[Arachnida • 2025] Zoica medogensis, Z. thailandica, ... • Four Species of Zoica Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Asia

A, B. Zoica medogensis sp. nov.;
C, D. Zoica thailandica sp. nov.

Lu, Marusik, Zhang & Wang, 2025;

E, F. Zoica oculata Buchar, 1997 

 DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1249.152933

(Photographed by Qian-Le Lu & Lu-Yu Wang).

Abstract

Three new species of the wolf spider genus Zoica Simon, 1898 are described from eastern and southeastern parts of Asia: Zoica dulong Lu, Zhang & Wang, sp. nov. (Yunnan, ♂♀) and Z. medogensis Lu, Zhang & Wang, sp. nov. (Xizang, ♂♀) from China and Z. thailandica Lu, Zhang & Wang, sp. nov. (Ratchaburi, ♂♀) from Thailand. The male of Z. oculata Buchar, 1997 (Xizang) is described here for the first time, and the first record of the species from China is reported. Descriptions and photographs of all the species are provided. 

Key words: Bhutan, China, new record, taxonomy, Thailand, webs, wolf spider, Zoicinae

 

Photos of living Zoica spp.
A, B. Zoica medogensis sp. nov.; C, D. Zoica thailandica sp. nov.; E, F. Zoica oculata Buchar, 1997 (female, A, B, E, F. Photographed by Qian-Le Lu; C, D. Photographed by Lu-Yu Wang).

Jin-Zhen Lu, Yuri M. Marusik, Zhi-Sheng Zhang and Lu-Yu Wang. 2025. Four Species of Zoica Simon, 1898 from Asia (Araneae, Lycosidae). ZooKeys. 1249: 371-385. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1249.152933

[Arachnida • 2017] Portacosa cinerea • A New Genus for the south-east Australian Grey Wolf Spider (Araneae: Lycosidae: Lycosinae)

Portacosa cinerea  

 Framenau, 2017

 DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.1.14847

Abstract
A new monotypic genus of Australian wolf spiders is proposed to accommodate the common south-east Australian Grey Wolf Spider, Portacosa cinerea gen. n. and sp. n. The genus includes large (total length 9.5–25.0 mm), uniformly grey-coloured wolf spiders with unique genital morphology, i.e. the ventral ridge of the tegular apophysis in the male pedipalp is comparatively sharp and situated towards its retrolateral edge, and the distinct anterior hood of the female epigyne is continuous with the inverted T-shaped median septum. Unlike most other members of the Lycosinae in Australia, the Grey Wolf Spider closes its burrow with a plug-like trapdoor. The species can be found in south-eastern mainland Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia) and Tasmania. It prefers compacted, open and often sun-exposed habitats such as road verges and river banks, but can also be found in open woodlands and grasslands.

Key Words: taxonomy, systematics, Dingosa, trapdoor

 Live images and habitat of Portacosa cinerea gen. n. and sp. n.
 A, male holotype (WAM T68032) from near Apex Park, Mildura, Victoria. B, male, same locality. 
C, female (WAM T56062) from Specimen Hill Bushland Reserve, Bendigo, Victoria, D, female from Red Hill, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (WAM T67906);  

Family Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833

Subfamily Lycosinae Sundevall, 1833

Portacosa gen. n.

 

Portacosa cinerea gen. n. and sp. n. 

Etymology: 

The genus-group name is a composite noun derived from the Latin word portus – door, referring to the trapdoor-building behaviour of the type species and –cosa, a generic ending used for genera in the family Lycosidae. The gender is feminine.

The specific epithet is a Latin adjective (cinereus – grey), referring to the colour and common name of the species, Grey Wolf Spider.

 Live images and habitat of Portacosa cinerea gen. n. and sp. n. 
E, open Eucalyptus camaldulensis riparian woodland, near Apex Park, Mildura, Victoria, where the holotype male (WAM T68032) was found. F, road embankment in Red Hill, Canberra, habitat of female WAM T67906. 
G, closed burrow of holotype male (WAM T68032). H, open burrow of female WAM T67906 from Red Hill, Canberra.

 Volker W. Framenau. 2017. Portacosa, A New Genus for the south-east Australian Grey Wolf Spider (Araneae, Lycosidae, Lycosinae). Evolutionary Systematics. 1: 77-86. DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.1.14847

[Arachnida • 2017] Lycosa aragogi • A New Species of Burrowing Wolf Spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae: Lycosa) from Iran

