﻿One new genus and four new species of Liocranidae Simon, 1897 (Arachnida, Araneae) from China and Vietnam

﻿Abstract Four new species of the family Liocranidae are described from China and Vietnam. The new genus Sinocranumgen. nov., is erected to accommodate S.menghaisp. nov. (♂♀) from China. Further new species described include Koppeningersp. nov. (♀) from China, Xanthariabaizilongisp. nov. (♂♀) from China and X.cucphuongsp. nov. (♂) from Vietnam. In addition, Xantharia is transferred from Miturgidae to Liocranidae. Koppe and Xantharia are reported from China and Vietnam, respectively, for the first time.

The goals of the present paper are the description of one new genus, Sinocranum gen.nov., and four new species, K. ninger sp.nov., S. menghai sp.nov., X. baizilongi sp.nov.and X. cucphuong sp.nov., as well as the transfer of the genus Xantharia from Miturgidae to Liocranidae.

Material and methods
Specimens were examined and measured with a Leica M205 C stereomicroscope.Left male palps were photographed.Epigynes were photographed.Vulvae were treated in a warm 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution to dissolve soft tissues before illustration.Images were captured with a Canon EOS 750D wide zoom digital camera (24.2 megapixels) mounted on the stereomicroscope mentioned above, and assembled using Helicon Focus v.3.10.3 image stacking software (Khmelik et al. 2005).All measurements are given in millimeters (mm).Palp and leg measurements are shown as palp total length (femur, patella, tibia, -, tarsus), or leg total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus).Leg segments were measured on their dorsal side.The intertubular ducts are tubes that connect primary spermathecae and secondary spermathecae; they may be very short or rather long (e.g., fig.395  Terminology and taxonomic descriptions follow Deeleman-Reinhold (2001), Sankaran (2022), Chu et al. (2023) and Lu et al. (2023).
The following abbreviations are used in the descriptions:  2A-D) by having massive chelicerae (Fig. 2A-C) and a simplistic genitalic organ structure (Fig. 1A), but can be distinguished by the carapace surface without granules or pits (Fig. 2A, B; present in Oedignatha), by the clypeus with a slight conical hump or absent (Fig. 2A; vs. clypeus with a distinct conical hump in Oedignatha), and by the intercoxal sclerites enlarged (Fig. 2B; absent in Oedignatha).
Epigyne (Fig. 1A, B).Epigynal field nearly fan-shaped, with a pair of long, oblique sclerotized area laterally; posterior part medially with weakly sclerotized epigynal window.Copulatory openings hidden under epigynal plate.Copulatory ducts thin.Intertubular ducts globular.Primary spermathecae elliptical, separated by about their diameter; secondary spermathecae globular, separated by less than half of their diameter.Fertilization ducts pointing antero-laterally.
Distribution.China (Yunnan, type locality; Fig. 12).Etymology.The generic name is a combination of "sino", referring to the China, and "cranum" as part of the genus Liocranum.Gender is neuter.
Diagnosis.The new genus resembles Agroeca Westring, 1861 by having a similar tegular lobe (Fig. 3A-C) in the male and similar long copulatory ducts (Fig. 4B) in the female.Males can be distinguished by the embolus originating retrolaterally (Fig. 3C; vs. embolus originating prolaterally in Agroeca), by the conductor strongly sclerotized (Fig. 3A-F; vs. conductor membranous in Agroeca), and by the palp with ventral tibial apophysis and dorsal tibial apophysis (Fig. 3A-C; absent in Agroeca).Females can be distinguished by the epigynal plate without hoods (Fig. 4A; present in Agroeca), by the vulva with glandular appendages (Fig. 4B; absent in Agroeca), and by the fertilization ducts pointing anteriorly (Fig. 4B; vs. fertilization ducts pointing laterally in Agroeca).
