Hotwheels sisyphus sp. nov.

The generic name refers to Hot Wheels, a collectible die-cast toy car made by Mattel, as the long, coiled embolus of this new genus resembles a Hot Wheels track; neuter in gender.

The new genus resembles Synaphosus Platnick & Shadab, 1980 by metatarsi III and IV having a preening brush, the male palp has a long embolus and large conductor, and the epigyne has a hood and long copulatory ducts (Figs 2–4C, D, 5). It can be distinguished from Synaphosus by: 1) the presence of a median apophysis (Figs 2, 3A–D) vs. median apophysis absent (Fig. 3F, G; Ovtsharenko et al. 1994: figs 12–14); 2) the basal half of the embolus which rotates counterclockwise (Fig. 2A) vs. basal half of the embolus rotates clockwise (Ovtsharenko et al. 1994: figs 12–14; Marusik and Omelko 2018: figs 8–11, 20–24, 26–36); 3) a weakly sclerotized conductor without an apophysis or outgrowth (Figs 2A, 3A–D) vs. a partially sclerotized conductor with an apophysis or outgrowth (Fig. 3F, G; Marusik and Omelko 2018: figs 8–11, 20–24, 26–36); and 4) the copulatory duct is circular, wide anteriorly, and almost twice the width of the primary spermathecae (Fig. 5) vs. copulatory duct twisted, narrow anteriorly, and narrower than the primary spermathecae (Ovtsharenko et al. 1994: figs 15, 16; Marusik and Omelko 2018: figs 5–7, 12, 13, 17–19, 39–41).

Small-sized (total length: males = 4.86–5.44; females = 5.45–5.98). In dorsal view, carapace elongate-ovoid, anterior eye row slightly recurved, posterior eye row straight; PME oblique, flat (Figs 1A, 4A). Cheliceral promargin with 4 or 5 teeth, retromargin with 3 or 4 teeth (Fig. 1C, D). Leg formula: 4123. Trochanters not notched. Metatarsi III and IV with preening brushes. Sternum elongate oval, with straight anterior edge, pointed posteriorly (Figs 1B, 4B). Anterior lateral spinnerets with 6 enlarged piriform gland spigots, separated by almost 1.2 times their diameter (Fig. 1E, F). Color in alcohol (Figs 1A, B, 4A, B): carapace yellow-brown; cephalic groove and radial furrow black; fovea distinct, longitudinal. Legs yellow-brown. Abdomen grey, males with anterior dorsal scutum, almost half of abdominal length and more than half of width.

Figure 1. 

Hotwheels sisyphus sp. nov., male (A–C, F) and female (D, E) A, B habitus, dorsal and ventral view C, D left chelicera, retrolateral view E, F spigots on anterior lateral spinneret. Abbreviations: MaAm = major ampullate gland spigot, Pi = piriform gland spigot.

Same as for the species.

Murphy (2007) made a formal grouping of gnaphosids without subfamilies, Azevedo et al. (2017) based subfamilies on the results of a morphological phylogenetic analysis, and Lin and Li (2020) erected a monotypic subfamily, Solitudinae. Hotwheels sp. nov. cannot be placed in any known Gnaphosidae subfamily because the cheliceral promargin has 4 or 5 teeth, and the retromargin has 3 or 4 teeth (Fig. 1C, D) vs. cheliceral promargin with keel in Herpyllinae (Azevedo et al. 2017: fig. 20e, g) and cheliceral retromargin with a serrated keel or a rounded lamina in Gnaphosinae (Azevedo et al. 2017: fig. 20b, d, f); metatarsi III and IV with preening brush (Fig. 4C, D) vs. metatarsi III and IV with preening comb in Zelotinae (Azevedo et al. 2017: fig. 22h); fertilization ducts directed laterally (Fig. 5B, D) vs. fertilization ducts directed posteriorly in Leptodrassinae (Ott 2012: fig. 40); trochanters not notched (Fig. 1B) vs. trochanters notched in Drassodinae (Azevedo et al. 2017: fig. 24); leg IV tarsus straight (Fig. 4C, D) vs. leg IV tarsus curved in Solitudinae (Lin and Li 2020: fig. 1E, F). It can be placed in the Echemus group of genera by the abdomens plain-coloured dorsally and males having an anterior dorsal scutum (Figs 1A, B, 4A, B) (Murphy 2007).

Only the type species.

Holotype ♂, China: Guizhou Prov., Bijie City, Hezhang Co., Yemachuan Town, Dayan Cave, 27.132997°N, 104.818279°E, 1392 m elev., 2.X. 2019, leg. Z. Feng & L. Zhao. Paratype: 1♀1♂, same data as holotype; 1♂1♀, China: Guizhou Prov., Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Pref., Xingren City, Xinlongchang Town, Lianzhuang Vil., Daxiao Cave, 25.438033°N, 105.116197°E, 1473 m elev., 5.VIII.2022, leg. Y. Hou & L. Zhang; 1♂, China: Sichuan Prov., Leshan City, Emei Mt, Jiulinggang, 29.558433°N, 103.347167°E, 1811 m elev., 13.IV.2018, leg. Z. Zhang & L. Wang; 1♂1♀, China: Yunnan Prov., Honghe Autonomous Pref., Mile Co., Hongxi Town, Bailong Cave, 1.IV.2018, leg. H. Wang.

