Pholcus medog Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2006

Zhang, Feng & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, A review of the genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 2037 (1), pp. 1-114 : 54-56

Pholcus medog Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2006

( Fig. 27 )

Pholcus medog Zhang, Zhu & Song 2006: 195 , f. 1–8.

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. zham , but can be readily distinguished from it by the shape of the uncus of the male palp ( Fig. 27F ), by the appendix that is split into two parts ( Fig. 27F ), and by the chelicerae without a pair of unsclerotized round apophyses proximocentrally ( Fig. 27D ).

Redescription. Male (holotype), total length 6.3: cephalothorax 1.2 long, 1.7 wide; abdomen 5.1 long, 1.4 wide. Leg I: 52.5 (13.1+1.0+12.5+23.0+3.0), tibia II: 8.4, tibia III: 5.6, tibia IV: 7.9; tibia I L/D: 74. Prosoma shape as in Fig. 27C . Carapace short, broad and almost circular, ochre, with brown mark broadly connecting to ocular area. Cephalic region raised, with two brown slender central marks, ocular area dark yellow. Clypeus 0.43, ochre, without marks. Each eye triad on the top of a relatively longer eye-stalk. Distance AME–AME 0.05. Diameter AME 0.09, ALE 0.26, PME 0.18, PLE 0.23. Chelicerae as in Fig. 27D , with pair of black apophyses distally and pair of unsclerotized rounded apophyses proximolaterally. Labium light yellow. Endites gray. Sternum ( Fig. 27E ) dark gray, with irregular yellow patches centrally. Femora, patellae and tibiae ochre, with dark rings, metatarsi and tarsi brown. Abdomen cylindrical, pale ochre, dorsum with large brown patterns as in Fig. 27C . Venter with central long brown stripe. Spinnerets yellowish brown. The uncus of male palp large and slightly triangular as in Fig. 27F and 27G , heavily sclerotized and provided with many teeth at the edge. Appendix split into two parts. Embolus soft and transparent, between uncus and appendix. Procursus with ventral boss.

Variation. Tibia I in three male paratypes: 11.6, 11.9, 12.4. Body length in three male paratypes: 5.7, 5.9, 5.9.

Female: in general very similar to male. Total length of bodies 4.9–6.2. A paratype measured, total length 6.0: cephalothorax 1.5 long, 1.5 wide; abdomen 4.5 long, 1.3 wide. Tibia I: 9.4. Clypeus 0.55 high. Distance AME–AME 0.05. Diameter AME 0.08, ALE 0.18, PME 0.15, PLE 0.17. Epigynum roughly bell-shaped as in Fig. 27A , with a knob-shaped apophysis on the top. Dorsal view as in Fig. 27B , with M-shaped sclerotized arch anteriorly and a pair of oval pore plates.

Distribution. Known from several localities in Medog County.

Material examined. CHINA: Tibet, Medog County , August 17, 2003, leg. F. Zhang, Male holotype , 2♂, 5♀ paratypes ( MHBU); Medog County , August 10, 2003, 1♂, 1♀ paratypes ( MHBU); Medog County, Beibeng Town , August 13, 2003, leg. F. Zhang, 1♀, 3 juveniles paratypes ( MHBU) .

Figures

FIGURE 27. Pholcus medog Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2006 (illustrations modified from Zhang et al. 2006). A. epigynum, ventral view. B. same, dorsal view. C. male body, dorsal view. D. male left chelicera, frontal view. E. male sternum, ventral view. F. left palp, prolateral view. G. same, retrolateral view. Scale lines: 1.0mm (C), 0.5mm (A, B, D–G).