Changminia Yao & Li, 2022

Chu, Chang, Yao, Zhiyuan, Wongprom, Prasit & Li, Shuqiang, 2022, Changminia gen. nov., a new genus of daddy-long-leg spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) from karst caves in Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 5092 (2), pp. 238-246 : 240

Genus Changminia Yao & Li gen. nov.

Type species: Holocneminus huangdi Tong & Li, 2009 .

Etymology. The generic name is dedicated to the late Chinese arachnologist Changmin Yin. Gender is feminine.

Diagnosis. This genus can be easily distinguished from Holocneminus Berland, 1942 and Physocyclus Simon, 1893 by the wide procursus in dorsal view (wider than Holocneminus and Physocyclus ; Figs 2D, 4D), procursus with sclerotized prolatero-subdistal apophysis (arrow in Fig. 2C, arrow 1 in Fig. 4C; absent in Holocneminus and Physocyclus ), by embolus semi-transparent ( Figs 2A, 5D; sclerotized in Holocneminus and Physocyclus ), and by vulval pore plates not seen ( Figs 3B, 5C; with pair of distinct vulval pore plates in Holocneminus and Physocyclus ); also distinguished from Physocyclus by external female genitalia without ventral apophyses on anterior part or lateral constraints in middle part (present in Physocyclus ) and by vulval anterior arch without sclerotized projections on anterior part (present in Physocyclus ).

Description. Male: Total length 1.92–1.96 (2.04–2.20 with clypeus). Ocular triads relatively close together, distance PME-PME 0.10, diameter PME 0.09–0.10, distance PME-ALE 0.03, distance AME-AME 0.02, diameter AME 0.03–0.04. Sternum wider than long. Carapace with brownish radiating/Y-shaped marks; clypeus with brownish marks; sternum brownish/yellowish ( Figs 3E–F, 5G–H). Legs with slightly darker rings on distal parts of femora and tibiae. Opisthosoma globose, with brown dorsal and lateral spots ( Figs 3E–F, 5G–H). Ocular area elevated and separated from rest of carapace. Thoracic furrow shallow but distinct ( Figs 3E–F, 5G–H). Chelicerae ( Figs 3C–D, 5E–F) with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses (pa in Figs 3C–D, 5E–F) with stridulatory ridges, pair of distal apophyses with several sclerotized cones each (da in Fig. 5E)/cone-shaped distal apophyses (da in Fig. 3C), and pair of frontal apophyses with sclerotized cones each (fa in Figs 5E–F; absent in C. huangdi ). Pedipalpal coxa unmodified; trochanter with retrolateral apophysis; femur conspicuously enlarged and dorsally strongly curved, with proximo-retrolateral protrusion ( Figs 2A–B, 4A–B); procursus curved, with prolatero-subdistal apophysis (arrow in Fig. 2C, arrow 1 in Fig. 4C); bulb simple, no other projections except for semi-transparent embolus ( Figs 2A, 5D). Leg formula 1>4>2>3; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, without spines or curved setae; tarsus I with>6 distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Similar to male, sexual dimorphism very slight. Chelicerae unmodified. External female genitalia brown, with median apophysis (ma in Figs 3A, 5A–C). Vulva with membranous anterior arch and nearly n-shaped sclerite (arrow in Figs 3B, 5C), pore plates not seen.

Natural history. Unknown, except the species were collected in the aphotic zone inside the cave.

Distribution. China (Hainan, Fig. 1), Thailand (Prachuap Kiri Khan, Fig. 1).

Composition. C. huangdi ( Tong & Li, 2009) comb. nov. and C. dao Yao & Li sp. nov.