Belisana daji, Chen, Hui-Ming & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009

Chen, Hui-Ming & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, Four new troglophilous species of the genus Belisana Thorell, 1898 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Guizhou Province, China, Zootaxa 2092, pp. 58-68 : 62-65

Belisana daji sp. nov.

Figs. 13–21

Holotype. Male from Zhijin Cave (26° 46΄N, 105° 54΄E, alt. 1342 m), Minzhai town, Zhijin County, Guizhou Province, 19 January 2008, collected by H.M. Chen (HBU) and Y.Q. Zhang (MLR).

Paratypes. Two males and one female, data are same as holotype (HBU).

Diagnosis. Relatively large, long-legged species with globular opisthosoma; distinguished from relatives by the shapes of procursus ( Figs. 16–18 ), bulbal projections ( Fig. 17 ) on the male, and the female genitalia (external aspect and internal structures, Figs. 15, 16 ). The new species is similar to B. douqing sp. nov., but distinguished by the procursus with spine less than procursus tip ( Figs. 16, 17 ) and proximolateral apophysis on male chelicerae close to clypeus ( Fig. 15 ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 1.8 (2.0 with clypeus), carapace width 0.73. Leg I: 26.58 (6.73 + 0.38 + 6.83 + 10.51 + 2.15), tibia II: 4.44, tibia III: 2.65, tibia IV: 3.57; tibia I L/d: 68. Habitus as in Figs. 13 and 14 . Carapace pale yellowish, light-yellow margins laterally, dark spots on middle part, thoracic furrow absent, only a darker median line ( Fig. 13 ), sternum yellowish, legs ochre-yellow, without darker rings, opisthosoma yellowish, without darker spots, with sparse hairs. Ocular area slightly elevated six eyes in two triads, distance PME-PME 0.10; diameter PME 0.075; distance PME-ALE 0.013. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum 0.55 long, 0.60 wide. Chelicerae as in Fig. 15 , with pair of curved apophyses, tips unmodified, 0.18 mm apart. Palps as in Figs. 16, 17 and 18 ; trochanter with retrolateral apophysis, femur with proximo-dorsal apophysis, procursus with spine ( Fig. 16 ) and with ventral membranous flap, bulb with hooked apophysis ( Fig. 17 ). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 7.7%; legs without spines and curved hairs; tarsus I with ~24 pseudosegments.

Female (Paratypes): In general similar to holotype. Epigynum simple externally ( Fig. 20 ), pockets 0.38 apart. Dorsal view as in Fig. 21 . Opisthosoma yellowish, with some slightly darker spots visible through cuticle dorso-laterally.

Distribution: The species is known only from the type locality in Guizhou Province, China ( Fig. 12).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality. “ Daji ” was the original name of Zhijin Cave. Gender feminine.

Natural history. Troglophilous, collected from entirely dark parts of one moist cave. Cave is large, arguably the best cave in China. Spiders were found on the cave walls.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 21. B. daji sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype: 13, male habitus, dorsal view; 14, male habitus, lateral view; 15, male prosoma frontal view; 16, male left palp, prolateral view; 17, male left palp, dorsal view; 18, male left palp, retrolateral view; 19, male left palp trochanter and apophysis, retrolateral view; 20, female genitalia, ventral view; 21, female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bar: 13 – 14, 0.4 mm; 15, 0.2 mm; 16 – 21, 0.1 mm.