Pholcus fuza Yao & Li, 2017

Dong, Tingting, Zheng, Guo, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2017, Ten new species of the spider genus Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4306 (3), pp. 339-369 : 351-354

Pholcus fuza Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 9–10

Type material. Holotype: male (Ar29653), Phrong Ta Khe Cave (7°27.038′N, 100°7.865′E, elevation 11 m), Khao Chaison District , Rattalung, Thailand, 26 October 2015, Q. Zhao, G. Zhou and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 1 male and 2 females (Ar 29654–29656), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific name is a Chinese pinyin word for complex (fù zá), in reference to the complex distal part of the procursus; adjective.

Diagnosis. The species can be easily distinguished from all known congeners in the P. buatong species group by the pair of strongly protruding frontal apophyses on the male chelicerae ( Figs 10 D–E), by the presence of a large subdistal process on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 9 D), by the broad appendix ( Fig. 10 C) and by the long and narrow pore plates ( Fig. 10 B).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 4.11 (4.40 with clypeus), carapace 1.05 long, 1.09 wide, opisthosoma 3.06 long, 0.94 wide. Leg I: 46.39 (10.77 + 0.53 + 11.15 + 21.54 + 2.40), leg II: 31.09 (8.14 + 0.52 + 7.69 + 13.46 + 1.28), leg III: 19.31 (5.45 + 0.48 + 4.81 + 7.76 + 0.81), femur IV: 7.76, other segments missing; tibia I L/d: 115. Distance PME-PME 0.37; diameter PME 0.11; distance PME-ALE 0.04; distance AME-AME 0.03; diameter AME 0.03. Sternum wider than long (0.78/0.63). Habitus as in Figs 10 F–G. Carapace yellowish, with brown V-pattern on posterior half; ocular area yellowish; sternum yellowish, with brown marks. Legs yellowish, patellae, distal parts of tibiae and proximal part of metatarsi dark brown, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma yellowish, with brown spots dorsally and laterally. Ocular area elevated, each eye triad on top of a laterally directed eye-stalk. Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Figs 10 D–E, with a pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 9 A–B; trochanter with a terminally bifurcated ventral apophysis; femur with a rounded ventral protrusion; procursus simple proximally but complex distally; bulbal apophyses as in Fig. 10 C; uncus absent; appendix broad; embolus long and weakly sclerotized. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 4%; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 13 distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 10 H–I. Total length 3.90 (4.10 with clypeus), carapace 1.02 long, 1.09 wide, opisthosoma 2.88 long, 0.94 wide; tibia I: 9.29; tibia I L/d: 84. Distance PME-PME 0.20; diameter PME 0.10; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME-AME 0.02; diameter AME 0.03. Sternum wider than long (0.75/ 0.63). Ocular area without eye-stalks. Epigynum ( Fig. 10 A) with a knob. Vulva ( Fig. 10 B) with a sclerotized anterior arch and two long and narrow pore plates.

Variation: Leg I lost in male paratype. Tibia I in another female paratype: 8.46.

Distribution. Thailand (Rattalung, type locality; Fig. 21 ).

Natural History. The species was found in the entrance zone of the cave.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Pholcus fuza Yao & Li sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view; D. Dorsal view, arrow points at large sclerotiZed subdistal apophysis). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 10. Pholcus fuza Yao & Li sp. nov., holotype male (C – G) and paratype female (A – B, H – I). A. Epigynum, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view; D – E. Chelicerae (D. Lateral view; E. Frontal view); F – I. Habitus (F, H. Dorsal view; G. Lateral view; I. Ventral view). a = appendix, e = embolus, fa = frontal apophysis, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.10 (A – D), 0.50 (E – H).

FIGURE 21. Distribution records of new Pholcus species from Southeast Asia. 1. Pholcus bulacanensis Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. bicornutus species group; 2. P. duan Yao & Li sp. nov., 3. P. ping Yao & Li sp. nov. and 4. P. vietnamensis Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. bidentatus species group; 5. P. fuza Yao & Li sp. nov. and 6. P. mueangensis Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. buatong species group; 7. P. cheni Yao & Li sp. nov. and 8. P. subwan Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. halabala species group; 9. P. shuye Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. krabi species group; 10. P. dongxue Yao & Li sp. nov. from the P. yichengicus species group.