Systematic notes on three new Luthela (Mesothelae, Heptathelidae) spiders from China, with their descriptions.
Mian WeiShuqiao WangYucheng LinPublished in: ZooKeys (2023)
Three new segmented trapdoor spider species belonging to the family Heptathelidae Kishida, 1923, i.e., Luthelaasuka sp. nov. (♂♀, Sichuan), L.beijing sp. nov. (♂♀, Beijing), and L.kagami sp. nov. (♂♀, Sichuan), are described from China. Their phylogenetic position and relationships within Heptathelidae are tested and assessed using a combination available COI data downloaded from GenBank with new DNA sequences obtained in this study. The results show that the new species form a clade with eight known and one undescribed species of Luthela . High-definition illustrations of the male palps and female genitalia, diagnoses, and DNA barcodes are provided for these three new species, and their distributions are mapped.