Belisana naling 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 : 182

Belisana naling Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 5–6, 13 E–F, 14E –F

Type material. Holotype: Male ( IZCAS Ar39854), Naling Cave (24°21’55.56”N, 106°33’54.66”E, elevation 505 m), Sicheng Town , Lingyun County, Baise, Guangxi, China, 4 January 2011, Z. Chen and Z. Zha leg. Paratypes: 1 male ( IZCAS Ar39855) and 2 females ( IZCAS Ar39944–39945), same data as holotype .

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles B. phurua Huber, 2005 (see Huber 2005a: 37, figs 232–235 and Yao et al. 2015: 10, figs 28A–E) with similar male chelicerae ( Fig. 6D), bulbal apophyses ( Fig. 6C) and external female genitalia ( Figs 6A, 14E), but males can be distinguished by absence of spine and disto-prolateral sclerites on procursus ( Figs 5 A–D, 13E–F), and by presence of small subdisto-dorsal sclerite on procursus (arrow 2 in Figs 5C, 13E). Females can be distinguished by having W-shaped vulval anterior arch ( Figs 6B, 14F) and by small elliptic vulval pore plates (arrow pp in Figs 6B, 14F).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS Ar39854): Total length 1.14 (1.22 with clypeus), carapace 0.51 long, 0.56 wide, opisthosoma 0.63 long, 0.41 wide. Leg I: 11.08 (3.01 + 0.38 + 2.76 + 3.97 + 0.96), leg II: 9.68 (2.56 + 0.26 + 2.44 + 3.53 + 0.89), leg III: 6.86 (1.92 + 0.19 + 1.60 + 2.44 + 0.71), leg IV: 9.62 (2.88 + 0.26 + 2.44 + 3.21 + 0.83); tibia I L/d: 39. Distance PME-PME 0.19, diameter PME 0.02, distance PME-ALE 0.03, AME absent. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.47/0.38). Habitus as in Figs 6 E–F. Carapace and sternum pale, without marks. Legs pale, without darker rings. Opisthosoma pale, without spots. Ocular area not elevated. Eyes without pigment but apparently with small lenses. Thoracic furrow absent. Clypeus unmodified. Chelicerae ( Fig. 6D) with pair of small proximo-lateral apophyses and pair of long, curved distal apophyses each with hardened and pointed tip (distance between tips of distal apophyses: 0.29). Pedipalps as in Figs 5 A–B; coxa unmodified; trochanter with short ventral apophysis provided with small retrolateral apophysis (arrow 1 in Fig. 5B); femur with large proximo-dorsal hump (arrow 2 in Fig. 5B); procursus ( Figs 5 A–D, 13E–F) simple proximally but complex distally, with large, distal membranous lamella (arrow 1 in Figs 5C, 13E), small, disto-ventral membranous process (arrow in Figs 5D, 13F), small subdisto-dorsal sclerite (arrow 2 in Figs 5C, 13E) and large subdisto-prolateral sclerite (arrow 3 in Figs 5C, 13E), without distal spine; bulb ( Fig. 6C) with long hooked apophysis and simple embolus. Retrolateral trichobothria of tibia I at 11% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on metatarsi, without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 21 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (IZCAS Ar39944): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 6 G–H. Total length 1.25 (1.38 with clypeus), carapace 0.50 long, 0.63 wide, opisthosoma 0.75 long, 0.53 wide. Tibia I: 3.14; tibia I L/d: 32. Distance PME-PME 0.22, diameter PME 0.03, distance PME-ALE 0.04, AME absent. Sternum slightly longer than wide (0.47/0.31). Eyes with pigment but indistinct. External female genitalia ( Figs 6A, 14E) simple and flat, with pair of frontal “epigynal” pockets laterally on sclerotized plate (arrow ep in Figs 6 A–B, 14E–F), 0.28 apart. Vulva ( Figs 6B, 14F) with W-shaped anterior arch and pair of small elliptic pore plates (arrow pp in Figs 6B, 14F), without serrated sclerites.

Variation: Tibia I in male paratype ( IZCAS Ar39855): 2.56. Tibia I in another female paratype ( IZCAS Ar39945): 2.24 .

Natural history. The species was found underside of rocks in the aphotic zone inside the cave.

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