Pholcus auricularis, Zhang, Bao-Shi, Zhang, Feng & Liu, Jing-Ze, 2016

Zhang, Bao-Shi, Zhang, Feng & Liu, Jing-Ze, 2016, Three new spider species of the genus Pholcus from the Taihang Mountains of China (Araneae, Pholcidae), ZooKeys 600, pp. 53-74 : 58-59

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Pholcidae

Pholcus auricularis sp. n. Figs 9, 10, 11, 12

Type material.

Holotype: male (MHBU), CHINA: Hebei Province, Fuping County, Longquanguan Town, Liaodaobei Village, 38°16'N, 114°17'E, alt. 1050 m, 5 August 2014, B.S. Zhang leg. Paratypes: 6 females (MHBU), same data as in holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name is from the Latin word “auricularis”, in reference to the shape of pedipalpi; adjective.

Diagnosis.

Distinguished by the combination of the following characters: uncus thin, ear-shaped, the tip of procursus thin and extending downward, epigynal apophysis short, thin and clavate, the tip thinner (Figs 9 A–D, 10 A–B, 10E, 11 A–D, 12F).

Description.

Male (holotype): Total length 4.13 (5.32 with clypeus), prosoma 1.07 long, 1.19 wide, opisthosoma 2.87 long, 1.54 wide. Habitus as in Figs 12 A–C. Dorsal shield of prosoma pale grey, with brown radiated stripes and bands marginally; thoracic groove absent; ocular area elevated, with short eye-stalks; ocular area pale grey, with a wide median brown band and two lateral brown bands beside PLEs, dorsal prosoma and ocular area both with dispersed dark brown spots, of them, two distinct spots behind PMEs; clypeus 0.21 high, pale grey, median part with brown patch. Diameter AME 0.07, ALE 0.10, PME 0.08, PLE 0.09. Distance AME-AME 0.04, AME-ALE 0.06, PME-PME 0.17, PME-PLE 0.06, ALE-ALE 0.47, PLE-PLE 0.54. MOA 0.24 long, front width 0.16, back width 0.35. Chelicerae as in Figs 10C-D and 12D-E, with pair of long apophyses distally and prolateral part black, pair of unsclerotized thumb-shaped apophyses proximolaterally, and pair of nearly nipple-shaped apophyses frontally. Labium and endites brown, distal part pale, labium wider than long (0.27/0.19). Sternum wider than long (0.73/0.58), brown, median part of sternum light, margin pale grey. Legs long, pale grey, with four brown ring spots on femora and tibiae, one brown ring spot on proximal parts of metatarsi. Measurements of legs: I 21.14 (5.61 + 0.44 + 5.61 + 7.87 + 1.61), II 15.13 (4.54 + 0.27 + 3.75 + 5.34 + 1.23), III 11.14 (3.15 + 0.34 + 2.72 + 3.90 + 1.03), IV 14.89 (4.22 + 0.30 + 3.69 + 5.28 + 1.40); tibia I L/d: 51. Leg formula: 1243. Opisthosoma pale grey, with dark spots dorsally and laterally. Pedipalpi as in Figs 9 A–D and 11 A–D; trochanter with a moderate ventral apophysis; tibia with a sheet-shaped projection prolaterally; procursus simple, its tip extending downward, dorsal spines absent; uncus and embolus weakly sclerotized.

Female. Similar to male. One specimen measured: total length 4.95 (5.12 with clypeus), prosoma 1.35 long, 1.48 wide, opisthosoma 3.42 long, 2.35 wide. clypeus 0.22 high, yellow. Diameter AME 0.04, ALE 0.10, PME 0.10, PLE 0.12. Distance AME-AME 0.07, AME-ALE 0.06, PME-PME 0.23, PME-PLE 0.06, ALE-ALE 0.50, PLE-PLE 0.61. MOA 0.21 long, front width 0.19, back width 0.37. Labium wider than long (0.27/0.18). Sternum wider than long (0.97/0.75). Measurements of legs: I 21.82 (7.00 + 0.56 + 5.59 + 7.42 + 1.25), II 18.03 (5.23 + 0.55 + 4.57 + 6.53 + 1.15), III 13.44 (3.80 + 0.39 + 3.31 + 4.91 + 1.03), IV 17.74 (4.86 + 0.52 + 4.48 + 6.69 + 1.19); tibia I L/d: 63. Leg formula: 1243. Epigynum (Figs 10E and 12F) brown, roughly triangular, with distinct patterns and a short rod-like apophysis on the top. Dorsal view of vulva (Figs 10F and 12G) with an M-shaped, sclerotized arch anteriorly, two closely spaced semilunar pore plates.

Variation.

Female: Total body length 4.68-4.95. Tibia I (n = 6): 6.56-7.00 (mean 6.86).

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality.

Remarks.

Among the Pholcus phungiformes group, the new species resembles Pholcus alloctospilus Zhu & Gong, 1991 and Pholcus fengchen Zhang & Zhu, 2009, but can be distinguished from those by: the short and thick club-shaped projection on tip of procursus, chitinized plate of the epigynum triangular arch (Figs 9 C–D, 10E, 11 C–D, 12F).