Cytaea hezizhen K. Liu 2025, sp. nov.

Cytaea hezizhen K. Liu sp. nov. Figs 3, 4 Common name: 贺子珍胞蛛 Type material. Holotype ♂, China • Jiangxi Province: Ji’an County, Jinggangshan County Level City, Longshi Town, Yuankou Village, 26°41'41.2"N, 113°57'21.6"E, 272 m a. s. l., l May 2015, Zhi-wu Chen, Sha Wu, Ze-yuan Meng, Shi-cong He, Yi-fan Zhao and Ke-ke Liu leg. (Sal- 157, ASM-JGSU). Paratypes: • 1 ♀, Xiazhuang Village, Zhushachong Forest Farm, 26°33'3.6"N, 114°11'20.4"E, 630 m a. s. l., 4 Oct 2014, Jian-yun Wen, Tian-ming Wang, Ze-yuan Meng, Lei Zhang and Ke-ke Liu leg., other data as same as holotype (Sal- 157, ASM-JGSU). Diagnosis. The male of this species is similar to that of Cytaea tongi Wang & Li, 2020 in having the anticlockwise spiraling embolus with two circles partly covered by the membranous conductor, but can be distinguished from it by the tibia with short barb-like retrolateral apophysis (vs thick hook-shaped) and the small thin hook-shaped tegular apophysis on palpal tegulum (vs absent) (cf. Fig. 3 C, D and Wang and Li 2020: 27, fig. 1 B – D). Female resembles C. maoming Yu & Zhang, 2022 in having the long S-shaped copulatory ducts, but can be separated from it by the copulatory openings located anteriorly (vs medially), the pair of swan-like copulatory ducts with face-to-face format (vs back-to-back) and the spermathecae medially located at epigyne (vs subposteriorly) (cf. Fig. 4 C, D and Yu and Zhang 2022: 5, fig. 5 G – I). Description. Male (holotype). Habitus (Fig. 3 A, B). Total length 3.75. Carapace (Fig. 3 A). Color yellow-brown, anterior part darker than posterior, posteriorly with radial stripes, lateral and posterior margin covering by abundant white feathery setae, length 1.83, width 1.14. Eyes (Fig. 3 A) diameters and interdistances: AME 0.29, ALE 0.26, PME 0.04, PLE 0.15; AME – AME 0.16, ALE - AME 0.13, PME – PME 1.19, PLE - PME 0.19, AME - PME 0.45, AME - PLE 0.66, ALE - ALE 0.98, PLE - PLE 1.16, ALE - PLE 0.59. MOA 0.58 long, front width 0.84, back width 1.30. Chelicerae (Fig. 3 B) yellow, with three retromarginal teeth and one large bifurcated retromarginal tooth. Endites yellow brown, slightly longer than wide. Labium brown, wider than long. Sternum yellowish brown, longer than wide. Legs (Fig. 3 A, B) yellow, mottled; measurements: I-II missing; III 2.83 (0.83, 0.56, 0.75, 0.34, 0.35); IV 2.56 (0.69, 0.74, 0.47, 0.39, 0.27); spination: III Fe d 1-1 - 1, rt 0-0 - 2; Pa pr 1-1 - 0, rt 1-1 - 0; Ti d 1-0 - 0, pr 1-1 - 0, rt 1-1 - 0, pv 1-0 - 1, rv 1-2 - 0; Met pr 1-0 - 2 rt 1-0 - 2 pv 1-0 - 0; IV Fe d 1-1 - 0, pr 0-0 - 2, rt 0-0 - 2; Pa pr 0-1 - 0 rt 0-1 - 0; Ti d 1-0 - 0, pr 1-2 - 0, rt 1-1 - 0, pv 1-0 - 1, rv 1-0 - 1; Met pr 1-1 - 1, rt 1-1 - 1, pv 1-0 - 0, rv 1-0 - 0. Abdomen (Fig. 3 A, B) yellowish to dark yellowish brown, anteriorly with abundant feathery and long setae dorsally; venter yellow to brown, medially with two rows of yellow patches, 1.74 