Belisana fengzheni Li, Zheng & Yao, 2023

Zhao, Fangyu, Yang, Lan, Li, Shuqiang, Zheng, Guo & Yao, Zhiyuan, 2023, A further study on the Belisana spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China, Zootaxa 5351 (5), pp. 543-558 : 549-554

Belisana fengzheni Li, Zheng & Yao sp. nov.

Figs 6– 7 , 9E–F , 10C–D

Type material. Holotype: Male (SYNU-Ar00311), Bubeng Village (21°36.589’N, 101°35.027’E, elevation 632 ± 3 m), Mengla County, Xishuangbanna , Yunnan, China, 23 February 2019, Zhigang Chen leg. Paratypes: 3 males (SYNU-Ar00312–00314) and 3 females (SYNU-Ar00315–00317), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honor of the late Chinese arachnologist Fengzhen Wang; noun (name) in the genitive case.

Diagnosis. The new species resembles B. daxiangi sp. nov. ( Figs 4–5 , 9C–D ) having similar bulbal apophyses ( Fig. 7C ) and male chelicerae ( Fig. 7D ), but it can be distinguished by prolatero-distal membranous lamellae of procursus without weakly sclerotized lamella (arrows 1, 2 in Figs 6C , 9E ; vs. present in B. daxiangi sp. nov.), by procursus with one spine-shaped dorso-distal apophysis (arrow 3 in Figs 6C , 9E ; vs. two apophyses in B. daxiangi sp. nov.), and by procursus without ventral membranous lamella ( Figs 6C–D , 9E–F ; vs. present in B. daxiangi sp. nov.).

Description. Male (holotype, SYNU-Ar00311): Total length 1.65 (1.75 with clypeus), prosoma 0.54 long, 0.49 wide, opisthosoma 1.11 long, 0.53 wide. Leg I: 12.75 (3.24 + 0.27 + 3.20 + 4.98 + 1.06), leg II: 8.26 (2.23 + 0.24 + 2.05 + 2.98 + 0.76), leg III: 4.80 (1.33 + 0.22 + 1.14 + 1.60 + 0.51), leg IV: 8.08 (2.34 + 0.23 + 2.23 + 2.63 + 0.65); tibia I L/d: 53. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME-PME 0.15, PME 0.06, PME-ALE 0.01, AME absent. Sternum width/length: 0.43/0.41. Habitus as in Figs 7E–F . Dorsal shield of prosoma and sternum whitish, without marks. Legs whitish, without darker rings. Opisthosoma whitish, without spots. Thoracic furrow absent. Clypeus unmodified. Chelicerae lost when removed, paratype as in Fig. 7D , with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses and pair of curved distal apophyses (distance between tips: 0.29). Pedipalp as in Figs 6A–B ; trochanter as long as wide; femur with retrolatero-proximal apophysis (arrow in Fig. 6B ); procursus ( Figs 6A–D , 9E–F ) simple proximally but complex distally, with two prolatero-distal membranous lamellae (arrows 1, 2 in Figs 6C , 9E ), spine-shaped dorso-distal apophysis (arrow 3 in Figs 6C , 9E ), retrolatero-distal membranous lamella (arrow in Figs 6D , 9F ), and retrolatero-subdistal membranous flap (f in Figs 6D , 9F ); bulb ( Fig. 7C ) with hooked apophysis and simple embolus. Retrolateral trichobothria of tibia I at 13% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on metatarsi; tarsus I with 18 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype, SYNU-Ar00315): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 7G–H . Total length 1.94 (2.03 with clypeus), prosoma 0.55 long, 0.51 wide, opisthosoma 1.39 long, 0.82 wide; tibia I: 3.13; tibia I L/d: 52. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME-PME 0.13, PME 0.05, PME-ALE 0.02, AME absent. Sternum width/length: 0.44/0.41. Epigyne ( Figs 7A , 10C ) simple and flat, with pair of postero-lateral pockets 0.28 apart (ep in Figs 7A–B , 10C–D ). Vulva ( Figs 7B , 10D ) with ridge-shaped anterior arch and pair of fishhook-shaped pore plates.

Variation: Tibia I in two male paratypes (SYNU-Ar00312–00313) (leg I missing in the other male paratype SYNU-Ar00314): 3.29, 3.55. Tibia I in the other two female paratypes (SYNU-Ar00316–00317): 2.88, 2.97.

Natural history. The species was found underside leaves.

Distribution. China (Yunnan, type locality; Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution records of the Belisana species discussed in this paper. 1, B. chuandiani sp. nov.; 2, B. daxiangi sp. nov.; 3, B. fengzheni sp. nov.; 4–5, B. zhengi.

FIGURE 4. Belisana daxiangi sp. nov., holotype male (SYNU-Ar00310). A–B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolatero-proximal apophysis); C–D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow 1 points at prolatero-distal membranous lamella, arrows 2 and 3 point at two spine-shaped dorso-distal apophyses, arrow 4 points at ventral membranous lamella; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolatero-distal membranous lamella). b = bulb, ba = bulbal apophysis, e = embolus, f = flap, pr = procursus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A–B), 0.02 (C–D).

FIGURE 5. Belisana daxiangi sp. nov., holotype male (SYNU-Ar00310).A. Bulb, prolateral view; B. Chelicerae, frontal view; C–E. Habitus (C. Dorsal view; D. Ventral view; E. Lateral view). b = bulb, ba = bulbal apophysis, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis. Scale bars: 0.03 (A–B), 0.20 (C–E).

FIGURE 6. Belisana fengzheni sp. nov., holotype male (SYNU-Ar00311). A–B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolatero-proximal apophysis); C–D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrows 1 and 2 point at two prolatero-distal membranous lamellae, arrow 3 points at spine-shaped dorso-distal apophysis; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolatero-distal membranous lamella). b = bulb, ba = bulbal apophysis, e = embolus, f = flap, pr = procursus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A–B), 0.02 (C–D).

FIGURE 7. Belisana fengzheni sp. nov., holotype male (C, E–F; SYNU-Ar00311), paratype male (D, SYNU-Ar00312) and paratype female (A–B, G–H; SYNU-Ar00315). A. Epigyne, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulb, prolateral view; D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E–H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; H. Ventral view). b = bulb, ba = bulbal apophysis, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, ep = epigynal pocket, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.05 (A–D), 0.20 (E–H).

FIGURE 9. Procursus in prolateral and retrolateral views.A–B. Belisana chuandiani sp. nov. (A. Prolateral view, arrow 1 points at nearly angular prolatero-subdistal sclerite, arrow 2 points at distally pointed distal membranous lamella; B. Retrolateral view, arrows point at two retrolateral membranous lamellae); C–D. Belisana daxiangi sp. nov. (C. Prolateral view, arrow 1 points at prolatero-distal membranous lamella, arrows 2 and 3 point at two spine-shaped dorso-distal apophyses, arrow 4 points at ventral membranous lamella; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolatero-distal membranous lamella); E–F. Belisana fengzheni sp. nov. (E. Prolateral view, arrows 1 and 2 point at two prolatero-distal membranous lamellae, arrow 3 points at spine-shaped dorso-distal apophysis; F. Retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolatero-distal membranous lamella). f = flap. Scale bars: 0.10.

FIGURE 10. Female genitalia in ventral and dorsal views. A–B. Belisana chuandiani sp. nov.; C–D. Belisana fengzheni sp. nov.; E–F. Belisana zhengi Yao, Pham & Li, 2015. ep = epigynal pocket, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.10.