Sinocranum gen.nov. shares several synapomorphies with the members of the genus Agroeca.The most important of these is tegular lobe with a distinct curved prolaterally in ventral view.Similarities can be observed in the general structure of the male palp (shape of cymbium and tibia; position of conductor and tegular apophysis).The distribution of the eyes is also similar to that in Agroeca.However, despite these similarities, there are still significant differences between Sinocranum and Agroeca (refer to above genus diagnosis for details).The new genus Sinocranum with two most obvious morphological characteristics: male palp with ventral tibial apophysis, retrolateral tibial apophysis and dorsal tibial apophysis; female copulatory ducts bifurcate from subdistally to distally.These two characteristics are different from all other existing genera in the family.Therefore, based on the above morphological data, we suggest establishing a new genus Sinocranum to accommodate S. menghai sp.nov.
Description.Small to medium-sized spiders (total body length 7.89-10.70;Figs 5A-D, 11A).Eight eyes in two rows; PER longer than AER, AER recurved, PER almost straight in dorsal view.AME separated by less than their diameter, closer to ALE; PME separated by almost twice their diameter, about as far from ALE; Distance between AME and PME longer than that between ALE and PLE; ALE and PLE separated by about their diameter.Carapace reddish-brown with lighter heart region, laterally with dark stripes, submarginally with lighter patches, marginally dark, with white hairs; fovea reddish-brown.Chelicerae reddish-brown, with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth.Endites yellowish-to reddish-brown, longer than wide, narrower in middle, subapically with semicircular membranous area and dense scopula.Labium reddish-brown with lighter distal lip.Sternum reddish-brown.Legs yellowish-brown, lateral tarsi and metatarsi I-II with dense scopulae.Leg spination: femora with 2-4 pairs of lateral spines and 3 dorsal spines; tibiae with 0-3 pairs of lateral spines, 0-3 dorsal spines and 3 pairs of ventral spines; metatarsi with 0-4 pairs of lateral spines, 0-1 dorsal spine and 2 ventral spines or 1-3 pairs of ventral spines.Leg formula: 4123.Dorsal opisthosoma yellowish, median field with dark bands, laterally with reddish-brown stripes and dark patches.Lateral and ventral opisthosoma yellowish with dark spots and dark ring around spinnerets.Spinnerets yellowish.
Epigynal field (Fig. 4A, B) with two large spots; epigynal plate sclerotized.Copulatory openings hidden under epigynal plate.Copulatory ducts long and curved.Glandular appendages globular, originating subdistally to copulatory ducts.Spermathecae large, separated by less than half of their diameter.Fertilization ducts almost as long as diameter of spermathecae, close to each other distally, pointing anteriorly.
Distribution.China (Yunnan; Fig. 12).Etymology.The specific name refers to the type locality and is a noun in apposition.
Copulatory ducts long and curved, subdistally to distally bifurcate.Glandular appendages globular, originating subdistally to copulatory ducts.Spermathecae large, kidney-shaped, separated by less than half of their diameter.Fertilization ducts almost as long as diameter of spermathecae, close to each other distally, pointing anteriorly.
Palp (Fig. 6A-C).Epigyne (Fig. 7A, B).Epigynal plate simple; copulatory openings triangular, originating centrally to epigynal field.Copulatory ducts long, with sharp twist at its base, presenting spherical.Glandular appendages round.Primary spermathecae large, elliptical, almost adjacent to each other; secondary spermathecae small, nearly globular, separated by more than their diameter; primary spermathecae and secondary spermathecae connected to each other.Fertilization ducts originating anteriorly to primary spermathecae, pointing laterally.
Distribution.China (Yunnan, type locality; Fig. 12).Etymology.The specific name refers to the type locality and is a noun in apposition.
Palp (Fig. 9A-C).Retrolateral tibial apophysis long and straight, with wide base and narrow, blunt tip.Bulb oval, subtegulum sclerotized, visible in ventral view; sperm duct distinct, separated from the base of tegulum by nearly double in Deeleman-Reinhold 2001; figs 1J, 2B in Sankaran 2022).The species distribution map was generated with ArcGIS 10.2 (ESRI Incorporated Company).The specimens studied are preserved in 75% ethanol and deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing, China.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Koppe ninger sp.nov., holotype female (A-C) habitus A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view.Scale bar: 1.00 mm.A B C