Six new species of the spider genus Spiricoelotes species (Araneae, Agelenidae) from caves in Jiangxi, China

Abstract Six new species of the spider genus Spiricoelotes Wang, 2002 are described, Spiricoelotes anshiensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), Spiricoelotes chufengensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), Spiricoelotes nansheensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), Spiricoelotes taipingensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), Spiricoelotes xianheensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♂♀) and Spiricoelotes xiongxinensis Chen & Li, sp. n. (♀). All new species were collected from caves in Jiangxi Province, China.


Introduction
The spider genus Spiricoelotes was established by Wang (2002) for one coelotine species from China: Coelotes zonatus Peng & Wang, 1997. Three valid Spiricoelotes species were known before the current study: S. urumensis (Shimojana, 1989) from the Ryukyu Islands, S. zonatus (Peng & Wang, 1997) and S. pseudozonatus Wang, 2003from China (World Spider Catalog 2015. In this paper, six new Spiricoelotes species are described. All new species were collected from caves in the Jiangxi Province of China. Genus Spiricoelotes Wang, 2002 Spiricoelotes Wang, 2002: 129. Type species Coelotes zonatus Peng & Wang, 1997, from China. Diagnosis. The males can be easily recognized from other coelotines by the strongly curved patellar apophyses, the absence of a dorsal apophysis of the conductor, and the slender, anteriorly extending conductor. (Fig. 1A-C). The females can be distinguished from other coelotines by the absence of epigynal teeth, the well-developed epigynal hoods and the long, strongly convoluted spermathecae ( Fig. 2A-B). Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective. Diagnosis. The male of the new species can be easily distinguished from all other Spiricoelotes by the long conductor (more than 1/2 length of cymbium, in previously known species subequal to or less than 1/2 length of cymbium) and looped conductor apex (with one loop, conductor of previously known species spiralled, rather than with looped apex), the long and broad outgrowth of the conductor (conductor of previously known species without outgrowth) ( Fig. 1A-C). The female of the new species can be easily distinguished from all of the other Spiricoelotes by the bean-shaped atria (approximately 1/3 of epigynal plate, atria of previously known species obviously less than 1/3 of epigynal plate), the funnelshaped copulatory ducts, the short spermathecae and the epigynal hoods close to each other ( Fig. 2A-B).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 12).   distinguished from all of the other Spiricoelotes by the smaller (subequal to hoods) and posterolaterally situated epigynal atria, the bulb-shaped copulatory ducts and the broader spermathecae ( Fig. 4A-B).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 12). Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective. Diagnosis. The male of the new species has uniquely shaped palps and can be easily recognized from all of the other Spiricoelotes species by the extremely modified conductor (with two outgrowths at the base, only one in S. anshiensis sp. n., and none in other species), the looped apex ( Fig. 5A-C). The female of the new species is similar to S. chufengensis sp. n. but can be distinguished from it by the larger and anteriorly situated atria, the more slender and longer copulatory ducts, the longer, more slender spermathecae that are separated from each other by copulatory ducts (Fig. 6A-B).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 12). Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective. Diagnosis. The male of the new species can be easily recognized by the short, broad conductor without a looped apex, the short cymbial furrow (approximately 1/5 length of cymbium, approximately 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 length of cymbium in other species) and the strong patellar apophysis (twice as broad as in other species) (Fig. 7A-C). The female of the new species is similar to S. anshiensis sp. n. but can be distinguished by the larger atria (approximately 1/2 of epigynal plate), the epigynal hoods that are  separated by twice their width, the slender and horizontally stretched copulatory ducts, the longer and helical spermathecae (Fig. 8A-B).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 12). Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective. Diagnosis. The male of the new species is similar to S. anshiensis sp. n. and S. nansheensis sp. n. but can be distinguished from them by the less modified conductor (conductor without outgrowth at base in this species, with one outgrowth in S. anshiensis sp. n. and 2 outgrowths in S. nansheensis sp. n.) and having more loops in conductor (2 loops in this species, 1 loop in S. anshiensis sp. n. and S. nansheensis sp. n.) (Fig. 9A-C). The female of the new species has a uniquely shaped epigyne and can be distinguished from all of the other Spiricoelotes species by the medially situated and U-shaped atrium and the copulatory ducts that are looped around the spermathecal heads ( Fig. 10A-B).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 12).  Diagnosis. The female of the new species has a uniquely shaped epigyne and can be easily distinguished from all of the other Spiricoelotes species by the small and anteriorly situated epigynal atria, the broad epigynal hoods, the long and convoluted spermathecae and by the short copulatory ducts (Fig. 11A-B).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 12).

Discussion
Currently nine species are known in the genus. Seven are known from both sexes and two from females only. The conductors of the five newly described species differ to a certain extent from the two previously known species. The tip of the conductor in S. urumensis and S. zonatus is spiralled, whereas in the newly described species, it has a looped apex or is unmodified, but never spiralled. All new species are assigned to this genus because they share a combination of characters with S. zonatus, the type species of Spiricoelotes that are lacking in other Coelotinae: strongly curved patellar apophysis, conductor anteriorly extending, median apophysis and dorsal apophysis of conductor absent (figs 1A-C, 3A-C, 5A-C, 7A-C, 9A-C; Wang 2002: figs 366-368).