Khorata musee Lan & Li, 2021

Lan, Tianqi, Jäger, Peter, Zhu, Wenhui & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, Pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Southeast Asia, with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4963 (3), pp. 545-562 : 552

Khorata musee Lan & Li sp. nov.

Figs 5–6

Type material. Holotype: male (IZCAS-Ar41838), Wat Dewaroop Song Cave (14°33’42.84”N, 101°24’2.95”E, elevation 402 m), Musee Village, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, 24 October 2014, H. Zhao, Y. Li and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 1 male (IZCAS-Ar41839) and 2 females (IZCAS-Ar41840–Ar41841), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality.

Diagnosis. This species resembles K. shao Yao & Li, 2010 (see 2010: 15, figs 51–54, 61) with similar male chelicerae ( Figs 6C, D ) and the epigynum ( Fig. 6A ) but can be distinguished by the presence of an angular subdistodorsal sclerite (arrow 1 in Fig. 5C ), long and pointed disto-prolateral apophysis (arrow 2 in Fig. 5C ), and the large, curved medio-retrolateral apophysis a movable sclerite (arrow in Fig. 5D ) on the procursus and by the curved vulval anterior arch and long and narrow vulval pore plates ( Fig. 6B ).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS-Ar41838): Total length 2.14 (2.26 with clypeus), carapace 0.82 long, 0.98 wide, opisthosoma 1.32 long, 1.08 wide. Leg I: 22.69 (5.64 + 0.39 + 5.57 + 8.65 + 2.44), leg II: 13.76 (3.85 + 0.35 + 3.40 + 4.94 + 1.22), leg III: 10.39 (3.01 + 0.33 + 2.63 + 3.59 + 0.83), leg IV: 13.62 (4.03 + 0.33 + 3.27 + 4.68 + 1.31); tibia I L/d: 37. Distance PME-PME 0.10, diameter PME 0.12, distance PME-ALE 0.05, AME absent. Sternum wider than long (0.70/0.56). Habitus as in Figs 6E. F . Carapace yellowish, with slightly dark margins and narrow, dark median line; ocular area brown; clypeus yellowish; sternum black. Legs yellowish, but slightly whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, with darker rings on subdistal parts of femora and proximal and subdistal parts of tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish with black marks dorsally and laterally and wide black stripe ventrally. Ocular area slightly elevated and separate from rest of carapace. Thoracic furrow shallow but distinct. Chelicerae as in Figs 6C, D , with pair of small proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of small distal apophyses on front-lateral surface, pair of robust frontal apophyses (arrows in Figs 6C, D ) each with scales, and pair of long, hooked distal apophyses each with scales (distance between tips: 0.02). Pedipalps as in Figs 5A, B ; trochanter with short retrolateral apophysis and small ventral apophysis; femur with retrolateral apophysis; patella large; procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with angular subdisto-dorsal sclerite (arrow 1 in Fig. 5C ), long and pointed disto-prolateral apophysis (arrow 2 in Fig. 5C ) and large curved medio-retrolateral apophysis a movable sclerite (arrow in Fig. 5D ); bulb simple, no other projections except for embolus. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 5% proximally; legs with short, vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 16 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype, IZCAS-41840): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 6G, H . Total length 2.38 (2.51 with clypeus), carapace 0.88 long, 0.88 wide, opisthosoma 1.50 long, 1.38 wide; tibia I: 4.17; tibia I L/d: 35. Distance PME-PME 0.08, diameter PME 0.11, distance PME-ALE 0.04, AME absent. Sternum wider than long (0.66/0.56). Clypeus brown. Epigynum ( Fig. 6A ) brownish, without pockets. Vulva ( Fig. 6B ) with curved anterior arch and pair of long pore plates.

Variation: Leg I missing in the male paratype. Tibia I in another female paratype: 4.62 (IZCAS-Ar41841).

Distribution. Thailand (Nakhon Ratchasima, type locality; Fig. 11 ).

Natural history. The species was found on its irregular web in the entrance zone of a cave.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Khorata musee sp. nov., holotype male. A, B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C, D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow 1 points at angular subdisto-dorsal sclerite, arrow 2 points at long and pointed distoprolateral apophysis; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at large curved medio-retrolateral apophysis). b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A, B), 0.05 (C, D).

FIGURE 6. Khorata musee sp. nov., holotype male (C–F) and paratype female (A, B, G, H). A. Epigynum, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C, D. Chelicerae (C. Frontal view; D. Lateral view; arrow points at strong frontal apophysis); E–H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; H. Ventral view). da = distal apophysis, fa = frontal apophysis, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.10 (A–D), 0.50 (E–H).

FIGURE 11. Known distribution records of new Pholcid species from Southeast Asia. 1. Holocneminus samanggi sp. nov.; 2. Khorata kep sp. nov.; 3. Khorata musee sp. nov.; 4. Pholcus bat sp. nov.; 5. Pholcus phnombak sp. nov.