Bifidocoelotes obscurus Zhou, Yuen & Zhang, 2017

Liao, Rongrong, Wang, Ziwei, Yin, Haiqiang & Xu, Xiang, 2022, A review of the genus Bifidocoelotes Wang, 2002, with the description of three new species from China (Araneae, Agelenidae), Zootaxa 5222 (2), pp. 179-189 : 186-187

Bifidocoelotes obscurus Zhou, Yuen & Zhang, 2017 (OiȒDĦ)

Figures 1A , 2D

Bifidocoelotes obscurus Zhou, Yuen & Zhang, 2017: 430 , figs 1A–E, 2A–G.

Type material. Holotype male , and 9 male and 10 female paratypes from Hong Kong, China, deposited in the school of Life Science, Southwest University, China ( SWUC) , not examined.

Diagnosis. According to photos and drawings in Zhou et al. (2017), the female of this species is similar to that of B. elongatus sp. nov. in having a long and slightly bifurcated epigynal tooth which almost reaches the posterior margin of epigyne but can be distinguished by the different configuration of spermathecae and copulatory ducts: spermathecal heads mammiform, and copulatory ducts are hard to differentiate from spermathecae in B. obscurus , while spermathecal heads thumb-shaped, and copulatory ducts tending to twist around spermathecae in B. elongatus sp. nov. (compare Zhou et al. 2017: figs 1B, 2D with Fig. 3D ). The male of this species is similar to those of B. tsoi Li & Blick, 2020 and B. mammiformis sp. nov. in having a bifid conductor ( Fig. 2A, B, D ) but the two branches of conductor in B. obscurus are slenderer and longer than those of B. tsoi (compare Zhou et al. 2017: figs 1D, E, 2F, G with Wan g et al. 2001: figs 3, 4), and separated further apart from each other than those of B. mammiformis (compare Zhou et al. 2017: figs 1D, E, 2F, G with Fig. 4D, E ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in China ( Hong Kong) ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. The epigynes of six Bifidocoelotes spp., ventral view. A. Bifidocoelotes obscurus (after Zhou et al. 2017); B. Bifidocoelotes primus (after Zhou et al. 2017); C. Bifidocoelotes tsoi (after Wang et al. 2001); D. Bifidocoelotes mammiformis sp. nov.; E. Bifidocoelotes elongatus sp. nov.; F. Bifidocoelotes quadratus sp. nov.. Scale bar: 0.3 mm.

FIGURE 2. The distal parts of conductors of four Bifidocoelotes spp., ventral view.A. Bifidocoelotes mammiformis sp. nov.; B. Bifidocoelotes tsoi (after Wang et al. 2001); C. Bifidocoelotes primus (after Zhou et al. 2017); D. Bifidocoelotes obscurus (after Zhou et al. 2017). Scale bars: A, B, D = 0.1 mm; C = 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 3. Bifidocoelotes elongatus sp. nov., holotype female. A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Epigyne, ventral view; D. Same, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD, copulatory duct; CO, copulatory opening; ET, epigynal tooth; FD, fertilization duct; SH, spermathecal head; Sp, spermatheca. Scale bars: A, B = 1 mm; C, D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Bifidocoelotes mammiformis sp. nov., holotype male. A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Left palp, prolateral view; D. Same, ventral view; E. Same, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: CF, cymbial furrow; CL, conductor lamella; Co, conductor; Em, embolus; LTA, lateral tibial apophysis; MA, median apophysis; PA, patellar apophysis; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A, B = 1 mm; C–E = 0.3 mm.

FIGURE 7. Collection localities for Bifidocoelotes in China. 1. B. mammiformis sp. nov.; 2. B. elongatus sp. nov.; 3. B. quadratus sp. nov.; 4. B. tsoi; 5. B. obscurus; 6. B. primus.