Psechrus luopingensis Chen & Yang, 2026, sp. nov.
Authors: Chen, Run, Yang, Zi-Zhong
Type: Taxonomic treatment
Published: 2026-07-24
Keywords: Biodiversity, Taxonomy, Animalia, Arthropoda, Arachnida, Araneae, Psechridae, Psechrus, Psechrus luopingensis

<p><b><i>Psechrus luopingensis</i> sp. nov.</b></p><p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: DB762D3A-E45B-49F6-8224-0F07CEB92D52</p><p>Figs 1C, 2, 7–10, 19; Table 2</p><p><b>Diagnosis</b></p><p>The new species belongs to the <i>sinensis</i> group and most closely resembles <i>P. obtectus</i> Bayer, 2012 (see Bayer 2012: 106, fig. 57a–c) and <i>P. jinggangensis</i> Wang & Yin, 2001 (see Zhao <i>et al.</i> 2021: 5–7, figs 1–3) in the morphology of the male palp, and <i>P. changminae</i> Feng <i>et al.</i>, 2016 (see Feng <i>et al.</i> 2016: 181–184, figs 2–5) in the female epigyne, but can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: palp with the sperm duct featuring a distinct conical projection, which has not been found in any other known members of the <i>sinensis</i> group and thus constitutes a distinct diagnostic character for this species (Fig. 7A–D); embolus base with a large triangular projection directed toward the tegulum, occupying about ½ the width of the embolus base (vs projection digitiform or small/indistinct in comparison species); a distinct concavity extending from the embolus base to about ⅔ of its length (vs absent in both comparison species) (Fig. 7E); epigyne with the muscle sigilla weakly developed and remote from the epigynal field; median septum flask-shaped but with a shorter, broader neck and a wider base (vs neck longer and base narrower in <i>P. changminae</i>); dilated portion of the copulatory ducts not reflexed posteriorly (vs reflexed in <i>P. changminae</i>); spermatheca separated by more than three times their diameter; and spermathecal heads arising from the mesal bases of the spermatheca (Fig. 9D–E).</p><p><b>Etymology</b></p><p>The specific epithet is a toponym derived from the type locality, Luoping County, Yunnan Province, China; the suffix ʻ <i>-ensis</i> ' is a Latin adjectival suffix denoting provenance.</p><p><b>Type material</b></p><p><b>Holotype</b></p><p>CHINA • ♂; Yunnan Province, Jiulong Waterfall, Luoping County, Qujing City; 25°0′42″ N, 104°24′17″ E; 1221 m a.s.l.; 7 Mar. 2025; Run Chen and Hong-Qiang Dai leg.; collection YNLP-25-0303; DUIER, LP2501.</p><p><b>Paratypes</b></p><p>CHINA • 4 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; collection YNLP-25-0303; DUIER LP2502 – LP2505 • 4 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; collection YNLP-25-0303; DUIER LP2506 – LP2509 • 2 ♀♀; Yunnan Province, Jiulong Waterfall, Luoping County, Qujing City; 25°0′42.6″ N, 104°24′16.8″ E; 1263 m a.s.l.; 20 Jul. 2012; Ping Feng, Yan-Yan Ma and Ting-Bang Yang leg.; DUIER, LP06, LP07 • 1 ♀; Yunnan Province, Shuanglongying Township, Qiubei County, Wenshan Prefecture; 24°14′56.6″ N, 104°10′57.9″ E; 1530 m a.s.l.; 21 Jul. 2012; Ping Feng, Yan-Yan Ma and Ting-Bang Yang leg.; DUIER, QB01.</p><p><b>Description</b></p><p><b>Male</b> (holotype, DUIER LP2501; see Figs 7–8)</p><p>MEASUREMENTS. Total length 17.85; prosoma length 7.38, width 7.14; opisthosoma length 10.47, width 3.62.</p><p>EYES. Eye diameters: AME 0.42, ALE 0.45, PME 0.47, PLE 0.58. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.15, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.20, PME–PLE 0.10, AME–PME 0.30, ALE–PLE 0.20. Clypeus height at AME 0.78.</p><p>PROSOMA. Grayish-yellow; ocular area reddish-brown. Fovea longitudinal; radial furrows pale. Carapace with a distinct, broad, dark gray median longitudinal stripe extending from between the posterior median eyes to the posterior margin; flanked by irregular black striae or spots. Sternum subcordate, brown, with a distinct suboval black patch medially; patch densely covered with setae; margins of sternum pale. Chelicerae dark brown and robust; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 5 large, closely spaced teeth. Endites and labium reddish-brown; endites with dense promarginal scopulae; labium long trapezoidal, with anterior margin pale and wide, posterior margin dark brown and narrow.</p><p>OPISTHOSOMA. Dorsum brown, with dense, irregular gray patterns and spots. Lateral sides with several distinct, irregular white longitudinal lines of varying lengths. Ventral side dark brownish, with a slender white median stripe extending from the pedicel to the spinnerets; flanked by two rows of distinct, regularly arranged, pale muscle sigilla appearing as small pits.</p><p>LEGS. The femur to tibia of the legs are dark gray, while the metatarsus and tarsus are reddish-brown, without annuli or spots. Coxa I with short black spines (absent in female). Leg formula: 1243. Measurements of palp and legs as shown in Table 2.</p><p>MALE PALP. Relatively robust; patella and tibia comparatively short; tibia with a short, digitiform retrolateral process. Tegulum with a distinct conical projection on the outer-mesal surface, situated at the bend of the sperm duct. Conductor membranous and semi-transparent, with a sharply pointed distal tip. Embolus broadly triangular in outline; base with a triangular projection directed toward tegulum; a distinct concavity present at about ⅔ of its length; distal portion with dense ridged sculpture.</p><p><b>Female</b> (paratype, DUIER LP2507; see Figs 9D–E, 10)</p><p>MEASUREMENTS. Total length 23.29; prosoma length 9.71, width 6.98; opisthosoma length 13.58, width 7.65.</p><p>EYES. Eye diameters: AME 0.48, ALE 0.53, PME 0.54, PLE 0.56. Eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.18, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.18, PME–PLE 0.11, AME–PME 0.31, ALE–PLE 0.19. Clypeus height at AME 0.82.</p><p>SOMATIC CHARACTERS. Similar to male but generally darker. Radial furrows dark. Muscle sigilla on the ventral side of opisthosoma smaller and less distinct than in male. Other characters as in male.</p><p>EPIGYNE. The epigyne is wider than long. Muscle sigilla and slit sensilla situated outside the epigynal field, separated from each other by a distinct interval; slit sensilla 4–6, positioned at or above the anterior margin of the epigynal field. Median septum elongate-rectangular, flask-shaped in outline; lateral lobes indistinct. Copulatory openings narrow, slit-like. Copulatory ducts with a dilated portion basally, not reflexed posteriorly. Spermathecal heads short, club-shaped, arising from the mesal bases of the spermatheca.</p><p><b>Distribution</b></p><p>Luoping County and Qiubei County, Yunnan Province, China.</p>