Pholcus hwangjeong Lee & Lee, 2024

Lee, Jun-Gi, Lee, Jun-Ho, Choi, Doo-Yeong, Park, Sun-Jae, Baek, Min-Jeong & Kim, Sam-Kyu, 2024, Nine new species of the genus Pholcus Walckenaer (Araneae: Pholcidae) from South Korea, Zootaxa 5432 (2), pp. 179-212 : 192-195

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5432.2.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8B157EDE-7ADB-4AC0-8C98-66D68D8EB27B
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10899102
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0387A476-7D17-B05E-FF29-239E7283FEF0
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pholcus hwangjeong Lee & Lee
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pholcus hwangjeong Lee & Lee , sp. nov.

Figs 1I–J View FIGURE 1 , 2I–J View FIGURE 2 , 7, 15F–H, 18

Type material. Holotype: ♂, SOUTH KOREA : Chungcheongbuk-do: Danyang-gun, Daegang-myeon, near Hwangjeongsan National Recreation Forest (36˚50'27"N, 128˚21'14"E, 493 m), 03 Jun. 2017, Doo-Yeong Choi leg. ( NIBR) . Paratypes: 2♀♀, same data as holotype (KNU-Ar 20230063–64) ; 2♂♂, same data as holotype (KNU-kise 712) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Mt. Hwangjeongsan. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Males similar to Pholcus socheunensis Paik, 1978 , having prolateral process of procursus elongated retrolaterally and marginally curved roundly ( Fig. 7D View FIGURE 7 ), but can be distinguished by: 1) prolateral process of procursus with distal margin linear ( Fig. 7D View FIGURE 7 ) (obtuse triangular in P. socheunensis , see Paik 1978: fig. 6); 2) uncus auriculate and sinuated ( Fig. 7F View FIGURE 7 ) (lingulate in P. socheunensis , see Paik 1978: fig. 7); 3) pseudoappendix stout, distally slightly bent dorsally ( Fig. 7F View FIGURE 7 ) (slender, strongly curved backwards in P. socheunensis , see Paik 1978: fig. 7). Females similar to Pholcus ungyo Lee & Lee , sp. nov. and Pholcus gimsatgat Lee & Lee , sp. nov. (for differences see diagnosis of P. ungyo sp. nov. above).

Description. Male (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 1I View FIGURE 1 . Total length 6.1. Prosoma 1.8 long, 1.9 wide. Carapace round, pale yellow, with brown radial marks and marginal band on thoracic area.Eye area slightly elevated, posteriorly with dark brown marks laterally and medially. Diameter of AME 115 µm, ALE 166 µm, PME 165 µm, PLE 177 µm. AME–AME 45 µm, PME–PME 229 µm, PME–ALE 34 µm. Clypeus with large brown mark, without process. Chelicera ( Fig. 2I–J View FIGURE 2 ) with thumb-like proximo-lateral apophysis, tiny knob-like frontal apophysis, and ventrally curved, notched triangular distal apophysis distinctly longer and larger than proximo-lateral apophysis. Sternum longer than wide, shield-like, pale yellow with brown marks laterally and posteriorly. Opisthosoma 4.1 long, 1.9 wide, cylindrical, pale yellow, without cuticular patterns, with cardiac pattern and many black granular spots dorsally and laterally. Leg femora and tibiae yellowish brown with two whitish and two dark brown bands distally, two dark brown bands proximally; patellae, metatarsi, tarsi dark brown, without bands; leg Ⅰ femur distinctly darker. Leg Ⅰ 52.1 (13.3 + 0.8 + 13.6 + 22.0 + 2.4), leg II 36.3 (10.1 + 0.8 + 9.5 + 14.3 + 1.7), leg III 25.2 (7.4 + 0.7 + 6.5 + 9.3 + 1.3), leg IV 33.1 (9.6 + 0.7 + 8.5 + 12.8 + 1.5). Ratio of leg Ⅰ (17.1: 1.0: 17.5: 28.2: 3.1), leg II (13.0: 1.0: 12.2: 18.3: 2.1), leg III (10.1: 1.0: 8.8: 12.8: 1.8), leg IV (13.4: 1.0: 11.8: 17.7: 2.1). Leg formula 1243. Tibia Ⅰ L/d 85. Tibiae, metatarsi, tarsi with short vertical setae, tibiae and metatarsi Ⅰ, II with long curved hairs. Tibiae with three trichobothria, except tibia Ⅰ (prolaterally absent). Retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia Ⅰ at 6% proximally. Tarsus I with 29 pseudosegments, mostly irregular. Palp ( Fig. 7A–G View FIGURE 7 ). Trochanter apophysis ( Fig. 7B View FIGURE 7 ) less than half as long as femur, straight, slender, distally blunt, ventro-subdistally with single curved hair, proximo-dorsally with round tubercle; femur ventrally swollen; tibia with prolatero-ventral tubercle; procursus ( Fig. 7B–E View FIGURE 7 ) dark brown, curved perpendicularly dorsally, with large ventral knee; dorso-subdistally swollen, with single short spine near retrolateral ridges ( Fig. 7C–D View FIGURE 7 ); procursus tip ( Fig. 7C–E View FIGURE 7 ) with single large ridges and several indistinct ridges retrolaterally ( Fig. 7E View FIGURE 7 ), prolateral process broad and membranous, strongly sclerotized and extended triangular retrolaterally (arrowed 1 in Fig. 7D View FIGURE 7 ) and medially semi-transparent, distal margin linear and denticulate (arrowed 2 in Fig. 7D View FIGURE 7 ), prolateral margin round and sinuated, strongly sclerotized with thick longitudinal mark slightly far from proximal procursus, distally with single thin projection narrowed and dentate (arrowed 3 in Fig. 7C–D View FIGURE 7 ), and membranous ventral process (arrowed 4 in Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ); genital bulb oval, pale yellow; uncus ( Fig. 7F View FIGURE 7 ) about 0.6 times as long as genital bulb, dark brown, auriculate and sinuated, outer margin with numerous tiny scales; pseudoappendix ( Fig. 7G View FIGURE 7 ) slightly shorter than uncus, strongly sclerotized, stout, straight, distally blunt, slightly bent dorsally; embolus ( Fig. 7G View FIGURE 7 ) slender, distally fringed, weakly sclerotized, slightly longer than uncus.

