Pholcus tianmuensis 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 : 30-35

Pholcus tianmuensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 23–24

Type material. Holotype: male, Tianmushan Scenic Spot (30°20′N, 119°30′E), Tianmushan Town, Linan, Zhejiang, China, 13–17 August 2014, Y. Tong leg . Paratype: 1 female, same data as holotype. Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. saaristoi Zhang & Zhu, 2009 (see Zhang & Zhu 2009: 75, fig. 42 and Yao & Li 2012: 31, figs 149–150) in with male chelicerae ( Fig. 24 D), uncus ( Fig. 24 C) and epigynum ( Fig. 24 A) but can be distinguished by the very thick subdistal sclerite on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 23 C), by the presence of an angular branch medially on the appendix ( Fig. 24 C), by the elliptic pore plates and by the absence of lateral outgrowths on the vulva ( Fig. 24 B).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 4.42 (4.55 with clypeus), carapace 0.81 long, 0.98 wide, opisthosoma 3.44 long, 0.65 wide. Legs missing. Distance PME-PME 0.29; diameter PME 0.14; distance PME- ALE 0.10; distance AME-AME 0.11; diameter AME 0.08. Sternum wider than long (1.21/0.94). Habitus as in Figs 24 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with dark brown radiating marks extending to ocular area, ocular area brown; sternum brown. Opisthosoma yellowish, with spots dorsally and laterally. Ocular area elevated, without eye-stalks (as in P. gonggarensis sp. nov., cf. Fig. 27 C). Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 24 D, with a pair of proximomedial apophyses, a pair of black distal apophyses, and a pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 23 A–B; trochanter with a ventral apophysis; femur with two distinct ventral ridge; tibia with a projection prolaterally; procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with a very thick subdistal sclerite (arrow in Fig. 23 C); uncus with a scaly edge; appendix hooked, with an angular branch medially; embolus weakly sclerotized, with some nearly transparent projections distally. Legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 24 G–H. Total length 4.74 (4.86 with clypeus), carapace 1.42 long, 1.60 wide, opisthosoma 3.32 long, 1.68 wide. Leg I: – (8.33+ 0.70 + 9.43+ 8.33 + –), leg II: 23.96 (7.05 + 0.63 + 5.90 + 8.97 + 1.41), leg III: 18.13 (5.00 + 0.63 + 4.49 + 6.86 + 1.15), leg IV: 23.47 (6.73 + 0.64 + 5.78 + 8.94 + 1.38); tibia I: 9.43; tibia I L/d: 59. Distance PME-PME 0.24; diameter PME 0.12; distance PME-ALE 0.04; distance AME-AME 0.05; diameter AME 0.09. Sternum wider than long (1.05/0.88). Legs yellowish, distal part of femora and tibiae whitish, femora (subdistally) and tibiae (subproximally and subdistally) with darker rings. Epigynum ( Fig. 24 A) dark with a knob. Vulva ( Fig. 24 B) with a sclerotized anterior arch and two elliptic pore plates.

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

Natural History. The species was found on the rock walls.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Pholcus tianmuensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Right pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow points at very thick subdistal sclerite; D. Retrolateral view). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 24. Pholcus tianmuensis 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), 0.10 (C – 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).