Rediscovery of Lycodongammiei (Blanford, 1878) (Serpentes, Colubridae) in Xizang, China, with comments on its systematic position.

Lycodongammiei (Blanford, 1878), a rarely encountered species of Asian snake, is characterized by ambiguous systematics and biology. Based on a sole specimen of L.gammiei rediscovered in southeastern Xizang, China, we conduct a detailed morphological examination and description, and investigate the systematic position of this species. Morphologically, the newly collected specimen is closely aligned with specimens previously described. Mitochondrial DNA-based phylogenetic analyses reveal that L.gammiei constitutes an independent evolutionary lineage, forming a clade with L.fasciatus (Anderson, 1879), L.gongshan Vogel & Luo, 2011, L.butleri Boulenger, 1900, and L.cavernicolus Grismer, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Wood & Nor, 2014. The closest genetic distance between L.gammiei and its congeners was 10.2%. The discovery of L.gammiei in Medog County, China, signifies an eastward expansion of its known geographical distribution.

Four new species of Anyphaena Sundevall, 1833 from Xizang, China (Araneae, Anyphaenidae).

Four new species of the genus Anyphaena Sundevall, 1833 collected from Xizang, China, are described: A.cibagou Wang & Mi, sp. nov. (♂♀), A.linzhi Wang & Mi, sp. nov. (♂♀), A.shufui Wang & Mi, sp. nov. (♀) and A.yejiei Wang & Mi, sp. nov. (♀). Diagnostic photos of the habitus and copulatory organs and a distributional map are provided.

Eleven species of jumping spiders from Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan, China (Araneae, Salticidae).

Ten new species of jumping spiders are described from China, including Attulusjimanisp. nov. (♂♀) from Yunnan, Colaxescibagousp. nov. (♂♀), Epeuspengisp. nov. (♂♀), Evarchazayusp. nov. (♂♀), Iciuszangsp. nov. (♂♀), Pancoriusnyingchisp. nov. (♂♀), Stertiniusliqingaesp. nov. (♂♀), and Synagelidesmedogsp. nov. (♀) from Xizang, S.tianquansp. nov. (♂♀), and Yaginumaellaerlangsp. nov. (♂♀) from Sichuan. The hitherto unknown female of Phintellalongapophysis Lei & Peng, 2013 is described for the first time. Diagnostic photos and the distributional maps for all species are provided. Four new combinations are proposed: Epeusdilucidus (Próchniewicz, 1990), comb. nov., and E.guangxi (Peng & Li, 2002), comb. nov. transferred from Plexippoides Prószynski, 1984, Phintellasufflava (Jastrzebski, 2009), comb. nov. transferred from Carrhotus Thorell, 1891, and Yaginumaellaarmata (Jastrzebski, 2011), comb. nov. transferred from Pancorius Simon, 1902.

Two new species of Lysiteles Simon, 1895 from Cibagou National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China (Araneae, Thomisidae).

Background: Lysiteles Simon, 1895 contains 64 nominal species distributed in East, South and South Asia. It possesses very high species diversity in China (with 46 and 32 endemics), Bhutan (with 9 and 1 endemic) and Nepal (with 8 and 4 endemics).In June 2023, a spider survey of Cibagou National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China was carried out. After examination and morphological comparison, two Lysiteles species were recognised as new to science. New information: Two new species of Lysiteles Simon, 1895 collected from Cibagou National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China are described: L.cibagou sp. nov. (♂♀) and L.tangi sp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of habitus and copulatory organs and a distributional map are provided.

Revision of the orb-weaver spider genus Gea C.L. Koch, 1843 (Araneae, Araneidae) from China.

The orb-weaver spider genus Gea C.L. Koch, 1843 from China is revised, and three species including one new species, are recognized: Geajingdong Mi, Wang & Gan, sp. nov. (♂♀) from Yunnan; Geaspinipes C.L. Koch, 1843 (♂♀) from Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Taiwan, and Yunnan; and Geasubarmata Thorell, 1890 (♂♀) from Guangxi and Hainan. Geasubarmata is newly recorded in China.