The specific name is derived from Sisyphus, a king in Greek mythology who offended Zeus and whose punishment was to repeatedly roll a huge stone up a hill only to have it roll back down, because the circular copulatory ducts are like Sisyphus’s cyclic mission; noun in apposition.

Male. Holotype (Fig. 1A, B): total length 5.08; carapace 2.56 long, 1.95 wide; abdomen 2.52 long, 1.70 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.16, PME 0.10, PLE 0.13; AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.08, PME–PLE 0.02, ALE–PLE 0.03. Leg measurements: I 7.28 (2.11, 0.92, 1.76, 1.39, 1.10), II 6.18 (1.83, 0.80, 1.48, 1.13, 0.94), III 5.62 (1.62, 0.65, 1.18, 1.26, 0.91), IV 7.89 (1.97, 0.81, 1.91, 2.06, 1.14). Cheliceral promargin and retromargin with 4 teeth (Fig. 1C).

Palp in regular state (Fig. 2). Femur and patella unmodified. Tibia with long retrolateral apophysis, nearly 2× longer than tibia, with prolateral curved tip. Cymbium pear shaped, without apical spines. Median apophysis on retrolateral apex of tegulum, nearly 2× wider than tegulum, pointed, curved. Conductor weakly sclerotized, folded and covered on tegulum and subtegulum, posterior part hidden behind median apophysis. Distal tubular membrane connects radix to tegulum. Embolus long, originates at about 7–8 o’clock, basal half rotated anticlockwise, with terminal membrane and two embolar processes (EP1, EP2), posterior half usually hidden behind conductor. Ejaculatory duct distinct.

Figure 2. 

Male left palp of Hotwheels sisyphus sp. nov. A ventral view B dorsal view C prolateral view D retrolateral view. Abbreviations: C = conductor, DTM = distal tubular membrane, E = embolus, ED = ejaculatory duct, EP1 = embolar process, MA = median apophysis, R = embolar radix, RTA= retrolateral tibial apophysis, ST = subtegulum, T = tegulum, TM = terminal membrane.

Expanded palp (Fig. 3A–E). Basal haematodocha large, well developed. Subtegulum smaller than tegulum. Median haematodocha small. Conductor originates at tegulum prolaterally, expanded, crescent shaped with thickened border. Distal tubular membrane expanded, spherical. Terminal membrane inflated.

Figure 3. 

Expanded male left palp of Hotwheels sisyphus sp. nov. (A–E), Synaphosus palearcticus Ovtsharenko, Levy & Platnick, 1994 (F) and S. cangshanus Yang, Yang & Zhang, 2013 (G). A prolateral view B retrolateral view C dorsal view D frontal view E embolar processes F retrolateral view G anterior view. Abbreviations: C = conductor, CA1–3 = apophysis of conductor, BH = basal haematodocha, DTM = distal tubular membrane, E = embolus, ED = ejaculatory duct, EP1–2 = embolar process, MA = median apophysis, MH = median haematodocha, R = embolar radix, RTA= retrolateral tibial apophysis, SD = sperm duct, ST = subtegulum, T = tegulum, TM = terminal membrane.

Female. Paratype (Fig. 4): total length 5.77; carapace 2.83 long, 2.02 wide; abdomen 2.94 long, 2.05 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.16, ALE 0.15, PME 0.11, PLE 0.13; AME–AME 0.03, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.09, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.04. Leg measurements: I 7.15 (2.16, 0.98, 1.68, 1.22, 1.11), II 6.17 (1.84, 0.90, 1.39, 1.12, 0.92), III 5.98 (1.62, 0.67, 1.24, 1.38, 1.07), IV 8.34 (2.37, 0.80, 1.80, 2.25, 1.12). Cheliceral promargin with 5 teeth, retromargin with 3 teeth (Fig. 1D).

Figure 4. 

Hotwheels sisyphus sp. nov., female A, B habitus, dorsal and ventral view C, D right tarsus and metatarsus IV, preening brush, in prolateral (C) and ventral view (D).

Epigyne (Fig. 5). Epigynal plate elongated oval. Anterior folds form hood. Copulatory openings large, distinct, located mediolaterally. Copulatory ducts long, wide anteriorly, almost twice as wide as primary spermathecae, circular anteriorly and medially, membranous medially. Primary spermathecae small and globular. Secondary spermathecae small, with long ducts. Fertilization ducts extend laterally.

Figure 5. 

Epigyne of Hotwheels sisyphus sp. nov., intact (A–C, E, G) or macerated in clove oil (D, F), in ventral (A, D), frontal (C) and dorsal (B, E, F) view G CD path. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct, CO = copulatory opening, DSS = duct of secondary spermatheca, FD = fertilization duct, H = hood, PS = primary spermatheca, SS = secondary spermatheca.

China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan) (Fig. 6).

Figure 6. 

Map showing type locality and other records of Hotwheels sisyphus sp. nov.