Mutatus tujia sp. nov.

Chinese name: 土家幻蛛 Figs 3, 4, 8

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Hubei province, Shennongjia Forest District, Xiaguping, Tujiazu Township, Huangxi River; 31°21'59.87"N, 110°11'18.32"E, elev. 1059 m, 19 May 2023; Z. Y. Li, Z. Y. Yang leg. Paratypes: • 1 ♂ 7 ♀, with same data as holotype; • 2 ♂ 4 ♀ same locality, Dongkou Village (31°22'54.25"N, 110°9'48.53"E, 1053 m a. s. l.), 19 May 2023, Z. Y. Li, Z. Y. Yang leg.

Etymology.

The specific name comes from the word “ Tujia ”. The name is one of the Chinese ethnic minorities that live adjacent to the area inhabited by the new species; a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles M. tianyan sp. nov. in having similar truncated prolateral tegular apophysis and embolus, but it can be differentiated by the following: posterior of tegular sheet tail-shaped (vs tongue-shaped; compare Fig. 4 D with Fig. 6 C); median septum thin (vs thick; compare Fig. 4 E with Fig. 6 E); bursa large, balloon-shaped (vs small, rectangular-shaped; compare Fig. 4 F with Fig. 6 F); glandular appendages distinct, large (vs indistinct, small; compare Fig. 4 F with Fig. 6 F).

Description.

Male (holotype, Fig. 3 A, B). Total length 3.34, carapace 1.85 long, 1.61 wide; abdomen 1.35 long, 1.22 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.13, PME 0.07, PLE 0.08; AME – AME 0.06, AME – ALE 0.02, ALE – ALE 0.27, PME – PME 0.11, PME – PLE 0.07, PLE – PLE 0.45, ALE – PLE 0.10. EAW 0.58, CRW 0.83, EAW / CRW 0.70, CRW / CW 0.52. MOA 0.25 long, anterior width 0.22, posterior width 0.29. CH 0.11, CH / AME 1.22. Labium 0.35 long, 0.30 wide. Sternum 1.21 long, 1.17 wide. Carapace oval, cervical groove inconspicuous. Sternum, labium, and endite brown, without pattern. Abdomen dark brown, smooth, with large dorsal scutum covering almost entire abdomen. Legs brown.

Palp (Fig. 4 A – D). Femoral apophysis (FA) well developed, thumb-shaped, located at middle part. Patella as long as tibia, about 1 / 3 length of femur. Tibia longer than wide, with 2 apophyses, retroventral apophysis (RvTA) tail-shaped; retrolateral apophysis (RTA) strong, longer and wider than retroventral apophysis, tapering towards tip. Bulb pyriform, sperm duct (SD) distinct, V-shaped. Prolateral tegular apophysis (PTA) coniform, slightly curved, originating at nearly 9 o’clock position. Tegular sheet (TS) tobacco pipe-shaped, anterior part large and wide, posterior part small, tail-shaped. Embolus (E) needle-like, tapering towards tip, slightly curved.

Female (one of the paratypes; Fig. 3 C, D). Total length 3.50, carapace 1.66 long, 1.49 wide; abdomen 1.86 long, 1.25 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.09, PME 0.07, PLE 0.08; AME – AME 0.06, AME – ALE 0.02, ALE – ALE 0.23, PME – PME 0.10, PME – PLE 0.06, PLE – PLE 0.35, ALE – PLE 0.09. EAW 0.48, CRW 0.71, EAW / CRW 0.68, CRW / CW 0.47. MOA 0.23 long, anterior width 0.23, posterior width 0.18. CH 0.10, CH / AME 1.25. Labium 0.23 long, 0.20 wide. Sternum 0.87 long, 0.75 wide. Other characters as for male, except dorsal scutum absent, color black and body slightly larger.

Epigyne (Fig. 4 E, F). Epigynal plate slightly sclerotized, with a pair of atria, a subcircular tumor located at middle part of lateral margin of atrium. Median septum (MS) dumbbell-shaped. Copulatory openings (CO) slit-like, located at anterior of atrium. Copulatory ducts (CD) straight, short, indistinct. Connecting tubes (CT) distinct. Bursae (B) large, nearly balloon-shaped, translucent. Glandular appendages (GA) mastoid-shaped. Spermathecae (S) clavate, anterior part close but separated posteriorly. Fertilization (FD) ducts located at posterior end of spermathecae.

Measurement of legs:

Spination of legs:

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.