Pholcus pocheonensis 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 : 93-95

Pholcus pocheonensis Lee, Choi and Kim sp. nov.

( Figs. 1E, F , 2C , 7 , 8 )

Korean name: Ī̏Îffîḍ (̎ḋ)

Type material. Holotype, ♂, Korea: Gyeonggi-do, Pocheon-si, Idong-myeon, Nogok-ri (38°01′45″N, 127°20′ 38″E), 06 Aug. 2017, JG Lee leg. ( NIBR) . Paratype, $, same locality as for holotype, 19 Jun. 2017, JG Lee leg. ( KNU) .

Other materials examined. 2♂♂ 1$, same data as for paratype ( KNU) ; 2♂♂ 2$$, same locality as for holotype, 09 Oct. 2017, JG Lee leg. ( KNU) ; 10♂♂ 21$$, Gyeonggi-do, Pocheon-si, Yeongbuk-myeon, near Sanjeong Lake (38°04′23″N, 127°19′26″E), 08 Aug. 2014, DY Choi leg. ( KISE) .

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

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from the other Pholcus species by the combination of following characteristics: Male - procursus tip with a large sharpened process and a membranous process prolaterally and bifurcated ventral process; uncus with a diamond-shaped prolateral process and a sharpened process on posterior margin; pseudo-appendix absent; Female - sclerotized anterior arch of internal genitalia wide W-shaped, distinctly visible through the epigynal anterior cuticle; epigynal knob long as height of epigynal plate, dark brown; lateral margin of internal genitalia strongly curved, S-shaped, posterior curve larger than anterior curve, bulging dorsally.

Description. Male (holotype). Somatic morphology ( Fig. 1E, F ) follows the description of species-group. Total length 6.44. Prosoma 1.94 long, 1.91 wide. Diameter of AME 0.12, ALE 0.17, PME 0.16, PLE 0.17. AME- AME 0.06, AME- ALE 0.05, PME- PME 0.24. Chelicera ( Fig. 2C ) with a thumblike lateral proximal apophysis, a ventrally curved frontal proximal apophysis and a large trapezoid distal apophysis. Sternum 0.93 long, 1.24 wide. Opisthosoma 4.36 long, 1.73 wide. Leg Ⅰ 56.89 (21.2:1.0: 21.1:35.3:2.6), Leg II 39.42 (14.9:1.0:13.5:21.5:2.3), Leg III 26.63 (10.4: 1.0: 9.2: 14.0: 1.9), Leg IV 35.52 (13.5:1.0:11.8:18.0:1.8). Leg formula 1243. Palp ( Fig. 7 ). Trochanter apophysis much shorter than femur, curved perpendicularly; femur ventrally swollen; tibia with a prolatero-ventral tubercle; procursus dark brown, bent perpendicularly, with a ventral knee; procursus tip with a membranous process prolaterally, a large sharpened process with 2 spines medially and a bifurcated process ventrally; genital bulb round, pale yellow; uncus dark brown, with a diamond-shaped prolateral process covered with many tiny tubercles, postero-dorsal margin extended and distally sharpened; pseudo-appendix absent; embolus weakly sclerotized, pale yellow, longer than uncus.

Female (Paratype). Somatic morphology follows the description of the species-group. Total length 5.22. Prosoma 1.55 long, 1.48 wide. Diameter of AME 0.09, ALE 0.15, PME 0.15, PLE 0.15. AME- AME 0.03, AME- ALE 0.04, PME- PME 0.18. Sternum 0.78 long, 0.96 wide. Opisthosoma 3.38 long, 1.47 wide. Leg Ⅰ 34.03 (14.1:1.0: 14.2:24.1:4.2), Leg II 23.15 (13.4:1.0:12.4:19.4:3.1), Leg III 16.63 (10.7: 1.0: 9.1: 13.8: 2.4), Leg IV 23.11 (11.4: 1.0: 9.5: 15.0: 2.3). Leg formula 1243. Epigyne ( Fig. 8A ). Anterior cuticle triangular, grayish yellow; epigynal plate bright ivory, height much shorter than anterior cuticle height, lateral portion slightly extended posteriorly, gradient melanization on lateral margin; epigynal knob dark brown, long as height of epigynal plate. Internal genitalia ( Fig. 8B ). Anterior arch W-shaped, length similar to epigyne width, dark brown, distinctly visible through epigynal anterior cuticle; lateral margin of internal genitalia strongly curved, S-shaped, posterior curve larger than anterior curve, bulging dorsally; pore plate oval.

Variation. Male (n = 10) total length 5.10-6.44. Prosoma length 1.74-1.94, width 1.57-1.91. Tibia of Leg Ⅰ 11.80-14.77.

Female (n = 10) total length 4.45-6.01. Prosoma length 1.53-1.77, width 1.41-1.68. Tibia of Leg Ⅰ 8.40-9.95.

Distribution. Korea (Pocheon).

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. 7. Pholcus pocheonensis 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. 8. Pholcus pocheonensis 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.