Female (one of paratypes, KNU-Ar 20230063). Habitus as in Fig. 1J View FIGURE 1 . Somatic characteristics generally similar to male, but cheliceral apophyses absent, legs slightly shorter. Total length 5.1. Prosoma 1.5 long, 1.7 wide. Diameter of AME 110 µm, ALE 158 µm, PME 144 µm, PLE 153 µm. AME–AME 50 µm, PME–PME 185 µm, PME–ALE 31 µm. Opisthosoma 3.4 long, 1.1 wide. Leg Ⅰ 34.3 (8.5 + 0.7 + 8.7 + 14.2 + 2.2), leg II 24.2 (6.7 + 0.7 + 6.1 + 9.4 + 1.4), leg III 17.6 (5.0 + 0.6 + 4.3 + 6.7 + 1.1), leg IV 23.8 (6.9 + 0.6 + 6.0 + 9.0 + 1.3). Ratio of leg Ⅰ (12.4: 1.0: 12.6: 20.6: 3.1), leg II (10.2: 1.0: 9.4: 14.5: 2.2), leg III (7.8: 1.0: 6.7: 10.4: 1.7), leg IV (11.6: 1.0: 10.2: 15.3: 2.3). Leg formula 1243. Tibia I L/d 62. Epigyne ( Fig. 7H View FIGURE 7 ). Anterior plate rhomboid, anteriorly with brown wide rhomboid mark, posteromedial margin strongly extended; posterior plate ivory, medially about half as long as anterior plate and laterally as long as anterior plate, lateral portion expanded roundly with posterior edge strongly extended, with pair of yellowish brown sclerotized areas on anterolateral margin with several irregular dark brown marks; epigynal knob dark brown, thick, blunt, more than half as long as posterior plate; posterior sclerotized cuticle brown, strongly procurved, as long as posterior plate; interspace between posterior plate and posterior sclerotized cuticle yellowish brown, slightly shorter than posterior sclerotized cuticle. Internal genitalia ( Fig. 7I View FIGURE 7 ). Anterior arch slightly sinuated, medially strongly sclerotized and extended anteriorly; anterolateral portion slightly extended laterally, with blunt tip; genital valve slightly curved roundly; lateral portion strongly concave and flattened; pore plates oblong, wide apart, positioned parallel.

Variation. Males. Prosoma width: 1.8–1.9 (mean 1.9), tibia Ⅰ: 12.3–13.8 (mean 13.2) (n=3).

The palpal shapes were largely consistent ( Fig. 15F View FIGURE 15 ).

Females. Prosoma width: 1.7–1.8, tibia Ⅰ: 8.7–9.3 (n=2). An intrapopulational variation was observed on the size of pore plates of internal genitalia ( Fig. 15H View FIGURE 15 ). The epigynal shapes were largely consistent, but some have pair of small sclerotized marks on the median portion of epigynal posterior plate (arrowed in Fig. 15G View FIGURE 15 ).

Habitat information. This species was found inside road drains in mountainous regions.

Distribution. Korea (Danyang) ( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 ).