Luthela asuka Wei & Lin, 2023

Wei, Mian, Wang, Shuqiao & Lin, Yucheng, 2023, Systematic notes on three new Luthela (Mesothelae, Heptathelidae) spiders from China, with their descriptions, ZooKeys 1159, pp. 151-168 : 151

Luthela asuka Wei & Lin sp. nov.

Figs 3A, B, G , 4

Type material.

Holotype ♂, China: Sichuan Province, Chengdu City, Longquanyi District, Longquan Mountain Forest Park, near Tiangong Temple, 30.5305°N, 104.2709°E, 636 m elev., 8.X.2019, M. Wei and Y. Shen leg. Paratypes 1♀, China: Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Longquan District, Longquan Mountain Forest Park, near the expressway of Chengdu to Jianyang, 30.5381°N, 104.3015°E, 740 m elev., 16.X.2022, S. Wang leg.; 1♀, China: Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Longquan District, Longquan Mountain Forest Park, near the expressway of Chengdu to Jianyang, 30.5381°N, 104.3015°E, 740 m elev., 1.II.2023, S. Wang and M. Wei leg. Deposited in NHMSU.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is from "Asuka Langley Soryu", a fictional character wearing a red combat suit from the animation “Evangelion” (by the Japanese creator Hideaki Anno), refers to the body color; noun (name) in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Males can be distinguished from those of congeners, except L. kagami Wei & Lin, sp. nov., in lacking the BSC (Fig. 4A ), contrary to other species (cf. Xu et al. 2022: figs 3B, 5E, 6B, 7E, 10B, 12B, 14D), and in having the contrategulum bearning relatively dense, smaller serrated teeth (Fig. 4B, E ), rather than sparse and larger teeth in other species (cf. Xu et al. 2022: figs 3A, 5D, 6B, 7D, 10H, 12D, 14H). Males also differ from L. kagami sp. nov. in having two nearly invisible lateral teeth on the middle portion of the conductor and the longer TA (Fig. 4A-C, E, F ), rather than two relatively larger teeth and a shorter TA in the latter (Fig. 7B-D, F ). Females differ from those of congeners in having the paired receptacular clusters situated at the relatively short genital stalks and in the relatively smaller size (Fig. 4G, H ), rather than the long genital stalks and the larger size (cf. Xu et al. 2022: figs 4, 5H, I, 6H-M, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14H-M). Females differ from those of L. kagami sp. nov. in having the receptacular clusters relatively separated and the lateral pair larger than the middle pair (Fig. 4G, H ), rather than closer and nearly equal in size (Fig. 7G, H ).

Description.

Male (holotype) (Fig. 3A ). Carapace red; cervical and radial groove distinct. Cephalic region moderately raised. Chelicerae robust; fang furrow with 11 promarginal teeth of variable size. Sternum longer than wide. Abdomen pale yellow, with 5 large dorsal and 2 small posterior tergites, 4 tapering setae near posteromargin of 5 large tergites, and 2 on the rest. Seven spinnerets. Measurements: body 12.06 long. Carapace 5.59 long, 5.09 wide. Abdomen 5.92 long, 4.51 wide. Sternum 2.49 long, 1.91 wide. ALE> PLE> PME> AME. Leg I 18.00 (4.90 + 5.58 + 4.66 + 2.86), leg II 18.08 (4.54 + 5.42 + 5.04 + 3.08), leg III 19.31 (4.20 + 5.41 + 5.87 + 3.83), leg IV 26.76 (6.21 + 7.70 + 8.10 + 4.76).

Palp (Fig. 4A-F ): prolateral paracymbium pale, weakly sclerotized, with numerous setae and spines at distal and retrolateral surface. Contrategular margin denticulate, with large teeth on proximal part and smaller but denser teeth on distal part. Marginal apophysis of tegulum serrated, with tapering terminal apophysis of tegulum, margin of dorsal extension of terminal apophysis with teeth varied in size and distance. Conductor smooth, fused to embolic base, with large apical spine and 2 tiny lateral spines on middle portion. Embolus with translucent, flat opening and several ribbed ridges distally.

Female (one of paratypes) (Fig. 3B, G ). Carapace red, with dark pattern; cervical and radial grooves distinct, with sparse spines. Cephalic region slightly elevated. Chelicerae more robust than male, fang furrow with 12 promarginal teeth of variable size, larger than male. Sternum longer than wide. Abdomen pale, with five large and five small tergites; chaetotaxy on tergites as in male. Seven spinnerets. Measurements: body 16.12 long. Carapace 7.02 long, 6.94 wide. Abdomen 8.93 long, 8.08 wide. Sternum 3.39 long, 1.86 wide. ALE> PLE> PME> AME. Leg I 14.84 (4.80 + 5.50 + 2.57 + 1.97), leg II 14.96 (4.59 + 4.66 + 3.32 + 2.39), leg III 14.70 (4.64 + 4.61 + 2.94 + 2.51), leg IV 22.24 (6.57 + 6.64 + 5.83 + 3.20).

Female genitalia (Fig. 4G, H ). Two pairs of receptacular clusters situated on short and thick stalks; lateral pair relatively larger than middle pair. Middle pair of receptacular clusters separated from each other, situated on anteromargin of bursa copulatrix; lateral receptacular clusters situated slightly dorsolaterally.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 8 ).

Figures

Figure 3. New species of Luthela A, B, G L. asuka sp. nov. from Longquanyi District, Chengdu C, D, H, I L. beijing sp. nov. from Zizhuyuan Park, Beijing E, F L. kagami sp. nov. from Guihua Township, Pengzhou City A, C, E male habitus, dorsal view B, D, F female habitus, dorsal view G female haibitus, ventral view H living female, dorsal view I burrow, vertical section, with red arrow pointing to the spider. Photographs by Chao Wu (H, I). Scale bars: 5.00 mm.

Figure 4. Luthela asuka sp. nov. A male left palp bulb, prolateral view B male left palp bulb, ventral view C male left palp bulb, retrolateral view D left cymbium, ventral view E left palpal bulb, apical view F right palpal bulb, apical view G vulva, ventral view H vulva, dorsal view. Green arrows indicate small teeth on conductor. Scale bars: 0.50 mm.

Figure 7. Luthela kagami sp. nov. A male left palp, prolateral view B male left palp, ventral view C male left palp, retrolateral view D right palpal bulb, ventral view E right palpal bulb, dorsal view F right palpal bulb, apical view G vulva, ventral view H vulva, dorsal view. Green arrows in B and F indicate small teeth on conductor. Scale bars: 0.50 mm.

Figure 8. Distribution records of 11 Luthela species. 1 = L. asuka sp. nov., 2 = L. badong, 3 = L. beijing sp. nov., 4 = L. dengfeng, 5 = L. handan, 6 = L. kagami sp. nov., 7 = L. luotianensis, 8 = L. schensiensis, 9 = L. taian, 10 = L. yiyuan, 11 = L. yuncheng.