Lycosa aragogi

Nadolny & Zamani, 2017

  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4286.4.13

With over 2400 species in 123 genera, Lycosidae is one of the largest spider families (WSC 2017). For over two hundred years, the type genus Lycosa Latreille, 1804 have accumulated large-sized wolf spiders from all over the world. Thus, with 218 nominal species, this genus is distributed in all zoogeographical regions (WSC 2017). Almost none of the species currently classified in Lycosa appear to be related to the type species—L. tarantula (Linnaeus, 1758); hence, the genus is polyphyletic and should be divided into several genera. This process has been already started; for example, in Australia and New Zealand where many of large wolf spiders have been removed from Lycosa (Roewer 1955, 1959, 1960; Vink 2002; Framenau & Baehr 2016). Also, some Holarctic, Neotropic and Afrotropic species were transferred from Lycosa to other genera (for a complete list of references see WSC 2017). In the Palaearctic, Lycosa is represented by 60 species (WSC 2017) and remains almost unrevised. From the southern Palaearctic, Saharo-Gobian desert region (Yemel’yanov 1974), 36 species of Lycosa have been recorded to date, 6 of which are poorly described (WSC 2017).

Keywords: Araneae, Lycosidae, Lycosa

FIGURES 3–6. Live and preserved habitus of the holotype of Lycosa aragogi sp. nov.:
 3–5 general appearance, dorsal, frontal, and ventral; 6 prosoma, lateral.

Lycosa aragogi sp. nov. 

Diagnosis. Lycosa aragogi sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus by having two well-developed anterior epigynal pockets and a deep incision between them (Fig. 1, indicated by arrow).

Remarks. According to taxonomic characters for Lycosidae proposed by Zyuzin (1990), L. aragogi sp. nov. belongs to subfamily Lycosinae Simon, 1898: this species has large size, high cephalic area of carapace and setae on epigynal septum. Based on the morphology of male copulatory organs, Dondale (1986) divided Lycosinae into Lycosa and Trochosa groups. A similar subdivision was made by Zyuzin (1990, 1993) based on both male and female morphology. He divided Lycosinae into two tribes: Lycosini Sundevall, 1833, characterised by non-anchor-shaped epigynal septum and Trochosini Zyuzin, 1990, characterised by anchor-shaped epigynal septum. According to this character, L. aragogi sp. nov. should belong to the Lycosini. As reported by Dondale (1986), representatives of the Lycosa group include Alopecosa Simon, 1885, Arctosa C.L. Koch, 1847, Hygrolycosa Dahl, 1908, Lycosa, Melocosa Gertsch, 1937 and Varacosa Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942. Zyuzin (1993: 699) proposed to include in Lycosini “members of Lycosa s.str. with their very peculiar genitalia, and some allied species referred to ‘Allocosa’, ‘Hogna’ and probably Metatrochosina (Roewer, 1959-1960, figs 124, 126, 129, 219, 304-305, 517)”. In general, the structure of vulva of L. aragogi sp. nov. is similar to those of L. praegrandis and L. tarantula (Fig. 2; Logunov 2010: fig. 27), by having massive folds (invaginations), which are perhaps copulatory ducts. We placed L. aragogi sp. nov. in Lycosa on the basis of structures of vulva and shape of septum, which is not anchor-shaped. Still, presence of anterior epigynal pockets distinguishes L. aragogi sp. nov. from L. praegrandis and L. tarantula. To our opinion, L. aragogi sp. nov. has quite peculiar structure of epigyne and probably should belong to a separate new genus. This problem could be solved after studying the copulatory organs of the males. 

Etymology. This species is named after Aragog, the famous fictional spider from “Harry Potter” book series by J.K. Rowling, in a reference to the similarities between this species and the animatronic puppet version of the character used in the film “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, which is actually based on a wolf spider.

Comments. The habitat was a mountainous area with xerophyte vegetation, mostly consisting of Astragalus sp. The specimen was collected from inside its burrow, which was made in a stony slope. Somatic characters (carapace profile, scopula and spinules on legs) of L. aragogi sp. nov. are equivalent to structural and functional features of burrowing wolf spiders, as proposed by Zyuzin (1990).
 

Anton A. Nadolny and Alireza Zamani. 2017. A New Species of Burrowing Wolf Spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae: Lycosa) from Iran. Zootaxa. 4286(4); 597–600.   DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4286.4.13

[Arachnida • 2018] Ovia macritchie • A New Ovia Species (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Singapore, with the Transfer of Pardosa alboannulata Yin et al., 1997

Ovia macritchie

Lu, Koh, Zhang & Li, 2018

   DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.12

 photo:  Joseph Koh   facebook.com/JosephKoh7161 

Abstract

A new species of wolf spiders, Ovia macritchie sp. nov., is discovered in Singapore. It is closely related to O. procurva (Yu & Song, 1988), hitherto the only species of Ovia Sankaran, Malamel & Sebastian, 2017. O. macritchie also resembles Pardosa alboannulata Yin et al., 1997 from China, which is herein transferred to Ovia. All of them share a uniquely hooked terminal apophysis on the male pedipalp. Colour photos, line drawings, SEM photos and detailed descriptions are provided for both the new species O. macritchie and the newly combined species O. alboannulata.

