Pholcus hamaensis Yao & Li

Dong, Tingting, Zheng, Guo, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, Thirteen new species of the spider genus Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 4170 (1), pp. 1-40 : 22

Pholcus hamaensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 15–16

Type material. Holotype: male, Hama Cave (25°50.433′N, 105°16.829′E, elevation 1368 m), Hamaguan , Guangzhao Town , Qinglong County, Qianxinan, Guizhou, China, 10 July 2012, H. Zhao leg . Paratypes: 2 females, same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. abstrusus Yao & Li, 2012 (see Yao & Li 2012: 8, figs 1–4) with male chelicerae ( Fig. 16 D), bulbal apophyses ( Fig. 16 C) and epigynum ( Fig. 16 A) but can be distinguished by the short apophysis on the male pedipalpal trochanter ( Figs 15 A–B), by the absence of sclerotized dorsal apophyses distally on the procursus ( Figs 15 C–D), by the weakly protruding medially vulval anterior arch ( Fig. 16 B) and by the rounded vulval pore plates ( Fig. 16 B).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 5.31 (5.78 with clypeus), carapace 1.40 long, 1.68 wide, opisthosoma 3.91 long, 1.76 wide. Leg I missing, leg II: 31.59 (8.28 + 0.77 + 8.16 + 12.75 + 1.63), leg III: 22.21 (6.56 + 0.63 + 5.58 + 8.24 + 1.20), leg IV: 28.95 (8.46 + 0.63 + 7.37 + 11.05 + 1.44). Distance PME-PME 0.44; diameter PME 0.14; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME-AME 0.06; diameter AME 0.06. Sternum wider than long (1.02/0.88). Habitus as in Figs 16 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown marks extending to ocular area; ocular area yellowish with brown marks; sternum brown. Legs yellowish, distal parts of tibiae whitish, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma yellowish, with small spots dorsally. Ocular area elevated; each eye triad strongly elevated (as in P. yanjinensis sp. nov., cf. Fig. 27 A). Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 16 D, with a pair of proximolateral apophyses, a pair of black distal apophyses, and a pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 15 A–B; trochanter with a short ventral apophysis; femur with a dorsal apophysis proximally and a distinct ventral ridge; tibia with a projection prolaterally; procursus simple proximally but complex and unsclerotized distally, with a prolatero-dorsal spine (arrow in Fig. 15 D); uncus with a scaly edge; appendix curved, with a branch medially; embolus weakly sclerotized. Legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 16 G–H. Total length 5.12 (5.25 with clypeus), carapace 1.28 long, 1.34 wide, opisthosoma 3.84 long, 1.70 wide; tibia I: 8.51; tibia I L/d: 66. Distance PME-PME 0.23; diameter PME 0.13; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME-AME 0.05; diameter AME 0.06. Sternum wider than long (0.88/ 0.75). Eye triads closer together, less elevated. Epigynum ( Fig. 16 A) with a knob. Vulva ( Fig. 16 B) with a straight sclerotized anterior arch and two rounded pore plates.

Distribution. China (Guizhou, type locality; Fig. 28 ).

Natural History. The species was found on the wall in the entrance zone of the cave.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Pholcus hamaensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at prolatero-dorsal spine). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.15 (A – B), 0.03 (C – D).

FIGURE 16. Pholcus hamaensis 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, H. Ventral view). a = appendix, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, fa = frontal apophysis, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.05 (A – B), 0.08 (C), 0.10 (D), 0.50 (E – H).

FIGURE 27. Male and female ocular area, frontal view. A – B. Pholcus yanjinensis sp. nov., holotype male (A) and paratype female (B). C – D. P. gonggarensis sp. nov., holotype male (C) and paratype female (D). E – F. P. zhongdongensis sp. nov., holotype male (E) and paratype female (F). Scale bars: 0.10 (A – F).

FIGURE 28. Distribution records of new Pholcus species from China. 1. Pholcus yanjinensis sp. nov. from P. bidentatus species group (pink); 2. P. jingyangensis sp. nov., 3. P. langensis sp. nov. and 4. P. longus sp. nov. from P. crypticolens species group (light blue); 5. P. huoxiaerensis sp. nov. from P. ponticus species group (green); 6. P. difengensis sp. nov., 7. P. gonggarensis sp. nov., 8. P. hamaensis sp. nov., 9. P. lingguanensis sp. nov., 10. P. qingyunensis sp. nov., 11. P. tangyuensis sp. nov.; 12. P. tianmuensis sp. nov. and 13. P. zhongdongensis sp. nov. from P. yichengicus species group (red).