Pholcus bidentatus Zhu, Zhang, Zhang & Chen, 2005

Zhang, Feng & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, A review of the genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 2037 (1), pp. 1-114 : 15-18

Pholcus bidentatus Zhu, Zhang, Zhang & Chen, 2005

( Fig. 4 )

Pholcus bidentatus Zhu, Zhang, Zhang & Chen 2005: 490 , f. 1A–F.

Diagnosis. Similar to P. gui and especially P. kimi , but can be distinguished from the latter by the appendix with two thorn-shaped small apophyses ( Fig. 4E ); by the shape of tip of the procursus ( Figs. 4E–F ); and by the almost rectangular pore plates ( Fig. 4C ).

Redescription. Male (a paratype), total length 5.9: cephalothorax 1.5 long, 1.6 wide; abdomen 4.4 long, 1.1 wide. Leg I: 44.9 (10.9+0.7+10.8+19.9+2.6), tibia II: 7.4, tibia III: 5.4, tibia IV: 7.2; Tibia I L/D: 60. Carapace short, broad and almost circular, ochre, with brown butterfly-shaped marks narrowly connecting to ocular area. Cephalic region raised, without brown central marks, ocular area dark yellow. Clypeus 0.46, slightly ochre, with yellow marks. Distance AME–AME 0.05. Diameter AME 0.09, ALE 0.17, PME 0.15, PLE 0.16. Chelicerae with pair of black apophyses distally and two pairs of unsclerotized round apophyses proximolaterally. Labium and endites yellow. Sternum light black, without marking. Femora, patellae and tibiae ochre, with dark rings, metatarsi and tarsi brown. Palps as in Figs. 4E and 4F , bulb with a cleavershaped uncus, appendix with two thorn-shaped projections centrally. Palpal tarsal organ capsulate, on conical projection of cymbium ( Fig. 4F ).

Variation. Tibia I in other male paratypes: 9.5–11.0 (mean 10.5). Body length in other male paratypes: 5.2–6.8.

Female: in general very similar to male. Total body length 6.6–7.5. Female (holotype), total length 7.2: cephalothorax 1.6 long, 1.8 wide; abdomen 5.6 long, 1.4 wide. Tibia I 10.2; in other paratypes females: 9.3–11.2 (mean 10.3). Prosoma shape as in Fig 4A . Distance AME–AME 0.05. Diameter AME 0.10, ALE 0.21, PME 0.15, PLE 0.19. Abdomen cylindrical, pale ochre, dorsum with numerous blackish markings as in Fig. 4A . Venter pale brown. Epigynum roughly triangular as in Fig. 4B , with a small knob-shaped apophysis on the top. Dorsal view as in Fig. 4C , with a pair of almost rectangular pore plates.

Distribution. Guizhou, Sichuan.

Material examined. CHINA: Guizhou: Daozhen County, Dashahe Natural Reserve , August 26, 2004, leg. Z. S. Zhang, female holotype, 1♂, 1♀ paratypes ( MHBU) ; Xishui County, July 26, 2004, leg. H. M. Chen, 7♂, 9♀ paratypes ( MHBU) . Sichuan: Hejiang County, Zihuai Town , July 30, 2003, leg. J. X. Zhang, 1♂, 2♀ ( MHBU) ; Mt. Emei, Temple Fuhu , July 27, 2003, leg. J. X. Zhang, 3♀ assigned tentatively ( MHBU) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pholcus bidentatus Zhu, Zhang, Zhang & Chen, 2005 (illustrations modified from Zhu et al. 2005). A. female body, dorsal view. B. epigynum, ventral view. C. same, dorsal view. D. trochanter of male left palp, retrolaterodorsal view. E. left palp, prolateral view. F. same, retrolateral view. Scale lines: 1.0mm (A), 0.5mm (B, C, E, F), 0.2mm (D).