﻿Two new thomisid species (Arachnida, Araneae, Thomisidae) from China and Vietnam, with the first descriptions of the males of Borboropactuslongidens Tang & Li, 2010 and Stephanopisxiangzhouica Liu, 2022

﻿Abstract Collections of thomisid spiders by amateur and professional arachnologists in China have led to the discovery of some interesting crab spiders (Thomisidae). Two new species in two genera of thomisid spiders are described and illustrated with photographs and SEMs: Phartaxizang Liu & Yao, sp. nov. (♀) and Stephanopisqiong Liu & Yao, sp. nov. (♀). The previously unknown males of Borboropactuslongidens Tang & Li, 2010 and Stephanopisxiangzhouica Liu, 2022 were also collected and are described for the first time. The genus Borboropactus Simon, 1884 is reported for the first time from Vietnam. The new Stephanopis species is also recorded for only the second time from the Asian mainland. Distributions of all these species are mapped.


Introduction
The family Thomisidae, the crab spiders, is the seventh largest spider family with a global distribution, comprising 2165 extant species belonging to 171 genera (WSC 2022). Of these, 312 species from 53 genera were recorded from China (WSC 2022). More than 50% of the Chinese species are from southern provinces of this country, such as Yunnan, Hainan and Hunan. Only a few percent of the total Chinese number of species have been reported in the past ten years (Li and Lin 2016;Liu et al. 2017Liu et al. , 2022bLiu et al. , 2022cYu and Zhang 2017;Tian et al. 2018;Lin et al. 2019Lin et al. , 2022Huang and Lin 2020;Wang et al. 2020;Liu et al. 2021;Zhang et al. 2022).
China not only has the most species-and genus-rich thomisid fauna, but for approximately 65%, only one of the sexes has been described, which represents a challenge for future taxonomic revisions (Li 2020). However, only a few papers (Meng et al. 2019;Wang et al. 2020;Liu et al. 2022c;Lin et al. 2022) have revised the species of these single-sex species, and there are still many poorly known species from southern China with unusual morphological characteristics (Liu et al. 2022a).
In the past five years, specimens have been collected by spider enthusiasts and colleagues. When examining these spider specimens collected from Tibet, Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan provinces, two new thomisid species were identified, two males of Borboropactus longidens Tang & Li, 2010 and Stephanopis xiangzhouica Liu, 2022 were found for the first time. The aims of the present paper are (1) to provide detailed descriptions of two new species, (2) to provide descriptions of previously unknown males of these two species and (3) to provide the second record of the genus Stephanopis from the Asian mainland.

Materials and methods
Specimens were examined using a SZ6100 stereomicroscope. Both male and female copulatory organs were dissected and examined in 95% ethanol using an Olympus CX43 compound microscope with a KUY NICE CCD camera. The epigynes were cleared with pancreatin solution (Álvarez-Padilla and Hormiga 2007). Specimens, including dissected male palps and epigynes, were preserved in 75% ethanol after examination. For SEM photographs, the specimens were dried under natural conditions and photographed with a ZEISS EVO LS15 scanning electron microscope. Specimens, including the detached male palps or female genitalia, were stored in 75% ethanol after examination. Types are deposited in the Animal Specimen Museum, College of Life Science, Jinggangshan University (ASM-JGSU).
All morphological measurements were taken using a Zeiss Stereo Discovery V12 stereomicroscope with Zoom Microscope System (Software: AxioVision SE64 Version 4.8.3) and are given in millimetres. The body length of all specimens was taken from the anterior margin of the clypeus to the posterior end of the abdomen, excluding the spinnerets. Terminology of the male and female genitalia follows Benjamin (2011), Meng et al. (2019, and Liu et al. (2022c). Leg measurements are given as total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). Leg spines were documented by dividing each leg segment into four aspects: dorsal (d), prolateral (p), retrolateral (r) and ventral (v Tang and Li 2010: 12, fig. 6A−D) by having the embolus lacking the spiralling tip, but can be easily distinguished by the round median apophysis (vs. oval in B. edentatus), the tibia with a horn-like retrolateral apophysis as long as the tibia (vs. triangular, shorter than tibia in B. edentatus), and lacking the dorsal apophysis (vs. present in B. edentatus) (Figs 1G−J, 2). The female of this new species differs from that of B. edentatus (see Tang and Li 2010: 12, fig. 7B, C) by the narrow median field (vs. lacking), the slender epigynal teeth (vs. lacking), and the L-shaped copulatory ducts (vs. oval) (Fig. 3I, J).
Epigyne (Fig. 3I, J). Median field (MF) flask-like, subposterior part broader than other parts; epigynal teeth (ET) very long, as long as 1/2 of median field, arising median-bilaterally; copulatory openings (CO) arising from anterior part of maximum median field; copulatory ducts (CD) broad, wider than spermathecae, both ends swollen, sloping C-shaped, located at median of vulva, anterior part widely separated by its maximum width, and posterior part are approaching each other; spermathecae (Sp) C-shaped, median part have a constriction, posterior part close touching, both ends slightly swollen.

