Belisana douqing, 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 : 59-62

Belisana douqing sp. nov.

Figs. 1–11

Holotype. Male from Liushan Cave (26° 29΄N, 105° 0 8΄E, alt. 1755 m), Douqing town, Shuichen County, Guizhou Province, 10 January 2008, collected by H.M. Chen (HBU) and Y.Q. Zhang (MLR).

Paratypes. Six males and sixteen females, data are same as holotype (HBU).

Diagnosis. Relatively large, long-legged species with globular opisthosoma; distinguished from relatives by the shape of procursus ( Figs. 4–6 ), bulbal projections ( Figs. 4–5 ) and trochanter of palp ( Fig. 7 ). The new species is similar to B. phurua , but distinguished by the broad basal part of the bulbal apophysis ( Fig. 5 ), proximolateral apophysis on male chelicerae and distal apophysis close to one another ( Fig. 3 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 2.38 (2.54 with clypeus), carapace width 0.88. Leg I: 25.85 (6.53 + 0.35 + 6.32 + 10.30 + 2.35), tibia II: 4.69, tibia III: 2.81, tibia IV: 3.62; tibia I L/d: 63. Habitus as in Figs. 1 and 2 . Carapace pale yellowish, ochre-yellow margins laterally, sternum ochre-yellow, legs ochreyellow, without darker rings, opisthosoma yellowish, without darker spots, with sparse hairs. Ocular area slightly elevated, thoracic furrow absent. Six eyes in two triads, distance PME-PME 0.15; diameter PME 0.075; distance PME-ALE 0.025. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum as long as wide (0.65). Chelicerae as in Fig. 3 , with pair of curved apophyses, tips unmodified, 0.30 apart. Palps as in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 ; trochanter with retrolateral apophysis, femur with proximo-dorsal apophysis, procursus with distinctive curved long spine more than procursus tip ( Figs. 4, 5, 6 ) and with ventral membranous flap, bulb with hooked apophysis ( Fig. 5 ) and embolus with tiny spine ( Fig. 4 ). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 15.8%; legs without spines and curved hairs; tarsus I with ~20 pseudosegments.

Variation. Tibia I in five other males: 5.41–6.32 (mean 5.85). Some individuals of male with large darker abdominal spots visible through cuticle dorso-laterally ( Fig. 10 ).

Female (Paratypes): In general similar to male. Tibia I in 5 females: 2.86–4.49 (mean 3.73). Epigynum simple, with creases externally in ventral view ( Fig. 7 ), pockets 0.40 apart. Dorsal view as in Fig. 8 .

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 entrance zone of one cave (light zone). Cave is smaller, about 30 meters horizontally deep, and five meters high. Spiders were found on the cave walls ( Fig. 10 ). The web consists of slightly flat and widely meshed strands ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Belisana douqing sp. nov. habitus, microhabitat.

FIGURE 11. Belisana douqing sp. nov. web.

FIGURES 1 – 9. B. douqing sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: 1, male habitus, dorsal view; 2, male habitus, lateral view; 3, male prosoma frontal view; 4, male left palp, prolateral view; 5, male left palp, dorsal view; 6, male left palp, retrolateral view; 7, male left palp trochanter and apophysis, retrolateral view; 8, female genitalia, ventral view; 9, female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bar: 1 – 2, 0.4 mm; 3 – 8, 0.2 mm; 7, 0.1 mm.