Orphnaecus tangcongvaca Acuña & Guevarra, 2025

Described by Darrell C. Acuña, Leonardo A. Guevarra Jr

♀ Female described

Female © Acuña et al. (2025), fig. 10A, holotype female, dorsal habitus

Bibliography

Acuña, D. C., Ragasa, L. R. P., Santiago-Bautista, M. R., von Wirth, V. & Guevarra Jr, L. A. (2025). Revisiting and rediscovering the tarantulas (Araneae, Theraphosidae) of Culapnitan (Libmanan) Caves in the Philippines: troglomorphism, taxonomy, phylogeny and ecological niche. Subterranean Biology 52: 143-186.

Distribution

Philippines

Type Locality: PHILIPPINES, Luzon Island, Bicol Peninsula, Camarines Sur Province, Libmanan, Brgy. Sigamot, Libmanan Caves National Park; burrows under a fallen branch and stones on a forest slope near Laya Cave

Etymology

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, in honour of the Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit, founded in Camarines Sur and based at Tangcong Vaca mountain in Libmanan during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.

Specimen Records (2)

PNM 18869 (UST-ARC 0142) ♀ Holotype Philippines

Libmanan Caves National Park, Brgy. Sigamot; burrows under a fallen branch and stones on a forest slope near Laya Cave, Camarines Sur

July 2023 · col. L. A. Guevarra, D. C. Acuña & J. D. Fornillos

Holotype female of Orphnaecus tangcongvaca (field no. CSL06-02). Body length 16.06 mm. GenBank COI accession PP778316. An adult dwarf male was found under the same fallen branch but escaped into the vegetation, so the male remains unknown.

UST-ARC 0141, 0143, 0144 ♀ Paratype Philippines

Libmanan Caves National Park, Brgy. Sigamot; burrows under a fallen branch and stones on a forest slope near Laya Cave, Camarines Sur

July 2023 · col. L. A. Guevarra, D. C. Acuña & J. D. Fornillos

Paratype females of Orphnaecus tangcongvaca, same data as the holotype.