| Hotwheels sisyphus | |
|---|---|
_Figure_1_AB.png) | |
| Male individual | |
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| Female individual | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gnaphosidae |
| Genus: | Hotwheels Liu & Zhang, 2024[1] |
| Species: | H. sisyphus |
| Binomial name | |
| Hotwheels sisyphus Liu & Zhang, 2024[1] | |
 | |
| Distribution acrosssouthwestern China. The markers located distribution while the triangle marker marks type specimen. | |
Hotwheels sisyphus is aspecies of Chineseground spiders (family Gnaphosidae). It is the only species in the genusHotwheels.[1] It was first described byBo Liu andFeng Zhang, both fromHebei University, in 2024,[2] and has only been found inChina.[1]
The genus name is derived fromHot Wheels, an American brand of scalemodel cars. The long coiledembolus of thepalpal bulb of this new genus reminded the authors of a looping Hot Wheels track.[2] The species is named forSisyphus, a king fromGreek mythology, who is punished by the gods for cheatingdeath. For this, the gods sentenced him to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down. The cyclical nature of his punishment reminded the authors of the circular copulatory tube of the spider.[2]
This species is small in size with males having a total length of 4.86–5.44 mm (0.191–0.214 in) while females have a total length of 5.45–5.98 mm (0.215–0.235 in). They have a overall yellow-brown color carapace while its abdomen is grey in color. The legs are brown.[2]
It is only known to be found inChina, specifically in the southwestern provincesGuizhou (type specimen location),Sichuan andYunnan.[2]