Pholcus aba Li, Li & Yao sp. nov.

Figs 4, 5, 14 B

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Sichuan, Aba, Li County, Xindianzi; 31.528726 ° N, 103.254276 ° E; alt. 1606 m; 19 May 2024; X. Zhang, Y. Wang & Q. Meng leg.; SYNU -Ar 00474 . Paratypes: China • 1 ♂; same data as for the holotype; SYNU -Ar 00475 • 2 ♀; same data as for the holotype; SYNU -Ar 00476 –77 .

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles P. langensis Yao & Li, 2016 (Dong et al. 2016 b: 8, figs 5 A – D, 6 A – H) by having similar uncus (Figs 5 C, 14 B), male chelicerae (Fig. 5 D) and epigyne (Fig. 5 A), but can be distinguished by procursus with raised, sclerotized, swollen prolatero-subdistal edge (arrow 6 in Fig. 4 D vs prolatero-subdistal edge not swollen), sclerotized retrolatero-distal apophysis (arrow 2 in Fig. 4 B; arrow 1 in Fig. 4 D vs absent) and distal membranous process without sawteeth (arrow 2 in Fig. 4 C vs present), by appendix without median apophyses (a in Figs 5 C, 14 B vs with sawtooth median apophyses), and by vulval pore plates longer than wide (pp in Fig. 5 B vs wider than long).

Description.

Male (holotype): Measurements: Total length 3.90 (4.03 with clypeus), carapace 1.12 long, 1.25 wide, opisthosoma 2.78 long, 1.24 wide. Leg I: 24.32 (6.28, 0.52, 6.41, 9.23, 1.88), leg II: 16.59 (4.70, 0.51, 4.25, 6.03, 1.10), leg III: 12.47 (3.72, 0.49, 3.09, 4.35, 0.82), leg IV: 15.81 (4.80, 0.50, 4.16, 5.32, 1.03); tibia I L / d: 51. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME – PME 0.20, PME 0.13, PME – ALE 0.03, AME – AME 0.04, AME 0.07. Sternum width / length: 0.89 / 0.74.

Color: Carapace yellowish, with median brown marks and marginal brown bands; ocular area yellowish; clypeus yellowish, with brown marks; sternum brown. Legs yellowish, but brownish on patellae and whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, with darker rings on subdistal parts of femora and proximal and subdistal parts of tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish, with light dorsal and lateral spots.

Body: Habitus as in Fig. 5 E, F; ocular area elevated, without eye-stalks.

Chelicerae: As in Fig. 5 D, with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses with two teeth each, and pair of frontal apophyses.

Palp: As in Fig. 4 A, B; trochanter with long (3 × longer than wide), retrolaterally strongly bulged ventral apophysis; femur with retrolatero-proximal protrusion (arrow 1 in Fig. 4 B) and distinct ventral protrusion; procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with raised, sclerotized, swollen prolatero-subdistal edge bearing membranous part (arrow 6 in Fig. 4 D; arrow 1 in Fig. 4 C), distal membranous process (arrow 2 in Fig. 4 C), sclerotized retrolatero-distal apophysis (arrow 1 in Fig. 4 D; arrow 2 in Fig. 4 B), and one slender and three strong dorsal spines (arrows 2–5 in Fig. 4 D); uncus with scales, proximal apophysis, and distinct latero-median protrusion (arrow in Fig. 5 C; arrows 1, 2 in Fig. 14 B); appendix T-shaped (Figs 5 C, 14 B); embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent distal projections (Figs 5 C, 14 B).

Legs: Retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia I at 6 % proximally; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi; tarsus I with 27 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype, SYNU -Ar 00476): Similar to male, habitus as in Fig. 5 G, H. Total length 4.05 (4.18 with clypeus), carapace 1.08 long, 1.25 wide, opisthosoma 2.97 long, 1.82 wide; tibia I: 5.96; tibia I L / d: 46. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME – PME 0.17, PME 0.13, PME – ALE 0.03, AME – AME 0.04, AME 0.06. Sternum width / length: 0.82 / 0.76. Epigyne nearly triangular, laterally strongly sclerotized, with knob (Fig. 5 A). Vulva with curved, posteriorly sclerotized anterior arch and pair of nearly round pore plates (Fig. 5 B).

Variation.

Tibia I in paratype male (SYNU -Ar 00475): 6.92. Tibia I in another paratype female (SYNU -Ar 00477): 6.41.

Habitat.

Underside of overhang on rocky cliffs in the mountain area.

Distribution.

China (Sichuan, type locality; Fig. 1).