Pholcus podophthalmus Simon, 1893

Zhang, Feng & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, A review of the genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 2037 (1), pp. 1-114 : 71-72

Pholcus podophthalmus Simon, 1893

( Fig. 39)

Pholcus podophthalmus Simon 1893: 468 , f. 456. Song, Zhu & Chen 1999: 58, f. 24O–V (ad part., only male).

Diagnosis. This species differs distinctly from all congeners, with AME reduced to pigment specks and the triad of eyes on a longer eye-stalk ( Fig. 39B), the uncus small and pointed ( Fig. 39C), and the abdomen longer ( Fig. 39A).

Redescription. Male (Mt. Daming), total length 3.9: cephalothorax 0.8 long, 1.0. wide; abdomen 3.1 long, 0.9 wide. Leg I: 40.0 (9.7+0.8+9.2+18.6+1.7), tibia II: 5.9, tibia III: 3.3, tibia IV: 5.0; tibia I L/D: 61. Prosoma shape as in Fig. 39A. Carapace short, broad and almost circular, ochre, without brown mark broadly connecting to ocular area. Cephalic region raised, with brown marks centrally, ocular area dark yellow. Clypeus 0.38, dark ochre. AME much reduced with only a pair of pigment specks, without lenses; other six eyes in two triads, each on the top of a relatively longer eye-stalk ( Fig. 39B). Chelicerae without pair of black distal apophyses as always found in congeners, also totally lacking apophyses proximolaterally, while equipped with a pair of distal, unsclerotized apophyses near lateral margin. Labium and endites light yellow. Sternum light yellow, without brown marks. Abdomen vermiform, pale ochre, dorsum with brown patterns as in Fig. 39A. Venter pale gray, without mark. Palps as in Figs. 39C and 39D.

Variation. Tibia I in five males ( one male with Leg I missing): 8.8–9.3. Body length in six males 3.3–3.6.

Material. Types. According to Huber, the type material is deposited in MNHN, not examined.

Material examined. CHINA: Guangxi, Wuming County, Mt. Daming , date unknown, leg. J. F. Wang, 1♂ ( MHBU) ; Pingxiang County, Yingyang Village , August 23, 2004, leg. M. S. Zhu and F. Zhang, 1♂ ( MHBU) ; Ningming County, Tongmian Town , May 17, 2006, leg. M. S. Zhu, 1♂ ( MHBU) ; Fangchenggang City, Banba Town , May 20, 2006, leg. M. S. Zhu, 1♂ ( MHBU) ; Nanning City, June , 1997, leg. Y. Q. Zhang, 1♂ ( MHBU) . Yunnan, Menglong Town, Tashan Village , July 29, 2000, leg. by M. S. Zhu and F. Zhang, 2♂ ( MHBU) .

Distribution. Guangxi, Yunnan; India.

Remarks. The specimens of P. podophthalmus are relatively rare in our collections. It is a very special Pholcus -species, not only due to its body and genital structures, but also due to its cryptic habits. It lives on the underside of leaves, where it spends most of the day pressed against the surface. From these points, it may better belong to Leptopholcus Simon, 1893 .

We re-examined the specimens collected by J. F. Wang, 4♀ 1♂, ( Mt. Daming, Wuming County, Guangxi province, date unknown). These specimens were examined by Song, Zhu & Chen (1999) who recorded them as Chinese species. Current authors believe the male to be P. podophthalmus but the females to be not conspecific. Future work remains to be done on this species and these unidentified females .