Pholcus elongatus ( Yin & Wang, 1981 ), 2009

Zhang, Feng & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, A review of the genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 2037 (1), pp. 1-114 : 25-28

Pholcus elongatus ( Yin & Wang, 1981) , new combination

( Fig. 10 )

Spermophora elongata Yin & Wang 1981: 380 , f. 2A–G. Hu, 1984: 80, f. 73.1–7. Song, 1987: 112, f. 75. Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 65, f. 26P–W.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from most known congeners by the absence of AME ( Fig. 10D ) and slender and long opisthosoma ( Fig. 10E ); by the shape of the uncus and appendix ( Figs. 10G–H ); also by the wrinkled, worm-shaped apophysis of epigynum, which is long and bends anteriorly ( Figs. 10A and 10C ).

Redescription. Male (Mt. Wuyi), total length 3.9: cephalothorax 0.8 long, 1.0 wide; abdomen 3.1 long, 0.5 wide. Leg I: 31.5 (8.0+0.5+7.4+13.6+2.0), tibia II: missing, tibia III: missing, tibia IV: 4.7; tibia I L/D: 62. Carapace short, broad and almost circular as in Fig. 10D , ochre, with pair of brown longitudinal stripes connecting to ocular area. Cephalic region slightly raised, ocular area dark yellow. Clypeus 0.40, dark ochre, without marks. AME missing, other six eyes in two triads, each triad slightly elevated. Diameter ALE 0.13, PME 0.08, PLE 0.10. Chelicerae as in Fig. 10F , with pair of black apophyses distally and pair of unsclerotized thumb-shaped apophyses proximolaterally. Labium and endites light gray. Sternum gray, without markings. Legs exceedingly long and slender, pale, without dark rings. Abdomen long cylindrical, pale gray, dorsum without brown spots as in Fig. 10E . Venter pale gray. Palps as in Figs. 10G and 10H , bulb with hook-shaped uncus and broom-like appendix, trochanter with long ventral apophysis. Palpal tarsal organ capsulate, on conical projection of cymbium.

Female: in general very similar to male. Body length 4.2–4.3. A specimen (Mt. Wuyi) total length 4.3: cephalothorax 1.0 long, 1.0 wide; abdomen 3.3 long, 1.0 wide. Tibia I 6.6. AME missing, other six eyes in two triads. Epigynum a rough semicircle as in Fig. 10A , with a long worm-shaped apophysis extending forward as in Fig. 10C . Dorsal view as in Fig. 10B , with a small sclerotized arch anteriorly and a pair of very small, oval pore plates.

Distribution. Yunnan, Fujian, Hainan.

Material. Types. Holotype male, ‘allotype’ female, CHINA: Yunnan Province, Mengla County , March 23, 1979, leg. by J. F. Wang ( HNU), not examined.

Material examined. CHINA: Fujian: Wuyishan City, Mt. Wuyi , collector and date unknown, 1♂, 2♀ ( MHBU) . Hainan: Ledong County, Mt. Jianfengling , December 13, 2003, leg. M. S. Zhu and J. X. Zhang, 1♀ ( MHBU) .

Remark. Yin & Wang (1981) described Spermophora elongata as a new species to science according to a male (holotype) and a female (‘allotype’) collected from Mengla County , Yunnan Province. They assigned it to the genus Spermophora solely due to the absence of AMEs; Spermophora is a genus of six-eyed spiders. Huber (2001) suggested that S permophora elongata Yin & Wang might actually be better placed in Pholcus based on the illustrations and the newest research progress in the classification of pholcids. We examined specimens of S. elongata collected from Mt. Wuyi, Fujian Province, China, and considering the account and illustrations in the original paper, we also agree with Huber’s opinion and transfer S. elongata Yin & Wang to Pholcus .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Pholcus elongatus (Yin & Wang, 1981) (illustrations modified from Song et al. 1999). A. epigynum, ventral view. B. same, dorsal view. C. same, lateral view. D. male prosoma, dorsal view. E. male opisthosoma, lateral view. F. male left chelicera, frontal view. G. left palp, prolateral view. H. same, retrolateral view. Scale lines: 1.0mm (D, E), 0.5mm (A–C, F–H)