long, 1.36 wide. Palp (Fig. 3 C-F). Retrolateral tibial apophysis short, barb-like, with broad base and an acute spine-like apex. Sperm duct S-shaped, located at retrolateral of tegulum. Tegulum with triangular membrane located medially on tegulum, anteriorly with a thin hook-shaped apophysis (tegular apophysis), directed prolaterally. Embolus whip-like, with two coils, spiraling anticlockwise, ending at ~ 12 o’clock. Female (paratype). Habitus (Fig. 4 A, B). As in male, except as noted below. Total length 3.91. Carapace (Fig. 4 A). Color dark red-brown, length 1.80, width 1.64. Eyes (Fig. 4 A) diameters and interdistances: AME 0.42, ALE 0.25, PME 0.05, PLE 0.22; AME – AME 0.13, ALE - AME 0.15, PME – PME 1.32, PLE - PME 0.22, AME - PME 0.60, AME - PLE 0.81, ALE - ALE 1.09, PLE - PLE 1.32, ALE - PLE 0.63. MOA 0.82 long, front width 0.88, back width 1.52. Chelicerae (Fig. 4 B) red, with two retromarginal teeth and one large bifurcated retromarginal tooth. Labium red-brown, mottled. Sternum dark brown, with abundant patches. Legs measurements: I 3.69 (1.17, 0.45, 0.82, 0.58, 0.67); II 3.4 (1.11, 0.64, 0.49, 0.6, 0.56); III 3.78 (1.27, 0.66, 0.5, 0.73, 0.62); IV 3.99 (1.21, 0.61, 0.68, 0.87, 0.62); spination (Fig. 4 A, B): I Fe: d 1-1 - 1, pr 0-0 - 2, rt 0-0 - 2; Pa pr 1-0 - 1, rt 1-0 - 1; II Fe d 1-1 - 1, pr 0-0 - 2, rt 0-0 - 2; Pa pr 1-0 - 1, rt 1-0 - 1; Ti pv 1-1 - 1, rv 1-1 - 1, pr 0-1 - 0, rt 0-1 - 0, d 1-1 - 0; Met pv 1-0 - 1, rv 1-0 - 1, pr 1-0 - 1, rt 1-0 - 1; III Fe d 1-1 - 0, pr 0-0 - 2, rt 0-0 - 2; Pa pr 1-0 - 1, rt 1-0 - 1; Ti pv 1-0 - 1, rv 1-0 - 1, pr 1-1 - 0, rt 1-1 - 0; Met pr 1-0 - 1, rt 1-0 - 1, pv 1-0 - 1, rv 1-0 - 1; IV Fe d 1-1 - 1, pr 0-0 - 1; Pa pr 1-0 - 1, rt 1-0 - 1; Ti pv 1-0 - 1, rv 1-0 - 1, pr 1-1 - 0, rt 1-1 - 0; Met pr 1-1 - 1, rt 1-1 - 1, pv 1-0 - 1, rv 1-0 - 1. Abdomen (Fig. 4 A, B) ovoid, 2 long, 2.05 wide, yellowish to black-brown, with four horizontal stripes and a broad longitudinal stripe dorsally; venter brown. Epigyne (Fig. 4 C, D). Copulatory openings located at antero-medial part of atrium. Copulatory ducts very long, convoluted, double swan-like in shape in ventral view, medially touching in dorsal view. Spermathecae round, medially located, separated by the touching copulatory ducts. Fertilization ducts slightly shorter than spermathecal length, directed laterally. Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Jiangxi Province, China (Fig. 13). Etymology. The species is named in honor of He Zizhen, another prominent figure associated with the hard and bitter struggle in Jinggangshan; noun in apposition. Remarks. This new species also closely resembles the Neon wangi Peng & Li, 2006; however, based on the spiral embolus, the slender copulatory duct, and the relatively small spermatheca, we considered the new species as belonging to the genus Cytaea. The species N. wangi within the genus Neon may be more closely related to the genus Cytaea.