A new cave-dwelling species of Hahnia C. L. Koch, 1841 from Guizhou Province, China (Araneae, Hahniidae).

Background: Hahnia, the most species-diversity genus of the comb-tailed spider family Hahniidae Bertkau, 1878, compromises 102 species distributed worldwide. To date, 24 species have been recorded from China. New information: A new species of the genus Hahnia C. L. Koch, 1841 is described, based on both sexes from Shanyang Cave of Guizhou Province, China and is named H.jiangkou sp. nov. Diagnostic photos of habitus and copulatory organs, as well as a distributional map, are provided.

Six new species of the orb-weaver spider genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) and a redescription of A.colubrinus Song & Zhu, 1992 from Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China.

Six new species of the genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 from Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in Guizhou Province, China are described: Araneuschenjingisp. nov. (♂♀), and A.yuboisp. nov. (♂♀) are assigned to the A.diadematus group; A.lihaiboisp. nov. (♂♀), A.shiisp. nov. (♂♀), A.wanghuaisp. nov. (♂♀), and A.yangchuandongisp. nov. (♂♀) are assigned to the A.sturmi group. Araneuscolubrinus Song & Zhu, 1992 is redescribed. A new synonym of Araneuscolubrinus Song & Zhu, 1992 is proposed: Araneusoctodentalis Song & Zhu, 1992 syn. nov.

On five new species of the genera Araneus and Hypsosinga (Araneae, Araneidae) from Vietnam.

Five new species of the spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 from Vietnam are described: Araneuseugeneisp. nov. (♂♀), A.ethanisp. nov. (♀), A.liamisp. nov. (♂♀), Hypsosingaryanisp. nov. (♂♀), and H.zionisp. nov. (♀). Diagnostic photographs of the habitus and copulatory organs are provided. Types of the new species are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing, China.

On four new species of the orb-weaver spider genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) from southern China.

Four new species of Araneus Clerck, 1757 from southern China are described: A.mayanghe Mi & Wang, sp. nov. (♂♀) from Guizhou, A.shiwandashan Mi & Wang, sp. nov. (♂♀) from Guangxi, and A.zhoui Mi & Wang, sp. nov. (♂♀) from Hainan are assigned to the A.sturmi group, and A.fenzhi Mi & Wang, sp. nov. (♂♀) from Hunan, Guizhou and Jiangxi is not assigned to any species group. A new combination is also proposed: Aoaraneusoctumaculalus (Han & Zhu, 2010) comb. nov.

On eleven new species of the orb-weaver spider genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China.

Eleven new species of Araneus Clerck, 1757 from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China are described: Araneusarcuatus sp. nov. (♂♀), A.bidentatus sp. nov. (♂♀), A.bidentatoides sp. nov. (♂♀), A.complanatus sp. nov. (♂♀), A.corrugis sp. nov. (♀), A.cucullatus sp. nov. (♀), A.minisculus sp. nov. (♂), A.ovoideus sp. nov. (♀), A.pseudodigitatus sp. nov. (♂♀), A.semiorbiculatus sp. nov. (♀), and A.tetracanthus sp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photographs of the habitus and copulatory organs are provided.

A new species of Pancorius Simon, 1902 (Araneae, Salticidae) from Guizhou, China.

Background: The jumping spider genus Pancorius Simon, 1902 is represented by 40 species primarily distributed in East, South and Southeast Asia. Amongst these, 10 (including eight endemics) are known from China. New information: A new species, Pancoriuslui sp. nov., is diagnosed and described, based on both sexes from Yuntai Mountain in Guizhou of China. Diagnostic photos and a distribution map are provided.

Three new spider species of Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) from the Gaoligong Mountains of Yunnan, China.

Both sexes of three new species of the spider genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 are described and named as: A. breviscapus n. sp., A. floriformis n. sp. and A. pianmaensis n. sp. from the Yunnan province. Detailed descriptions, photos of somatic features and copulatory organs, as well as the map of collection localities are provided.

Nine new species of the spider family Araneidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China.

