the tip of emblous (ET).
Female. Unknown.
Natural history.
The holotype of Mimetus lanmeiae sp. nov. was found on a spider web (Fig. 8 D), which may show a mimicry behavior (mimicking the movements of a prey trapped in the host web to attract, attack, and feed upon the resident spider as mentioned in Liu et al. (2021 b)).
Distribution.
Known only from the type locality (Table 1; Figs 2 A, 15).
description: Published as part of Zhang, Jianshuang, Zhang, Haoshen, Liu, Jinxin, Yu, Hao & Xu, Xiang, 2025, A survey of mimetid spiders (Araneae, Mimetidae) from Central Guizhou Province, China, pp. 711-734 in Zoosystematics and Evolution 101 (2) on pages 711-734, DOI: 10.3897/zse.101.146895