Keywords: Araneae, Pardosa, diversity, taxonomy, copulatory organs

 Taxonomy 

Family Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833 

Subfamily Lycosinae Sundevall, 1833 

Genus Ovia Sankaran, Malamel & Sebastian, 2017

 photo:  Joseph Koh   facebook.com/JosephKoh7161  

Ovia macritchie sp. nov. 

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality, which is commonly known as the “MacRitchie Forest” within the species-rich Central Catchment Nature Reserve in Singapore. The name of this forest is becoming a catch-phrase epitomizing an evolving habit towards constructive engagement, in the spirt of mutual respect, among government agencies, the scientific community and civil society seeking to finetune a balance between safeguarding the shared natural heritage of all Singaporeans and meeting the infrastructure needs in land-scarce Singapore.

 Tian Lu, Joseph K. H. Koh, Zhi-Sheng Zhang and Shu-Qiang Li. 2018. A New Ovia Species (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Singapore, with the Transfer of Pardosa alboannulata Yin et al., 1997. Zootaxa. 4527(3); 436–450.  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4527.3.12  

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[Arachnida • 2017] Ocyale ghost • A New Species of Ocyale (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Madagascar, with First Observations on the Biology of A Representative in the Genus

Ocyale ghost Jocque & Jocqué, 2017

in Jocque, Wellens, Andrianarivosoa, Rakotondraparany, Seing & Jocqué, 2017

 DOI:  10.5852/ejt.2017.355 

Abstract

A large white species of wolf spider, Ocyale ghost Jocque M. & Jocqué R. sp. nov., is described from a white sandy beach of an inland freshwater lake in the northwest of Madagascar. The first photos of a living specimen of the genus Ocyale are provided together with some observations on the biology of the newly described species. An updated and illustrated key to the Afrotropical species of Ocyale is included here.

Keywords:  beach; biology; phenology; white sand

Class Arachnida Cuvier, 1812

Order Araneae Clerck, 1757

Family Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833

Ocyale Audouin, 1823 

 Species included:

O. dewinterae Alderweireldt, 1996 ♂♀

O. discrepans Roewer, 1960 ♀

O. ghost Jocque M. & Jocqué R. sp. nov. ♂♀

O. grandis Alderweireldt, 1996 ♂♀

O. guttata Karsch, 1878 ♂♀

O. pilosa Roewer, 1960 ♂♀

Fig. 3. Ocyale ghost Jocque M. & Jocqué R. sp. nov. photographed at type locality.
A. Female habitus. B. Same, detail. C. Female in sand retreat. D. Female with spiderlings on abdomen. E. Two males, one being eaten by the other. F. Female with white grasshopper prey.

 Photos A–B: MJ (2012), C–F: SW (2016).

Ocyale ghost Jocque M. & Jocqué R. sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Males of Ocyale ghost sp. nov. can be recognized by details of the male palp: the tegulum is restricted to the prolateral side of the bulbus, the distal prong of the palea appendage is much narrower than the proximal one and the MA with the perpendicular prong is rectangular. Females are characterized by the epigyne in which the T-shaped posterior sclerite is fully exposed and not covered with setae as in other species in the genus. 

Etymology: The species name ‘ghost’ refers to the fully white appearance of this spider. Additional reference is made to the large white direwolf ‘Ghost’ in Game of Thrones, the first book in the series of fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.  

Biology: Ocyale ghost sp. nov. was only found on the white sandy beaches (Fig. 3A–B) of an inland lake in the study region. The surveys also included grassland and dry forest, but the species seems restricted to a white-sand habitat, as reflected in its habitus. Ocyale ghost sp. nov. is active at night and all specimens were caught with headlamps after sunset. Captured animals that were kept alive in large ziplock bags overnight constructed retreats in the sand, lined with silk (Fig. 3C). Possible prey include large insects such as grasshoppers (Fig. 3F) that also exhibit camouflage colours as an adaptation to the white beach they live on. Intraspecific predation is also likely to occur (Fig. 3E), a phenomenon which is not unusual among lycosids (Edgar 1969; Hallander 1970). We observed copulation and females with spiderlings (Fig. 3D) in the midst of the dry season (June–July). Juveniles of a complete range of size, from very small ones (6 mm TL) to subadults, were observed, indicating that this species might reproduce yearround. The permanent presence of water in its habitat might explain why this species is also active in the dry season when spider activity is on average very low.

Fig. 2. Habitat on type locality of Ocyale ghost Jocque M. & Jocqué R. sp. nov. (photo by MJ, July 2012).

Merlijn Jocque, Siel Wellens, J.D. Andrianarivosoa, F. Rakotondraparany, Sam The Seing and Rudy Jocqué. 2017. A New Species of Ocyale (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Madagascar, with First Observations on the Biology of A Representative in the Genus. European Journal of Taxonomy. 355; 1–13.  DOI:  10.5852/ejt.2017.355