Wuliphantes


Wuliphantes is a genus of dwarf spiders in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Muhammad Irfan, Liang-Yu Wang, and Zhi-Sheng Zhang in 2023 based on specimens from Wulipo National Nature Reserve in Chongqing, China.

Distribution

All species are known from various provinces of China, particularly in Chongqing and adjacent regions such as Hubei, Guizhou, and Zhejiang.

Diagnosis

The genus is characterized in males by a very long embolus forming multiple coils, the presence of a conspicuous membranous protegulum at the distal end of the tegulum, and an embolic plate with two projections. Females lack a scape in the epigyne, and their copulatory ducts are transparent with several tightly coiled loops before reaching the spermathecae, which can be compact or helical.

Etymology

The genus name is a contraction of and genus Bathyphantes, the former genus for W. tongluensis.

Species

, this genus includes five species: