Belisana yuexiu Yao & Li, 2020

Zhu, Wenhui, Yao, Zhiyuan, Zheng, Guo & Li, Shuqiang, 2020, Six new species of the spider genus Belisana Thorell, 1898 (Araneae: Pholcidae) from southern China, Zootaxa 4810 (1), pp. 175-197 : 190-195

Belisana yuexiu Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 11–12 , 13 K–L

Type material. Holotype: Male ( IZCAS Ar39950), Yuexiu Park (22°08’22.02”N, 113°15’57.48”E, elevation 20 m), Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 18 August 2019, T. Jiang leg. Paratype: 1 male ( IZCAS Ar39951), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality and is a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. This species resembles B. benjamini Huber, 2005 (see Huber 2005a: 112, figs 37, 38, 621–625) with similar bulbs ( Fig. 12A ; absence of bulbal apophysis, embolus with long distal spine), but can be distinguished by presence of triangular subdisto-prolateral sclerite (arrow 1 in Figs 11C , 13K ), small subdisto-dorsal sclerite (arrow 2 in Figs 11C , 13K ), large disto-dorsal sclerite (arrow 3 in Figs 11C , 13K ), and large disto-ventral membranous process (arrow in Figs 11D , 13L ) on procursus, by male cheliceral distal apophyses face each other mesially (arrow da in Fig. 12B ), by presence of small frontal apophysis on male clypeus (arrow in Fig. 12C ), and by presence of brown median stripe on carapace ( Fig. 12C ).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS Ar39950): Total length 1.25 (1.41 with clypeus), carapace 0.55 long, 0.55 wide, opisthosoma 0.70 long, 0.56 wide. Leg I: 10.19 (2.56 + 0.38 + 2.50 + 3.53 + 1.22), leg II: 7.04 (1.92 + 0.32 + 1.73 + 2.24 + 0.83), leg III: 4.35 (1.28 + 0.19 + 1.15 + 1.22 + 0.51), leg IV: 6.41 (1.86 + 0.32 + 1.60 + 1.92 + 0.71); tibia I L/d: 31. Distance PME-PME 0.16, diameter PME 0.06, distance PME-ALE 0.09, AME absent. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.39/0.31). Habitus as in Figs 12 C–E. Carapace pale, with brown median stripe; sternum pale, without marks. Legs pale, without darker rings. Opisthosoma pale, without spots. Ocular area not elevated. Thoracic furrow absent. Clypeus with small frontal apophysis (arrow in Fig. 12C ). Chelicerae ( Fig. 12B ) with pair of small proximo-lateral apophyses and pair of short distal apophyses each with hardened and pointed tip (distance between tips of distal apophyses: 0.04). Pedipalps as in Figs 11 A–B; coxa unmodified; trochanter with short retrolatero-ventral apophysis (arrow in Fig. 11B ); femur without proximo-dorsal hump; procursus ( Figs 11 A–D, 13K–L) simple proximally but complex distally, with triangular subdisto-prolateral sclerite (arrow 1 in Figs 11C , 13K ), small subdisto-dorsal sclerite (arrow 2 in Figs 11C , 13K ), large disto-dorsal sclerite (arrow 3 in Figs 11C , 13K ) and large disto-ventral membranous process (arrow in Figs 11D , 13L ), without subdisto-dorsal protruding part, distal spine and retrolateral flap; bulb ( Fig. 12A ) with embolus provided with long distal spine (arrow in Fig. 12A ), without hooked apophysis. Retrolateral trichobothria of tibia I at 9% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on metatarsi, without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 11 distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Unknown.

Variation: Tibia I in male paratype ( IZCAS Ar39951): 2.63 .

Natural history. The species was found on the domed webs attached to the underside of leaves of a camphor tree.

Distribution. China (Guangdong, type locality only; Fig. 15 ).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Belisana yuexiu sp. nov., holotype male. A–B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at short retrolatero-ventral apophysis on pedipalpal trochanter); C–D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow 1 points at triangular subdisto-prolateral sclerite, arrow 2 points at small subdisto-dorsal sclerite, arrow 3 points at large disto-dorsal sclerite; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at large disto-ventral membranous process). b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus. Scale bars: 0.05 (A–B), 0.02 (C–D).

FIGURE 12. Belisana yuexiu sp. nov., holotype male. A. Bulb, prolateral view, arrow points at long distal spine on embolus; B. Chelicerae, frontal view; C–E. Habitus (C. Dorsal view, arrow points at small frontal apophysis on clypeus; D. Ventral view; E. Lateral view). b = bulb, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis. Scale bars: 0.05 (A–B), 0.20 (C–E).

FIGURE 13. Drawings of male left procursus in prolateral and retrolateral views (arrows point at same structures as photos of each species, respectively). A–B. B. guilin sp. nov.; C–D. B. maoer sp. nov.; E–F. B. naling sp. nov.; G–H. B. xiyuan sp. nov.; I–J. B. xuanguan sp. nov.; K–L. B. yuexiu sp. nov. f = flap. Scale bars: 0.05.

FIGURE 15. Distribution records of six new species of the genus Belisana from southern China. 1. B. guilin sp. nov.; 2. B. maoer sp. nov.; 3. B. naling sp. nov.; 4. B. xiyuan sp. nov.; 5. B. xuanguan sp. nov.; 6. B. yuexiu sp. nov.