Belisana yanhe, Chen, Hui-Ming & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009

Chen, Hui-Ming & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, Four new troglophilous species of the genus Belisana Thorell, 1898 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Guizhou Province, China, Zootaxa 2092, pp. 58-68 : 65-67

Belisana yanhe sp. nov.

Figs. 31–38

Holotype. Male from Zhujia Cave (28° 39΄N, 108° 18΄E, alt. 440 m), Siqu town, Yanhe County, Guizhou Province, 29 September 2007, collected by H.M. Chen (HBU).

Paratypes. Five males and eighteen female, data are same as holotype (HBU).

Diagnosis. Relatively large, long-legged species with dosally elongated opisthosoma ( Fig. 32 ); distinguished from relatives by the shapes of procursus ( Figs. 34–35 ), bulbal projections ( Fig. 35 ) on the male, and the female genitalia (external aspect and internal structures, Figs. 37, 38 ). The new species is similar to B. xishui sp. nov., but distinguished by the spatulate embolus ( Fig. 35 ), the procursus without spine ( Figs. 34–35 ), palpal trochanter ( Fig. 36 ) and the broad membranous flap on procursus ( Fig. 34 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 1.6 (1.65 with clypeus), carapace width 0.58. Leg I: 13.80 (3.42 + 0.23 + 3.42 + 5.36 + 1.38), tibia II: 2.14, tibia III: 1.28, tibia IV: 1.84; tibia I L/d: 44. Habitus as in Figs. 31 and 32 . Carapace yellowish, with dark lateral marks down the carapace, thoracic furrow absent ( Fig. 32 ), sternum yellowish, legs ochre-yellow, with darker rings on coxa, opisthosoma yellowish, with darker spots ( Figs. 31, 32 ), with sparse hairs. Ocular area not elevated, six eyes in two triads, distance PME-PME 0.116; diameter PME 0.065; distance PME-ALE 0.026. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum 0.41 long, 0.44 wide. Chelicerae as in Fig. 33 , with pair of curved apophyses, tips unmodified, 0.43 apart. Palps as in Figs. 34 and 35 ; trochanter with retrolateral apophysis, femur with proximo-dorsal apophysis, procursus without spine ( Figs. 34–35 ) and with ventral membranous flap (broad), bulb with hooked apophysis ( Fig. 34 ). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 6.4%; legs without spines and curved hairs; tarsus I with ~24 pseudosegments.

Female (Paratype): In general similar to male. Epigynum simple externally ( Fig. 37 ), pockets 0.41 mm apart. Dorsal view as in Fig. 38 .

Distribution: The species is known only from the type locality in Guizhou Province, China ( Fig. 12). Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality. Gender feminine.

Natural history. Troglophilous, collected from the light zone inside of a cave with a huge shaft ( Fig. 39 ). Cave is large with a great underground river. Spiders were found underside of leaves of plants (mostly pteridophytes) that grow within the shaft ( Fig. 39 ). One female carrying an eggsac with six eggs was collected. Eggsac globular, about 0.9 mm in diameter, eggs spherical, yellowish, about 0.49 in diameter.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 38. B. yanhe sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: 31, male habitus, dorsal view; 32, male habitus, lateral view; 33, male prosoma frontal view; 34, male left palp, prolateral view; 35, male left palp, retrolateral view; 36, male left palp trochanter and apophysis, retrolateral view; 37, female genitalia, ventral view; 38, female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bar: 31 – 32, 0.3 mm; 33 – 38, 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 39. B. yanhe sp. nov., habitat, Zhujia Cave under the shaft.