Pholcus songkhonensis Yao & Li

Dong, Tingting, Zheng, Guo, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, Fifteen new species of the spider genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4136 (2), pp. 201-246 : 241

Pholcus songkhonensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 29–30

Type material. Holotype: male, Tham (cave) Bo Pla Cave (14°39.625′N, 100°58.115′E, elevation 73 m), Song Khon Village, Kaeng Koi District, Saraburi, Thailand, 20 October 2014, H. Zhao, Y. Li and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 2 males and 3 females, same data as holotype.

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. kaebyaiensis sp. nov. ( Figs 25–26 ) and P. m u s e n s i s sp. nov. ( Figs 27–28 ) in having similar male chelicerae ( Fig. 30 D), uncus ( Fig. 30 C), and female external genitalia ( Fig. 30 A) but can be distinguished by the presence of long eye-stalks on the male ocular area (as in P. tharnlodensis sp. nov., cf. Fig. 31 A), by a pointed, sclerotized retrolateral apophysis distally on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 29 D), by the narrow prolatero-distal membranous process on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 29 C); also distinguished from P. musensis sp. nov. by the strongly protruding medially anterior arch of the vulva ( Fig. 30 B) and by the presence of an angular median branch on the appendix ( Fig. 30 C).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 3.87 (4.10 with clypeus), carapace 1.06 long, 1.33 wide, opisthosoma 2.81 long, 0.94 wide. Leg I: 44.22 (10.64 + 0.58 + 11.03 + 20.03 + 1.94), leg II: 29.96 (7.82 + 0.59 + 7.69 +12.56 + 1.30), leg III: 21.07 (6.09 + 0.55 + 5.19 + 8.27 + 0.97), leg IV: 27.11 (7.88 + 0.55 + 6.60 + 10.90 + 1.18); tibia I L/d: 92. Distance PME-PME 0.38; diameter PME 0.10; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME- AME 0.04; diameter AME 0.04. Sternum wider than long (0.88/0.70). Habitus as in Figs 30 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with yellow marks extending to ocular area; ocular area yellowish; sternum yellowish. Legs yellowish, distal parts of tibiae whitish, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma yellowish, without spots. Ocular area elevated; each eye triad on top of a long, laterally directed eye-stalk (as in P. tharnlodensis sp. nov., cf. Fig. 31 A). Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 30 D, with a pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, a pair of black distal apophyses, and a pair of small frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 29 A–B; trochanter with a short ventral apophysis; femur with a distinct ventral modification; procursus simple proximally but complex distally; uncus with a scaly edge; appendix hooked, with an angular median branch; embolus weakly sclerotized. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 6.8%; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with approximately 13 distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 30 G–H. Total length 3.94 (4.23 with clypeus), carapace 1.02 long, 1.06 wide, opisthosoma 2.92 long, 1.02 wide; tibia I: 10.13; tibia I L/d: 84. Distance PME-PME 0.17; diameter PME 0.11; distance PME-ALE 0.02; distance AME-AME 0.03; diameter AME 0.04. Sternum wider than long (0.85/0.75). Ocular area without eye-stalks. External genitalia ( Fig. 30 A) with a short knob. Vulva ( Fig. 30 B) with a sclerotized anterior arch and two long pore plates.

Distribution. Thailand (Saraburi, type locality; Fig. 32 ).

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

Figures

FIGURE 25. Pholcus kaebyaiensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, up arrow points at prolatero-dorsal spines, left arrow points at prolatero-distal membranous process, right arrow points at small, pointed prolateral apophysis; D. Retrolateral view). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 26. Pholcus kaebyaiensis sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A – B, G – H). A. External genitalia, 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: 0.10 (A – D), 0.60 (E – H).

FIGURE 27. Pholcus musensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrows point at prolatero-dorsal spines; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at large, sclerotized retrolateral apophysis). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A – B), 0. 0 5 (C – D).

FIGURE 28. Pholcus musensis sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A – B, G – H). A. External genitalia, 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 – C), 0.10 (D), 0.50 (E – H).

FIGURE 29. Pholcus songkhonensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow points at narrow prolatero-distal membranous process; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolateral apophysis). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 30. Pholcus songkhonensis sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A – B, G – H). A. External genitalia, 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 – C), 0.10 (D), 0.50 (E – H).

FIGURE 31. Male and female ocular area, frontal view. A – B. Pholcus tharnlodensis sp. nov., holotype male (A) and paratype female (B). C – D. P. hinsonensis sp. nov., holotype male (C) and paratype female (D). E – F. P. zhuchuandiani sp. nov., holotype male (E) and paratype female (F). Scale bars: 0.10 (A – F).

FIGURE 32. Distribution records of new Pholcus species from Southeast Asia. ® Pholcus anaiensis sp. nov.; P. ballarini sp. nov.; P. cenranaensis sp. nov.; P. chiangmaiensis sp. nov.; P. gou sp. nov.; © P. hinsonensis sp. nov.; P. kaebyaiensis sp. nov.; P. kottawagamaensis sp. nov.; P. krachensis sp. nov.; P. musensis sp. nov.; © P. songkhonensis sp. nov.; ® P. taptaoensis sp. nov.; © P. tharnlodensis sp. nov.; ® P. w a n sp. nov.; ® P. zhuchuandiani sp. nov.