Nine new species of the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 from Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China are described: Acusilastongi sp. nov. (♂♀), Chorizopesyui sp. nov. (♂♀), Chorizopesoidesguoi sp. nov. (♂♀), Deionecheni sp. nov. (♀), D.yangi sp. nov. (♂♀), Hypsosingapulla sp. nov. (♂♀), Mangorabaii sp. nov. (♂♀), M.cephala sp. nov. (♂♀) and Miloniagemella sp. nov. (♂♀). The genus Milonia Thorell, 1890 is recorded from China for the first time. The previous description of Chorizopesoideswulingensis (Yin, Wang & Xie, 1994) from Libo County, Guizhou by Mi and Wang (2018) refers to Chorizopesoidesannasestakovae sp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of the habitus and copulatory organs of the new species are provided.

On nine species of the spider genus Eriovixia (Araneae, Araneidae) from Xishuangbanna, China.

Species of the genus Eriovixia Archer, 1951 from Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China are reviewed, including seven new species: E. ganae sp. nov. (♂♀), E. liuhongi sp. nov. (♂♀), E. tangi sp. nov. (♂♀), E. wangchengi sp. nov. (♂♀), E. yaoi sp. nov. (♂♀), E. yinae sp. nov. (♂♀) and E. zhengi sp. nov. (♂♀). The male of E. yunnanensis (Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990) is described for the first time. The previous description of E. yunnanensis from Tengchong, Yunnan by Mi et al. (2010) refers to E. pengi sp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of the habitus and copulatory organs of the new species and E. yunnanensis from Xishuangbanna are provided.

On four species of the genus Argiope Audouin, 1826 (Araneae, Araneidae) from China.

Based on morphological and molecular evidence, Argiope macrochoera Thorell, 1891 from China is found to be the unknown female of A. cameloides Zhu & Song, 1994, the known male of A. perforata Schenkel, 1963 is mismatched and provisionally suggested to be the male of A. boesenbergi Levi, 1983, and the true male of A. perforata Schenkel, 1963 is described for the first time. Argiope abramovi Logunov & Jäger, 2015 is suggested to be a synonym of A. perforata Schenkel, 1963. Argiope chloreides Chrysanthus, 1961 and A. vietnamensis Ono, 2010 are newly recorded from China. The unknown male of A. vietnamensis Ono, 2010 is described for the first time.

On two species of the spider genus Stertinius Simon, 1890 from China (Araneae: Salticidae).

Stertinius Simon, 1890 belongs in the subtribe Simaethina Simon, 1903 of the subfamily Salticinae Blackwall, 1841 (Maddison 2015), which represents a group of small spiders with flatted prosoma and conspicuous, sclerotized sigillae (Logunov et al. 1997; Logunov 2018). Currently, a total of 12 species have been described mainly from East and Southeast Asia, of which five species have only one sex described (World Spider Catalog 2020).

Two new species of the orb-weaver genus Chorizopes from Yunnan, China (Araneae, Araneidae).

Two new species of the orb-weaver genus Chorizopes from Yunnan Province, China are described: Chorizopes albussp. n. (male and female) from the Gaoligong Mountains and Ailao Mountains, and Chorizopes longussp. n. (male and female) from the Gaoligong Mountains. Chorizopes albussp. n. can be distinguished from the related species Chorizopes shimenensis by: 1) median apophysis widest at the middle part versus widest at the base in the latter; 2) median apophysis without the dorsal spur found in that of the latter; 3) spermathecae spherical versus ovoid in the latter; 4) having one pair of large white spots on posterior lateral area of abdomen versus having two pairs of crescent white patches with dark edges on dorsal abdomen in the latter. Chorizopes longussp. n. can be separated from the similar species Chorizopes tumens by: 1) the median apophysis having a knob on the distal half versus having a knob on the basic half in the latter; 2) male palp having a spur versus absent in the latter; 3) the width of the groove between the paracymbium and cymbium as thick as the paracymbium versus two times as thick as the paracymbium in the latter; 4) copulatory duct attached on anterior ventral of the spermatheca versus on anterior dorsal in the latter. Photos of body and copulatory organs, line drawings of copulatory organs, as well as the distribution data are provided. The type specimens are deposited in the College of Life Sciences, at the Hunan Normal University (HNU) and the Museum of Tongren University (MTU).