Pholcus subwuyiensis, Zhang & Zhu, 2009

Zhang, Feng & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, A review of the genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 2037 (1), pp. 1-114 : 87-89

Pholcus subwuyiensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 49–50 )

Types. Male holotype, 6♂, 15♀ paratypes, CHINA: Fujian Province, Chong’an County, Mt. Wuyi [26°24’N, 116°24’E], May 25, 2004, leg. F. Zhang ( MHBU); 1♂, 1♀ paratypes, same location as holotype, July 18, 2003, leg. C. Zhang ( MHBU) .

Diagnosis. Similar to P. wuyiensis , but can be distinguished from it by the shape of the procursus tip ( Figs. 49G–I and 50E ) and by the smaller pore plates of the epigynum ( Fig. 49B ).

Etymology. The species name refers to its similarity to P. wuyiensis .

Description. Male (holotype): total body length 4.4: cephalothorax 1.3 long, 1.5 wide; abdomen 3.1 long, 1.4 wide. Leg I: 40.8 (10.6+0.9+9.9+16.7+2.7), tibia II: 6.9, tibia III: 4.9, tibia IV: 6.4; tibia I L/D: 62. Prosoma shape as in Fig. 49C . Carapace short, broad and almost circular, ochre, with pair of brown butterflyshaped marks broadly connecting to ocular area. Cephalic region raised, with brown longitudinal stripe centrally, ocular area dark yellow. Clypeus 0.46, dark ochre, without marks. Distance AME–AME 0.03. Diameter AME 0.09, ALE 0.18, PME 0.15, PLE 0.16. Chelicerae as in Fig. 49E , with pair of black apophyses distally, pair of unsclerotized thumb-shaped apophyses proximolaterally and pair of unsclerotized round apophyses proximocentrally. Labium light yellow. Endites gray. Sternum almost dark brown, with four pairs of yellow patches laterally as in Fig. 49F . Femora, patellae and tibiae fawn, with dark rings, metatarsi and tarsi light brown. Abdomen cylindrical, pale ochre, dorsum with many brown patterns as in Fig. 49C . Venter pale brown. Palps as in Figs. 49H–I and 50F , bulb with a long hammer-head-shaped uncus which with numerous teeth ( Figs. 50H–I ) and a hooked appendix. Procursus as in Fig. 49G . Tarsal organ capsulate.

Variation. Tibia I in five male paratypes (two males missing leg I): 9.3–10.0 (mean 9.6). Body length in seven male paratypes: 4.0–4.4.

Female: in general very similar to male. Total length of bodies 3.7–4.5. A paratype measured (Mt. Wuyi), total length 4.2: cephalothorax 1.3 long, 1.3 wide; abdomen 2.9 long, 1.5 wide. Tibia I: 8.1. Distance AME–AME 0.03. Diameter AME 0.08, ALE 0.15, PME 0.13, PLE 0.14. Female palpal tarsal organ capsulate as in Fig. 50A . Epigynum roughly rectangular as in Figs. 49A and 50C , with a small knob-shaped apophysis on the top. Dorsal view as in Fig. 49B , with a rainbow-shaped sclerotized arch anteriorly and a pair of oval pore plates.

Distribution. Known from type locality only.

Figures

FIGURE 49. Pholcus subwuyiensis sp. nov. A. epigynum, ventral view. B. same, dorsal view. C. male body, dorsal view. D. trochanter of male left palp, dorsal view. E. male left chelicera, frontal view. F. male sternum, ventral view. G. left procursus, dorsal view. H. left palp, prolateral view. I. same, retrolateral view. Scale lines: 1.0mm (C), 0.5mm (A, B, E–I), 0.2mm (D).

FIGURE 50. Pholcus subwuyiensis sp. nov. A. female palpal tarsal organ. B. tip of female palp, showing tarsal organ. C. epigynum, ventral view. D. tarsal organ on male tarsus 1. E. tip of appendix of right male palp, prolateral view. F. male left bulb, retrolateral view. G. male spinnerets, overview. H. part of bulb uncus, showing numerous small teeth. I. edge of bulb uncus, showing small teeth.