Systematic notes on three troglobitic Anapistula (Araneae, Symphytognathidae) spiders from China, with the descriptions of two new species

Abstract

Three cave-dwelling spider species belonging to the family Symphytognathidae Hickman, 1931, i.e., Anapistula sanjiao sp. nov. (♂♀), A. walayaku sp. nov. (♂♀), and A. panensis Lin, Tao & Li, 2013 (♂♀), are reported from southwest China. DNA sequences and detailed illustrations of the habitus, male palps and epigynes are provided, and their distributions are mapped. Their phylogenetic position within symphytognathids and relationships were tested and assessed using previously published phylogenetic analyses on symphytognathoids. The results showed that they form a clade with A. choojaiae Rivera-Quiroz, Petcharad & Miller, 2021 from Thailand.