Spiricoelotes metyr sp. nov.

Figs 1, 2, 4 A, B, 7 A, B, 8

Type materials.

Holotype • ♂ (CBEE, LJ 202369), China: Hubei Province: Xianning City, Chongyang County, dark zone of Daquan Cave, 29.5534°N, 114.2662°E, elevation: 124 m, 31.X.2023, Jian Chang, Mian Wei, Guoyuan Zhang and Haosiyi Zhu leg. Paratypes: • 3 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀ (CBEE, LJ 202370 – LJ 202375), same data as holotype; • 4 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀ (CBEE, LJ 202376 – LJ 202384), China: Hubei Province: Xianning City, Xianan District, dark zone of a nameless cave, 29.7715°N, 114.3122°E, elevation: 89 m, 10.XII.2023, Jian Chang, Guolong Huang and Mian Wei leg.

Etymology.

The species name is derived from “ Metyr ”, a character in the myth of Elden Ring, written by George R. R. Martin. Metyr is depicted as having a massive, finger-shaped body and living in an underground cave; this name refers to the shape of the spermathecae and the habitat of this new species. It is treated as a noun in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

The males of Spiricoelotes metyr sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all other congeners in 1) having a leaf-shaped conductor in dorsal view, with the distal tip of the conductor thin, long, and pointed downward (Fig. 1 A, B), versus being not leaf-shaped, sometimes coiled, but always pointed upward in other congeners (Fig. 3 B, E; fig. 25 in Shimojana 1989; figs 1 B, 3 B, 5 B, 7 B, 9 B in Chen et al. 2016); 2) the patellar apophysis extremely strong and long (Fig. 1 B, C), versus being relatively thin and short in other congeners (Fig. 3 C, F; fig. 25 in Shimojana 1989; figs 1 C, 3 C, 5 C, 7 C, 9 C in Chen et al. 2016); 3) the cymbial furrow extremely long, approximately 4 / 5 the length of the cymbium (Fig. 1 C), versus being subequal to or less than 1 / 2 the length of the cymbium in other congeners (Fig. 3 C, F; fig. 25 in Shimojana 1989; figs 1 C, 3 C, 5 C, 7 C, 9 C in Chen et al. 2016). The females of the new species resemble those of S. xiongxinensis in 1) having laterally situated copulatory openings that are far apart, and extremely short copulatory ducts (Fig. 2 A, B; fig. 11 A, B in Chen et al. 2016); 2) shallow and wide hoods (Fig. 2 A; fig. 11 A in Chen et al. 2016); 3) spermathecae that are not coiled, with the length of the spermatheca being subequal to the length of the epigynal plate (Fig. 2 B; fig. 11 B in Chen et al. 2016). In other congeners, the copulatory openings are situated relatively medially and are close to each other (Figs 5 A, B, 6 A, B; figs 28, 29 in Shimojana 1989; figs 2 A, B, 6 A, B, 8 A, B, 10 A, B in Chen et al. 2016), or laterally situated but with long copulatory ducts in S. chufengensis (fig. 4 A, B in Chen et al. 2016); the hoods deep and thin (figs 5 A, 6 A; fig. 28 in Shimojana 1989; figs 2 A, 4 A, 6 A, 8 A, 10 A in Chen et al. 2016); the spermathecae coiled (Figs 5 B, 6 B; fig. 29 in Shimojana 1989), or not coiled but less than half the length of the epigynal plate (figs 2 B, 4 B, 6 B, 8 B, 10 B in Chen et al. 2016). But the new species can be differentiated from S. xiongxinensis in having relatively thin, regularly shaped spermathecae (Fig. 2 B), versus thick and irregularly shaped in S. xiongxinensis (fig. 11 B in Chen et al. 2016).

Description.

Male holotype (Fig. 7 A). Carapace yellowish, cervical and radial grooves indistinct. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal teeth and 5 retromarginal teeth, condyle weak. Sternum longer than wide. Abdomen nearly white, without patterns, covered by blueish gray hairs. Legs yellowish. Total length 6.70. Carapace 3.86 long, 2.69 wide. Abdomen 2.78 long, 1.82 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.16, ALE 0.13, PME 0.15, PLE 0.12; AME – AME 0.07, AME – ALE 0.08, PME – PME 0.14, PME – PLE 0.10. Measurements of legs: I 14.81 (4.06, 1.27, 3.50, 3.68, 2.30), II 13.04 (3.68, 1.14, 3.26, 2.73, 2.23), III 13.00 (3.49, 0.68, 2.92, 3.74, 2.17), IV 16.25 (4.32, 0.82, 4.38, 4.16, 2.57).

Palp (Fig. 1). Patellar apophysis long, as twice long as the length of patella. Retrolateral tibial apophysis subequal to the length of tibia. Lateral tibial apophysis short, subequal to 1 / 5 the length of retrolateral tibial apophysis. Cymbial furrow long, subequal to 4 / 5 the length of cymbium. Conductor leaf-shaped from ventral view; ventral margin short and strongly sclerotized; dorsal margin wide, distal tip thin and long, pointed downward, with developed membranous ridge; apophysis of dorsal margin broad and ridge-shaped. Tegular ridge slice-shaped and situated retroalterally, matched with the ridge-shaped dorsal apophysis of conductor. Embolus arising in a 4: 00–4: 30 o’clock-position, extremely long. Median apophysis reduced.

Female paratype (Fig. 7 B). Same in colour, abdominal patterns, and chelicera teeth as male. Total length 7.89. Carapace 3.99 long, 2.56 wide. Abdomen 3.67 long, 2.61 wide. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.14, PME 0.16, PLE 0.15; AME – AME 0.09, AME – ALE 0.11, PME – PME 0.11, PME – PLE 0.10. Measurements of legs: I 13. 56 (3.53, 1.16, 3.04, 3.56, 2.27), II 12. 52 (3.37, 1.31, 3.12, 2.92, 1.80), III 11. 42 (3. 17, 0.48, 2.90, 3.30, 1.57), IV 16. 13 (4.14, 0.97, 3.82, 4.81, 2.39).

Epigyne (Fig. 2). Epigynal plate wider than long. Copulatory openings situated laterally and separated from each other. Hoods located anteriorly. Copulatory ducts extremely short. Spermathecal heads small, situated near the beginning of spermathecal stalks; spermathecae curved-finger-shaped, with smooth surface and with extremely coiled duct inside. Fertilization ducts short, posteriorly situated.

Variation.

The deep hoods appear in only one female individual from Daquan Cave, and we consider it to be a mutation.

Distribution.

Only known from the type localities (Fig. 8).