Belisana xiyuan 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 : 185

Belisana xiyuan Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 7–8 , 13 G–H, 14G–H

Type material. Holotype: Male ( IZCAS Ar39946), Xiyuan Reservoir (26°03’15.48”N, 119°06’05.46”E, elevation 102 m), Minhou County, Fuzhou, Fujian, China, 11 October 2019, T. Jiang and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 1 male ( IZCAS Ar39947) and 1 female ( IZCAS Ar39948), same data as holotype .

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles B. xishui Chen, Zhang & Zhu, 2009 (see Chen et al. 2009: 64, figs 22–30) with similar bulbal apophyses ( Fig. 8C ) and vulval anterior arch ( Figs 8B , 14H ), but males can be distinguished by presence of small, semicircular disto-prolateral sclerite (arrow 1 in Figs 7C , 13G ) and subdisto-ventral protruding part (arrow in Fig. 7A ) on procursus and by having short cheliceral distal apophyses facing downward (arrow da in Fig. 8D ). Females can be distinguished by having closer frontal “epigynal” pockets posteriorly on sclerotized plate (arrow ep in Figs 8 A–B, 14G–H) and nearly horizontal vulval pore plates (arrow pp in Figs 8B , 14H ).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS Ar39946): Total length 1.79 (1.83 with clypeus), carapace 0.70 long, 0.63 wide, opisthosoma 1.09 long, 0.66 wide. Leg I: – (4.29 + 0.38 + – + – + –) (see variation), leg II: 11.42 (3.21 + 0.32 + 2.63 + 4.17 + 1.09), leg III 6.02 (1.73 + 0.19 + 1.54 + 2.05 + 0.51), leg IV: 9.12 (2.63 + 0.26 + 2.44 + 3.08 + 0.71). Distance PME-PME 0.14, diameter PME 0.08, distance PME-ALE 0.08, AME absent. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.47/0.44). Habitus as in Figs 8 E–F. Carapace and sternum pale, without marks. Legs pale, without darker rings. Opisthosoma pale, without spots. Ocular area not elevated. Thoracic furrow absent. Clypeus unmodified. Chelicerae ( Fig. 8D ) with pair of small proximo-lateral apophyses and pair of short distal apophyses each with hardened and pointed tip (distance between tips of distal apophyses: 0.11). Pedipalps as in Figs 7 A–B; coxa unmodified; trochanter with short retrolatero-ventral apophysis (arrow 1 in Fig. 7B ); femur with small proximo-dorsal hump (arrow 2 in Fig. 7B ); procursus ( Figs 7 A–D, 13G–H) simple proximally but complex distally, subdisto-ventrally protruding (arrow in Fig. 7A ), with flat, semicircular disto-prolateral sclerite (arrow 1 in Figs 7C , 13G ), long, spine-shape distal sclerite (arrow 2 in Figs 7C , 13G ) and small subdisto-prolateral sclerite (arrow 3 in Figs 7C , 13G ), without subdisto-dorsal protruding part and retrolateral flap; bulb ( Fig. 8C ) with long hooked apophysis and simple embolus. Legs with short vertical setae on metatarsi, without spines and curved setae.

Female (IZCAS Ar39948): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 8 G–H. Total length 1.59 (1.75 with clypeus), carapace 0.61 long, 0.53 wide, opisthosoma 0.98 long, 0.83 wide. Tibia I: 2.82; tibia I L/d: 40. Distance PME-PME 0.19, diameter PME 0.08, distance PME-ALE 0.08, AME absent. Sternum approximately as wide as long (0.47). External female genitalia ( Figs 8A , 14G ) simple and flat, with pair of frontal “epigynal” pockets posteriorly on sclerotized plate (arrow ep in Figs 8 A–B, 14G–H), 0.09 apart. Vulva ( Figs 8B , 14H ) with roof-shaped anterior arch and pair of narrow, long pore plates (arrow pp in Figs 8B , 14H ), without serrated sclerites.

Variation: In male paratype (IZCAS Ar39947): Leg I: 16.85 (4.49 + 0.38 + 4.29 + 6.41 + 1.28); tibia I L/d: 54. Retrolateral trichobothria of tibia I at 6% proximally; tarsus I with 32 distinct pseudosegments.

Natural history. The species was found on the domed webs attached to the underside of leaves.

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

Figures

FIGURE 7. Belisana xiyuan sp. nov., holotype male.A–B. Pedipalp (Bulb removed) (A. Prolateral view, arrow points at subdisto-ventral protruding part of procursus; B. Retrolateral view, arrow 1 points at short retrolatero-ventral apophysis on pedipalpal trochanter, arrow 2 points at small proximo-dorsal hump on pedipalpal femur); C–D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow 1 points at flat, semicircular disto-prolateral sclerite, arrow 2 points at long, spine-shape distal sclerite, arrow 3 points at small subdisto-prolateral sclerite; D. Retrolateral view). pr = procursus. Scale bars: 0.05 (A–B), 0.02 (C–D).

FIGURE 8. Belisana xiyuan sp. nov., holotype male (C–F) and paratype female (A–B, G–H). A. External female genitalia, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulb, prolateral view; D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E–H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; H. Ventral view). b = bulb, ba = bulbal apophysis, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, ep = frontal “epigynal” pocket, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.05 (A–D), 0.30 (E–H).

FIGURE 13. Drawings of male left procursus in prolateral and retrolateral views (arrows point at same structures as photos of each species, respectively). A–B. B. guilin sp. nov.; C–D. B. maoer sp. nov.; E–F. B. naling sp. nov.; G–H. B. xiyuan sp. nov.; I–J. B. xuanguan sp. nov.; K–L. B. yuexiu sp. nov. f = flap. Scale bars: 0.05.

FIGURE 14. Drawings of female genitalia in ventral and dorsal views. A–B. B. guilin sp. nov.; C–D. B. maoer sp. nov., arrow points at strongly protruding median ridge of anterior arch; E–F. B. naling sp. nov.; G–H. B. xiyuan sp. nov. ep = frontal “epigynal” pocket, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.10.

FIGURE 15. Distribution records of six new species of the genus Belisana from southern China. 1. B. guilin sp. nov.; 2. B. maoer sp. nov.; 3. B. naling sp. nov.; 4. B. xiyuan sp. nov.; 5. B. xuanguan sp. nov.; 6. B. yuexiu sp. nov.