Genus Pharta Thorell, 1891
Comments. This genus includes ten species distributed in Asia (Benjamin 2014;WSC 2022). Half of them (5 species) are recorded from China, where it is known from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Jiangxi provinces (Tang et al. 2009;Wang et al. 2016;Liu et al. 2022c). No species were recorded from Tibet Province.  inverted triangular black-brown marking and the touching anterior spermathecae with a bent part, but differs from it by the copulatory openings being hidden by cambered atrial lateral margins directed medially (vs. bilaterally in P. tengchong) and the separated posterior spermathecae (vs. closely touching in P. tengchong) (Fig. 4F, G).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Tibet, China (Fig. 10).

Genus Stephanopis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869
Comments. This genus includes 24 species mainly distributed in Australasia, South America, and Asian mainland (WSC 2022). Nearly half of them (11 species) are described based either on single females or males (WSC 2022). Only one species was recorded from China on the Asian mainland, S. xiangzhouica Liu, 2022(Liu et al. 2022c Liu et al. 2022c: 64, fig. A, B) in having the copulatory openings hidden by a transverse ridge, but can be distinguished by the inverted heart-shaped atrium (vs. oval) and the tube-shaped spermathecae separated by nearly as long as their width (vs. the oval spermathecae separated by their half width) (Fig. 5G, H).
Male. Unknown. Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Hainan Province, China (Fig. 10).

Stephanopis xiangzhouica Liu, 2022 Figs 7-9
Stephanopis xiangzhouica Liu, in Liu et al. 2022c: 64, figs Machado et al. 2019: 253, fig. 29C, D), but it can be easily distinguished from them by the embolus having a hook-shaped apex (vs. flagelliform in all three species) and the retrolateral tibial apophysis with two morphologically different branches (dorsal branch much longer and thicker than the ventral) (vs. ventral branch much longer and thicker than the dorsal in S. altifrons and S. carcinoides; ventral branch indistinct in S. lata) 8). Female diagnosis as in Liu et al. (2022c).
Palp 8). Palp with a long retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA), pincer-like in retrolateral view, longer than tibia; embolus (Em) flatted-shaped, with broad base, less than tegular length, originating at approximately the 8 o'clock position of the tegulum, with a distinct constriction in the subapical part, and a hook-shaped apex.  Distribution. Known from Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces, China (Fig. 10).
We also thank Yejie Lin for reviewing the Borboropactus specimens collected from Vietnam which are deposited in Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, and Qianle Lu for providing exquisite photographs of living specimens. We are also grateful to Dr Suresh Benjamin, Dr Miguel Machado and subject editor Miquel A. Arnedo for their helpful suggestions and comments on the manuscript, and Dr Nathalie Yonow for improving the English of the manuscript. This research was sponsored by the Natural Science Foundation of China (32000301/32160243) and the Science and Technology Innovation Project for College Students.