Pholcus unaksanensis Lee, Choi and Kim, 2021

Lee, Jun-Gi, Lee, Jun-Ho, Choi, Doo-Young, Park, Sun-Jae & and, A-Young Kim, 2021, Four new species of the genus Pholcus Walckenaer (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Korea, Journal of Species Research 10 (1), pp. 86-98 : 95-97

Pholcus unaksanensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov.

( Figs. 1G, H , 2D , 9 , 10 )

Korean name: ȇ악Îffîḍ (̎ḋ)

Type material. Holotype, ♂, Gyeonggi-do, Gapyeong-gun, Ha-myeon, Mt. Unaksan (37°51′55″N, 127°20′21″E), 05 Aug. 2014, DY Choi leg. ( NIBR) . Paratype, $, same data as for holotype ( KNU) .

Other materials examined. 1$, same data as for holotype ( KNU). 3♂♂ 23$$, same data as for holotype ( KISE) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Mt. Unaksan.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from the other Pholcus species by the combination of following characteristics: Male - procursus tip with a large finger-like prolateral process with 2 spikes; uncus oval, posteriorly pointed but distally blunt; pseudo-appendix absent; Female - sclerotized anterior arch of internal genitalia inverted U-shaped, distinctly visible through the epigynal anterior cuticle; lateral margin of internal genitalia strongly curved, S-shaped.

Description. Male (holotype). Somatic morphology ( Fig. 1G, H ) follows the description of species-group. Total length 5.42. Prosoma 1.71 long, 1.62 wide. Diameter of AME 0.12, ALE 0.15, PME 0.14, PLE 0.15. AME- AME 0.05, AME- ALE 0.05, PME- PME 0.22. Chelicera ( Fig. 2D ) with a thumblike lateral proximal apophysis with secondary process, a round frontal proximal apophysis and a notched triangular distal apophysis. Sternum 0.89 long, 1.20 wide. Opisthosoma 3.71 long, 1.57 wide. Leg Ⅰ 45.06 (16.5:1.0:16.6:27.7:3.5), Leg II 30.53 (10.3:1.0: 9.3: 15.1: 2.0), Leg III 21.37 (8.5: 1.0: 7.3: 11.2: 1.6), Leg IV 28.11 (12.2: 1.0: 10.9: 16.6: 1.9). Leg formula 1243. Palp ( Fig. 9 ). Trochanter with a proximal hump retrolaterally, trochanter apophysis much shorter than femur, curved perpendicularly toward tibia and curved once again, pointing retrolaterally; femur ventrally swollen; tibia with a prolatero-ventral tubercle; procursus reddish brown, bent perpendicularly, with a ventral knee; procursus tip with a large finger-like process pointing prolaterally, slightly curved distally, proximally with a short branch (process tip and branch tip with a spike respectively); genital bulb round, pale yellow; uncus oval, dark brown, with many tiny tubercles, posterior margin pointed but distally blunt; pseudo-appendix absent; embolus weakly sclerotized, pale yellow, longer than uncus.

Female (Paratype). Somatic morphology follows the description of the species-group. Total length 5.27. Prosoma 1.60 long, 1.47 wide. Diameter of AME 0.10, ALE 0.15, PME 0.15, PLE 0.18. AME- AME 0.05, AME- ALE 0.04, PME- PME 0.20. Sternum 0.77 long, 1.09 wide. Opisthosoma 3.41 long, 1.68 wide. Leg Ⅰ 34.88 (12.0:1.0:12.1: 20.7:3.3), Leg II 24.15 (10.3:1.0:9.6:15.1:2.3), Leg III 17.94 (8.5:1.0:7.3:11.1:2.1), Leg IV 23.88 (10.6:1.0: 9.3: 14.5:2.0). Leg formula 1243. Epigyne ( Fig. 10A ). Anterior cuticle triangular, grayish yellow; epigynal plate grayish yellow, posterior margin of lateral portion slightly extended, gradient melanization on lateral margin; epigynal knob reddish brown, shorter than height of epigynal plate. Internal genitalia ( Fig. 10B ). Anterior arch inverted U-shaped, visible through epigynal anterior cuticle; lateral margin strongly curved, S-shaped; pore plate round.

Variation. Male (n = 4) total length 5.33-5.72. Prosoma length 1.71-1.89, width 1.62-1.83. Tibia of Leg Ⅰ 11.47- 15.45.

Female (n = 10) total length 4.61-5.79. Prosoma length 1.43-1.69, width 1.42-1.70. Tibia of Leg Ⅰ 7.81-9.66.

Distribution. Korea (Gapyeong).

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus of new Pholcus species, dorsal view (A, C, E, G, male, B, D, F, H, female).A, B, P. chuncheonensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov.; C, D, P. pajuensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov.; E, F, P. pocheonensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov.; G, H, P. unaksanensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov. Scale bars=1 mm.

Fig. 2. Chelicerae of new Pholcus species, frontal view. A, P. chuncheonensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov.; B, P. pajuensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov.; C, P. pocheonensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov.; D, P. unaksanensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov. Scale bars=0.25 mm.

Fig. 9. Pholcus unaksanensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov., male. A, B, left palp (A, prolateral view, B, retrolateral view); C, procursus tip, dorsal view; D, bulbal process, prolateral view.Abbreviations: e=embolus, pr=procursus, u=uncus. Scale bars=0.5 mm (A, B), 0.25mm (C, D).

Fig. 10. Pholcus unaksanensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov., female. A, epigyne, ventral view; B, internal genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviation: pp=pore plate of internal genitalia. Scale bars=0.25mm.