Vacrothele, Tang & Wu & Zhao & Yang, 2022

Tang, Ya-Ni, Wu, Ya-Ying, Zhao, Yu & Yang, Zi-Zhong, 2022, Description of a new genus and two new species of the funnel-web mygalomorph (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Macrothelidae) from China with notes on taxonomic amendments, Zootaxa 5125 (5), pp. 513-535 : 515

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5125.5.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6983B9C9-7AD7-49AD-8D4E-C3B4F25B2CEC
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6458193
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E32706-3941-FFFA-FF1B-FCF0FB2D2DA8
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Vacrothele
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Genus Vacrothele View in CoL View at ENA gen. nov.

Chinese name: (ffiǖAM)

Type species: Macrothele hunanica ( Zhu & Song, 2000) View in CoL comb. nov., by original designation.

Etymology: The scientific name is a combination of letters inspired by Macrothele ; the gender is feminine.

Diagnosis: All species have the common characteristics of Macrothelidae , such as fovea transverse; labium and maxillae provided with numerous cuspules; sternum with three pairs of sigilla. In Macrothele , some species such as M. gigas Shimojana &Haupt, 1998 , M. guizhouensis Hu & Li, 1986 , M. monocirculata Xu & Yin, 2000 , M. raveni Zhu, Li & Song, 2000 have lateral paddle spines of basal palp coxa absent in all species of Vacrothele . Males can be easily distinguished from males of Macrothele by the possession of a trumpet-shape end of the embolus ( Fig. 3G View FIGURE 3 , 6H View FIGURE 6 , 9H View FIGURE 9 , 11H View FIGURE 11 , 13H View FIGURE 13 ), palp tibia with stout dorsal spines ( Fig. 3J–L View FIGURE 3 , 6J–L View FIGURE 6 , 9J–L View FIGURE 9 , 11J–L View FIGURE 11 , 13J–L View FIGURE 13 ), whereas in Macrothele , the terminal of the embolus is aciform, palp tibia with longer but no stout spines and arrangement of spines is not so regular. Additionally, in Vacrothele , male tibia II usually with 5-9 thick long ventral spines on the middle, arrangement regular ( Fig. 17 View FIGURE 17 ). Females differ from those of Macrothele by copulatory aperture is wide at base, tapering gradually from base to distal end ( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 ). PMS white; PLS slenderness, basal, distal end white ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 , 4C View FIGURE 4 , 6I View FIGURE 6 , 7D View FIGURE 7 , 9I View FIGURE 9 , 10E View FIGURE 10 , 11D View FIGURE 11 , 12B View FIGURE 12 , 13B View FIGURE 13 , 14C View FIGURE 14 ).

Description: Male. Small. Carapace dark chestnut, smooth. Fovea transverse. Both eye rows recurved. Chelicerae light black with 12 stout promarginal teeth plus three small teeth ( Fig. 16A View FIGURE 16 ). Palp tibia incrassate, with 10 stout dorsal spines ( Fig. 3J–L View FIGURE 3 ), embolus thick and long, tapering from base to end ( Fig. 3D–F View FIGURE 3 ), end trumpet-shaped ( Fig. 3G View FIGURE 3 ); labium and maxillae chestnut with numerous cuspules ( Fig. 3I View FIGURE 3 ). Sternum with three pairs of sigilla ( Fig. 3H View FIGURE 3 ). Legs: coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus chestnut, tarsus brown; no lyra spines on palp coxa. Leg II tibia with five thick long ventral spines ( Fig. 17A View FIGURE 17 ); STC with curved row of long teeth; ITC curved ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ); spinnerets terminal segment of posterior laterals white ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ).

Female: Carapace dark chestnut, smooth. Fovea transverse. Both eye rows recurved. Chelicerae black; labium, maxillae, light brown with numerous cuspules ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ). Sternum with three pairs of sigilla ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ). Legs coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus chestnut, tarsus brown. STC with curved row of long teeth; ITC curved, with few fine teeth ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Copulatory aperture wide at base, tapering gradually from base to distal end, spermathecae finger shaped ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ). Spinneret base and terminal segments white ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ).

Composition: This new genus includes two new species: V. pseudohunanica sp. nov., V. uncata sp. nov. and three new transfers from Macrothele : V. hunanica ( Zhu & Song, 2000) comb. nov., V. digitata ( Chen & Jiang, 2020) comb. nov., V. palpator ( Pocock, 1901) comb. nov..

Distribution: China (Anhui, Guangxi, Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, Yunnan).