Pholcus duan Yao & Li, 2017

Dong, Tingting, Zheng, Guo, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2017, Ten new species of the spider genus Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4306 (3), pp. 339-369 : 343-346

Pholcus duan Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 3–4

Type material. Holotype: male (Ar29662), Kuha Sawan Cave (7°37.205′N, 100°04.905′E, elevation 15 m), Mueang District , Rattalung, Thailand, 27 October 2015, Q. Zhao, G. Zhou and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 2 females (Ar 29663–29664), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific name is a Chinese pinyin word for short ( duǎn ), in reference to the short procursus; adjective.

Diagnosis. The species can be easily distinguished from all known congeners in the P. bidentatus species group by the very short and simple procursus ( Figs 3 A–D), by the T-shaped appendix ( Fig. 4 C) and by the large, proximally sclerotized embolus ( Fig. 4 C).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 5.31 (5.58 with clypeus), carapace 1.60 long, 1.80 wide, opisthosoma 3.76 long, 1.13 wide. Leg I missing, leg II: 37.74 (9.94 + 0.75 + 9.55 + 15.71 + 1.79), leg III: 26.72 (7.69 + 0.75 + 6.60 + 10.38 + 1.30), leg IV: 34.08 (9.62 + 0.80 + 8.46 + 13.53 + 1.67). Distance PME-PME 0.66; diameter PME 0.11; distance PME-ALE 0.04; distance AME-AME 0.06; diameter AME 0.06. Sternum wider than long (1.10/0.90). Habitus as in Figs 4 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown marks medially; ocular area brownish, with a brown median band; sternum brown. Legs brownish, distal parts of femur and tibiae, and proximal part of metatarsi yellowish, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma yellowish, with brown spots posteriorly. Ocular area elevated; each eye triad on top of a long, laterally directed eye-stalk. Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 3 D, with a pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, distal apophyses absent. Pedipalps as in Figs 3 A–B; trochanter with a short ventral apophysis; femur with a dorsal apophysis proximally (arrow in Fig. 3 B) and a distinct ventral hump; procursus short and simple; bulbal apophyses as in Fig. 4 C; uncus small; appendix T-shaped in prolateral view; embolus large, sclerotized proximally. Legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 4 G–H. Total length 5.86 (6.28 with clypeus), carapace 1.50 long, 1.78 wide, opisthosoma 4.36 long, 1.92 wide; Leg I: 52.11 (12.43 + 0.74 + 12.82 + 24.09 + 2.03); tibia I L/d: 73. Distance PME-PME 0.26; diameter PME 0.12; distance PME-ALE 0.05; distance AME-AME 0.05; diameter AME 0.06. Sternum wider than long (1.09/0.94). Ocular area without eye-stalks. Epigynum ( Fig. 4 A) with a broad knob. Vulva ( Fig. 4 B) with a sclerotized anterior arch and two rounded pore plates. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 6%; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 7 distinct pseudosegments.

Variation: Tibia I in another female paratype: 13.52.

Distribution. Thailand (Rattalung, type locality; Fig. 21 ).

Natural History. The species was found in the aphotic zone inside the cave.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Pholcus duan Yao & Li sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at dorsal apophysis on femur proximally); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view; D. Retrolateral view). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 4. Pholcus duan Yao & Li sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A – B, G – H). A. Epigynum, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view; D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E – H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; H. Ventral view). a = appendix, e = embolus, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A – C), 0.15 (D), 0.50 (E – H).

FIGURE 21. Distribution records of new Pholcus species from Southeast Asia. 1. Pholcus bulacanensis Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. bicornutus species group; 2. P. duan Yao & Li sp. nov., 3. P. ping Yao & Li sp. nov. and 4. P. vietnamensis Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. bidentatus species group; 5. P. fuza Yao & Li sp. nov. and 6. P. mueangensis Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. buatong species group; 7. P. cheni Yao & Li sp. nov. and 8. P. subwan Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. halabala species group; 9. P. shuye Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. krabi species group; 10. P. dongxue Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. yichengicus species group.