Pholcus mianshanensis, Zhang & Zhu, 2009

Zhang, Feng & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, A review of the genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 2037 (1), pp. 1-114 : 56-59

Pholcus mianshanensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 29)

Pholcus henanensis Zhu, Tu & Shi 1986: 119 , f. 2.1–7 (misidentification); non Zhu & Mao 1983.

Types. Male holotype, 3♀ paratypes, CHINA: Shanxi Province, Jiexiu County [ 37°N, 111°54’E], Mt. Mianshan , June 5, 1983, leg. by M. S. Zhu ( MHBU) .

Diagnosis. Among its close Pholcus relatives (see the remark of P. henanensis ), this species is very similar to P. linzhou in the shape of the palpal bulb and epigynum, both with long whip-shaped epigynal apophysis ( Fig. 29A). P. mianshanensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. linzhou by the shape of the tip of the procursus ( Figs. 29G–I), by the shapes of uncus and appendix ( Fig. 29H), and by the pattern of the sternum ( Fig. 29F).

Etymology. The species refers to the type locality.

Description. Male ( holotype): total body length 3.7: cephalothorax 1.1 long, 1.4 wide; abdomen 2.6 long, 1.28 wide. Leg I: 32.1 (8.2+0.7+9.2+12.1+1.9), tibia II: 5.1, tibia III: 3.1, tibia IV: 4.4; tibia I L/D: 60. Prosoma shape as in Fig. 29C. Carapace short, broad and almost circular, ochre, with brown mark broadly connecting to ocular area. Cephalic region raised, with two brown slender marks centrally, ocular area dark yellow. Clypeus 0.40, dark ochre, with marks. Distance AME–AME 0.04. Diameter AME 0.08, ALE 0.12, PME 0.11, PLE 0.12. Chelicerae as in Fig. 29E, with pair of black apophyses distally, pair of unsclerotized thumb-shaped apophyses proximolaterally. Labium light yellow. Endites slightly gray. Sternum dark gray, with regular yellow patches centrally and laterally as in Fig. 29F. Femora, patellae and tibiae yellow, with dark rings, metatarsi and tarsi brown. Abdomen cylindrical, pale ochre, dorsum with several small brown patterns as in Fig. 29C. Venter pale brown. Palps as in Figs. 29H and 29I, bulb with broad uncus, appendix with biforked tip. Procursus as in Fig. 29G. Tarsal organ capsulate.

Female: in general very similar to male. Total length of paratypes 3.8–4.0. A paratype measured, total length 3.8: cephalothorax 1.2 long, 1.4 wide; abdomen 2.6 long, 1.4 wide. Tibia I: 4.5. Distance AME–AME 0.05. Diameter AME 0.09, ALE 0.13, PME 0.11, PLE 0.11. Epigynum roughly triangular as in Fig. 29A, with a whip-shaped apophysis on the top. Dorsal view as in Fig. 29B, with a wavy sclerotized arch anteriorly and a pair of egg-shaped pore plates posteriorly.

Distribution. Known from type locality only.

Remark. Zhu, Tu & Shi described this species as P. henanensis in 1986. After examining the materials ( one male and three females collected from Mt. Mianshan, Jiexiu County Shanxi Province, China, June 5, 1983, by M. S. Zhu), and comparing them with P. henanensis , we believe that these specimens represent a new species that is described here.