Spartaeus forcipiformis sp. nov.

Figs 1–2, 11 A

Type material. Holotype: male, CHINA, Hubei, Badong County, Yanduhe Township, Songziyuan Village, 31.3406°N, 110.4131°E, 1320 m, 26 April 2016, Wang Liu, Chen Zeng, Tian Tian (HNU-WZT- 160426). Etymology. The specific name is a combination of the Latin “ forceps ” (pincer) and “ forma ” (form), referring to the pincer-shaped retrolateral tibial apophysis; to be treated as a Latin adjective.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to S. bani Ikeda, 1995 described from Japan (see Ikeda 2011, figs 8–15) in having the similar shape of embolic tip, but can be distinguished by: the tibia has 3 apophyses, the retrolateral one with 2 rami (Figs 1 B–C, 2A–B), while it has 2 apophyses, the retrolateral one not furcated in S. bani (Ikeda 2011, figs 11–12); the genital bulb is much wider posteriorly (Figs 1 B, 2A), while it is much wider anteriorly in S. bani (Ikeda 2011, fig. 11).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 3.84. Prosoma 1.89 long, 1.39 wide. Opisthosoma 2.04 long, 1.08 wide. Clypeus height 0.10. Carapace (Fig. 1 A) dark yellow, eye surroundings black, sparsely covered with white and brown hairs. Fovea long, brown and sulciform; cervical and radial grooves brown. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.50, ALE 0.25, PME 0.50, PLE 0.15, AERW 1.55, PERW 1.50, EL 0.90. Chelicerae yellowish white, covered with long brown hairs, 3 promarginal teeth and 5 retromarginal denticles (Fig. 2 C). Clypeus brown. Endites yellowish white; labium light brown, distal area covered with dense brown hairs. Sternum scutiform, yellowish white, sparsely covered with brown hairs, marginal area light brown. Legs long and thin, yellowish white, bearing numerous long spines. Leg spinulation: tibiae I and II with 3 pairs of long ventral spines, metatarsi I and II with 3 pairs of ventral spines. Measurements of legs: I 4.80 (1.40, 1.80, 1.00, 0.60), II 4.50 (1.30, 1.60, 1.00, 0.60), III 4.60 (1.40, 1.40, 1.20, 0.60), IV 6.45 (1.70, 2.15, 1.70, 0.90). Leg formula: IV, I, III, II. Abdomen long oval. Dorsum (Fig. 1 A) yellowish white, posterior median area with 5 dark brown herringbones; venter yellowish white, median area with a longitudinal light yellow band. Spinnerets yellowish white, clothed by light brown hairs. Palp (Figs 1 B–C, 2A–B): embolus large and long, originating from the prolateral median area of bulb, the apex of embolus spoon-shaped in retrolateral view; tegulum triangular in ventral view, lateral margin with a sub-circular depression in retrolateral view (Figs 1 C, 2B); ventral tibial apophysis thumb-shaped in ventral view; intermediate tibial apophysis almost rectangular in retrolateral view, basal half portion with scutum; retrolateral tibial apophysis largest, pincer-shaped.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from Hubei, China (Fig. 11 A).