Revision of the genus Draconarius Ovtchinnikov 1999 (Agelenidae: Coelotinae) in Yunnan, China, with an analysis of the Coelotinae diversity in the Gaoligongshan Mountains

Abstract

A total of 71 species of the spider subfamily Coelotinae are recorded from Yunnan, China. The seven species that belong to the Coelotes pseudoterrestris species group were revised by Wang et al. (2009). Three species of the genus Pireneitega, one species of the genus Platocoelotes will be studied in a future revision of the genera. The rest of the 60 Draconarius species are described in this study, including 26 new species. All the new species were collected during a 10 year inventory of the Gaoligongshan Mountains in western Yunnan by the California Academy of Sciences and the Hunan Normal University: Draconarius adnatus sp. nov. (male female), D. anceps sp. nov. (female), D. catillus sp. nov. (male), D. curvus sp. nov. (female), D. duplus sp. nov. (female), D. euryembolus sp. nov. (male), D. gigas sp. nov. (male), D. guoi sp. nov. (female), D. improprius sp. nov. (female), D. kavanaughi sp. nov. (male), D. laticavus sp. nov. (female), D. latusincertus sp. nov. (male female), D. levyi sp. nov. (male female), D. longlingensis sp. nov. (male), D. mikrommatos sp. nov. (female), D. olorinus sp. nov. (female), D. paraspiralis sp. nov. (male female), D. pseudoagrestis sp. nov. (male), D. pseudospiralis sp. nov. (male female), D. quattour sp. nov. (female), D. renalis sp. nov. (female), D. spiralis sp. nov. (male female), D. tangi sp. nov. (male), D. tridens sp. nov. (male), D. xuae sp. nov. (female), and D. yani sp. nov. (female). Five species are transferred from Coelotes to Draconarius: Draconarius degeneratus (Liu & Li 2009) comb. nov., D. introhamatus (Xu & Li 2006) comb. nov., D. laohuanglongensis (Liu & Li 2009) comb. nov., D. noctulus (Wang, Yin, Peng & Xie 1990) comb. nov. and D. uncatus (Liu & Li 2009) comb. nov. The males are described for the first time for D. capitulatus Wang 2003, D. pseudobrunneus Wang 2003 and D. pseudocapitulatus Wang 2003. Significant morphological variation in the epigynum and vulva was found in some relatively widespread species, particularly the D. incertus species group, although the males show relatively consistant palpal morphology. Some Draconarius species placement remains uncertain, we prefer to leave them in this genus for now. Gaoligongshan Coelotinae is found to have high levels of species diversity and endemism, and is similar to the species from central and southern China, Himalayas and Thailand. In addition to many species with their own unique characteristics, members belonging to seven species groups are recognized from Gaoligongshan, including Coelotes pseudoterrestris group species from Yunnan and Thailand; Draconarius spiralis group species endemic to Gaoligongshan; Draconarius incertus group species from southwestern China; Draconarius lutulentus group species from the Himalayas to central and southern China; Draconarius laticavus group species from Himalayas and Yunnan; Draconarius gurkha group species from Himalayas and Yunnan; and Draconarius terebratus group species from Yunnan. But no Draconarius venustus group species, which are widespread in East Asia, has been collected from Gaoligongshan. A key to Draconarius from Yunnan is provided.