Two new and one newly recorded species of Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 (Araneae, Sparassidae) from China

Abstract Two new species of the genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884, T. dahanensis Zhu & Zhong, sp. nov. (♂) and T. unciformis Zhu & Zhong, sp. nov. (♂), are described and figured from Taiwan Island. Thelcticopis severa (L. Koch, 1875) is recorded from Guangdong and Fujian provinces for the first time. So far, Thelcticopis, including four species from China, is mainly distributed in the tropical or subtropical areas of China (Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Guangdong, Fujian).

. These are distributed in Latin and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. This subfamily can be separated from other sparassid subfamilies by the presence of small retromarginal teeth on the chelicerae, a trilobate membrane with a reduced or inconspicuous median lobe, and male palps bearing a median apophysis (Rheims 2019). Sparianthinae is represented in China by the genera Sagellula and Thelcticopis (World Spider Catalog 2020).
Thelcticopis was proposed by Karsch (1884) as a new name for Themeropis L. Kock, 1875, preoccupied by a coleopteran beetle (Themeropis Pascoe, 1874). The genus was originally proposed by L. Koch (1875) to include the type species, T. severa L. Koch, 1875, described based on a female from China. Years later, Jäger (2005) synonymized Seramba Thorell, 1887 with Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884, and pointed out that probably the two African species, Thelcticopis humilithorax (Simon, 1910) and T. truculenta Karsch, 1884, did not belong to Thelcticopis. Nevertheless, he kept both species in the genus until a more thorough revision, as discussed in later regional revisions (Jäger 2005;Jäger and Kunz 2005). Currently, Thelcticopis includes 48 described species distributed mainly in East, South and Southeast Asia, South and Western Pacific (World Spider Catalog 2020). Two species are reported from China, T. severa and T. zhengi Liu, Li & Jäger, 2010. While studying new materials collected in Taiwan Island, two new Thelcticopis species were recognized and described in the present paper. In addition, we provide new records and photographs of T. severa.

Materials and methods
Specimens were examined and measured with a Leica M205C stereomicroscope. Positions of the tegular appendages are given according to clock positions, based on the left palp in ventral view. Male palps were examined after dissection and detachment from the spiders' bodies, the epigyna were examined and illustrated after dissection. All photographs were captured with an Olympus C7070 wide zoom digital camera (7.1 megapixels) mounted on an Olympus SZX12 dissecting microscope, and assembled using Helicon Focus 3.10.3 image stacking software. Photographic images were then edited using Adobe Photoshop. Left palps are depicted unless otherwise stated. All specimens are deposited in Centre for Behavioural Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China (CBEE).
Diagnosis. The subfamily Sparianthinae is represented in China by two genera: Sagellula Strand, 1942 and Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884. However, most species of both genera have been poorly described so far, and the monophyly of these genera is also debatable as Sagellula xizangensis (Hu, 2001) may be wrongly placed (Jäger and Yin 2001). Therefore, we just provide a diagnosis between the Chinese Thelcticopis and Sagellula (only S. xizangensis) species in the current paper. The Chinese Thelcticopis species are most similar to S. xizangensis in having spoon-shaped tegular apophysis in the male palp and median septum in the epigynum (Hu 2001;fig. 187. 1-4), but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1, tibia of male palp stout, about 1/3 cymbium length in Thelcticopis, but normal, less than 1/2 cymbium length in S. xizangensis; 2, retrolateral tibial apophysis complicated, branched in most Thelcticopis species, but simple in S. xizangensis; 3, spermatheca significantly irregular in most Thelcticopis species, but globular in S. xizangensis; 4, anterior median eye larger than other eyes in Thelcticopis, but posterior lateral eyes obviously largest in S. xizangensis.
Distribution. Asia and Pacific zoogeographic regions.  Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality. Diagnosis. The male of this new species resembles those of other Chinese Thelcticopis species (T. severa, T. unciformis sp. nov. and T. zhengi) in having stout tibia, broad cymbium and spoon-shaped tegular apophysis, but can be separated from T. severa by RTA arising distally from tibia, branched (arising proximally, not branched in T. severa); from T. unciformis sp. nov. by the developed conductor with two branches distally, dorsal branch extending beyond ventral one (dorsal branch not extending beyond ventral one in T. unciformis sp. nov.), from T. zhengi by the long embolus with filiform end, visible in ventral view (but short, with blunt end, covered by a large tegular apophysis in T. zhengi) (Fig. 1A-E).
Palp as in diagnosis. Cymbium approximately two times longer than tibia in ventral view. Conductor arising from tegulum in the 11-o'clock-position. Appendage of median apophysis finger-shaped in ventral view. Sperm duct almost straight in ventral view. vRTA with tip pointed and dRTA blunt in retrolateral view. Palpal tibia retrolaterally with distinct bunch of nine setae (Fig. 1A-E).
Female. Unknown. Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 5).

Thelcticopis severa (L. Koch, 1875) Figures 2, 3, 5
Themeropis severa L. Koch, 1875: 699, pl. 60, fig. 1 (♀). Thelcticopis severa Simon, 1897: 72 (transferred from Themeropis).  Diagnosis. Males of this species can be distinguished from males of other Thelcticopis species by its unique bases of RTA with seven or eight stiff setae, long and standing in line (almost the same length as dRTA) and tip of RTA with one stiff seta bending backwards in retrolateral view ( Fig. 2A-D). Females are similar to those of Thelcticopis picta (Thorell, 1887) in having median septum somewhat heart-shaped with a tonguelike posterior structure pointing in the direction of the epigastric furrow (Jäger 2005: figs 1-7), but distinguished from the latter by the following characters: anterior part of the median septum with a longitudinal ridge (absent in T. picta); ends of internal duct system inconspicuous in dorsal view (visible in T. picta) ( Fig. 2A-F).
Diagnosis. The male of T. unciformis resembles that of T. dahanensis (Fig. 1A-D) by the embolus arising from the tegulum at the 8:30 to 9-o'clock position, embolus tip slender; tibia with retrolateral setae, RTA arising distally from the tibia. However, it  can be distinguished by the embolus tip extending beyond the conductor (not so in T. dahanensis); dRTA tip pointed in retrolateral view (blunt in T. dahanensis) (Fig. 4A-D).
Palp as in diagnosis. Cymbium about three times longer than tibia in ventral view. Conductor arising from tegulum in an 11-o'clock-position. Median apophysis spoonshaped and bifid in ventral view. Sperm duct slightly curved in ventral view. vRTA and dRTA with pointed tips in retrolateral view. Palpal tibia retrolaterally directed with distinct bunch of six setae (Fig. 4A-D).
Female. Unknown. Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 5).