Belisana huberi, Tong & Li, 2008

Tong, Yanfeng & Li, Shuqiang, 2008, Four New Species Of Six-Eyed Pholcid Spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) From Hainan Island, China, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (1), pp. 45-53 : 47

Belisana huberi , new species

( Figs. 1 D–F, 3A–G)

Material examined. – Holotype: male ( IZCAS), Bawangling National Natural Reserve (19 ° 04'N 109 ° 08'E), Changjiang County, Hainan Island, China, coll. G. Deng, 22 Mar.2005.

Paratypes: 2 males and 7 females ( IZCAS), same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. – The new species can be easily distinguished from known congeners by the modifications of chelicerae (pair of upward-directed proximal apophyses), the shape of procursus, and the unique female vulval structures.

Description. – Male (holotype). Total length 1.75 (1.86 with clypeus), carapace width 0.75. Leg 1: 11.87 (3.05+0.27+2.95+4.5+1.1), tibia 2: 1.92, tibia 3: 1.3, tibia 4: 1.87; tibia 1 L/d: 39. Habitus as in Fig. 2D and 2E . Carapace yellowish, brown margins laterally, sternum whitish. Legs yellow except brown on patella and joints of tibia to metatarsus, without darker rings. Opisthosoma whitish-grey, with some indistinct darker spots dorsally. Ocular area not elevated, thoracic furrow absent; distance PME-PME 0.12; diameter PME 0.08; distance PME-ALE 0.03; AME absent. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.51/ 0.47). Chelicerae as in Fig. 3B and 3C , with pair of curved

frontal apophyses, tips with cuticular ridges laterally, 0.14 apart; with pair of upward-directed proximal apophyses and pair of proximolateral apophyses. Palps as in Fig. 3A, 3D and 3E ; trochanter with short retrolateral apophysis, femur with distinctive hump proximo-dorsally, procursus complicated distally, with ventral membranous flap, bulb with hooked apophysis and complicated embolus. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 16%; legs without spines, vertical hairs, and curved hairs; tarsus 1 with about 15 quite distinct pseudosegments distally.

Variation. Tibia 1 in other males (n = 2): 3.05, 3.07. Distance between tips of distal cheliceral apophyses in other males (n = 2): 0.09, 0.13. One male with obscure moustache-like marks on median of carapace; dorsal spots on opisthosoma nearly invisible.

Females. In general, similar to male. Some specimens with distinctive moustache-like marks on median of carapace. Tibia 1 in females (n = 7): 2.27–2.87 (mean: 2.58). Epigynum simple and flat externally, with distinctive internal dark structures visible through cuticle ( Figs. 1F and 3F ); with pair of posterior pockets, 0.09 apart. Dorsal view as in Fig. 3G .

Etymology. – Named for Dr. Bernhard A. Huber from the Alexander Koenig Zoological Research Museum who contributed to our understanding of the taxonomy of this genus.

Distribution. – Hainan, China (present study).

Figures

Fig. 1. A–C, Belisana aliformis, new species; D–F, Belisana huberi, new species; G–I, Belisana lamellaris, new species; J–L, Khorata diaoluoshanensis, new species. A, D, G, J, male habitus, dorsal view; B, E, H, K, male habitus, lateral view; C, F, I, L, female abdomen, ventral view.

Fig. 2. A, Belisana aliformis, new species, anterior part of male prosoma (arrow shows the duck-beak shaped apophysis), dorsal view; B– C, male left palp, prolateral (B) and retrolateral (C) views; D, male left procursus, prolateral view; E, apical part of cheliceral frontal apophysis, internal view; F, male chelicerae, frontal view; G–H, cleared epigynum, ventral (G) and dorsal (H) views. Scale bars: A–D, F–H = 0.2 mm; E = 0.05 mm.

Fig. 3. A, Belisana huberi, new species, male left procursus, prolateral view; B, male chelicerae, lateral view; C, male chelicerae, frontal view; D–E, male left palp, prolateral (D) and retrolateral (E) views; F–G, cleared epigynum, ventral (F) and dorsal (G) views. Scale bars: A–E = 0.2 mm; F, G = 0.1 mm.