Pholcus yuncheng Yang & Yao, 2024

Yang, Lan, Fu, Chang, Zhang, Yaxuan, He, Qiaoqiao & Yao, Zhiyuan, 2024, A survey of Pholcus spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae) from the Qinling Mountains of central China, with descriptions of seven new species, Zoosystematics and Evolution 100 (1), pp. 199-221 : 199

Pholcus yuncheng Yang & Yao sp. nov.

Figs 14 , 15

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (SYNU-Ar00392) and paratypes 2♂ (SYNU-Ar00393, IAECAS-Ar00394Y) 3♀ (SYNU-Ar00395-96, IAECAS-Ar00397Y), China, Shanxi, Yuncheng, Yongji, Shuiyukou Village, Shentan Grand Canyon Scenic Spot (34°49.50'N, 110°25.72'E, 529 m elev.), 20/07/2022.

Etymology.

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

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles P. lushan sp. nov. by having similar male chelicerae and bulbal apophyses (Fig. 15C, D ), but can be distinguished by procursus without ventro-subdistal apophysis (Fig. 14C vs. with spine-shaped ventro-subdistal apophysis, Fig. 8C ), by procursus with small pointed distal apophysis (Fig. 14C vs. large angular distal apophysis, Fig. 8C ), by male palpal trochanteral apophysis with retrolatero-median apophysis (Fig. 14B vs. absent, Fig. 8B ), by epigynal plate posteriorly straight (Fig. 15A vs. curved, Fig. 9A ), by vulval anterior arch laterally strongly curved (Fig. 15B vs. nearly half-round, Fig. 9B ) and by vulval pore plates nearly round (Fig. 15B vs. anteriorly blunt and posteriorly pointed, Fig. 9B ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 5.35 (5.51 with clypeus), carapace 1.59 long, 1.84 wide, opisthosoma 3.76 long, 1.60 wide. Leg I: 40.99 (10.64, 0.81, 10.38, 16.47, 2.69), leg II: 29.19 (8.21, 0.79, 7.18, 11.28, 1.73), leg III: 20.69 (6.15, 0.70, 5.06, 7.63, 1.15), leg IV: 28.40 (8.14, 0.77, 7.12, 10.83, 1.54); tibia I L/d: 59. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME-PME 0.25, PME 0.18, PME-ALE 0.07, AME-AME 0.06, AME 0.11. Sternum width/length: 1.24/1.02. Habitus as in Fig. 15E, F . Carapace yellowish, with brown radiating marks and marginal brown bands; ocular area yellowish, with indistinct median band; clypeus and sternum yellowish, with brown marks. Legs yellowish, but dark brown on patellae and 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 dorsal and lateral spots. Chelicerae (Fig. 15D ) with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses with two teeth each and pair of frontal apophyses. Palp as in Fig. 14A, B ; trochanter with long (4 times longer than wide) ventral apophysis bearing retrolatero-median apophysis; femur with small retrolatero-proximal apophysis and distinct ventral protuberance; tibia with prolatero-ventral protuberance; procursus (Fig. 14C, D ) simple proximally, but complex distally, with raised prolatero-subdistal membranous edge bearing distal membranous process, sclerotised prolatero-subdistal apophysis, pointed distal apophysis and two strong dorsal spines; uncus (Fig. 15C ) latero-medially contracted, with proximal apophysis and distal scaly edge; appendix (Fig. 15C ) hooked, with curved median branch and distal teeth; embolus (Fig. 15C ) weakly sclerotised, with some indistinct transparent distal projections. Retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia I at 5% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; tarsus I with 35 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype). Similar to male, habitus as in Fig. 15G, H . Total length 4.97 (5.13 with clypeus), carapace 1.53 long, 1.66 wide, opisthosoma 3.44 long, 1.66 wide; tibia I: 7.56; tibia I L/d: 54. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME-PME 0.22, PME 0.16, PME-ALE 0.06, AME-AME 0.06, AME 0.10. Sternum width/length: 1.06/0.84. Ocular area with median and lateral brown bands; clypeus brown. Epigyne (Fig. 15A ) nearly triangular, laterally strongly sclerotised, with wedge-shaped knob. Vulva (Fig. 15B ) with laterally strongly curved, posteriorly sclerotised anterior arch, pair of nearly round pore plates and pair of C-shaped sclerites.

Variation.

Tibia I in two paratype males: 8.97, 10.96. Tibia I in the other two paratype females: 8.27, 8.33.

Habitat.

Underside of overhang on rocky cliffs in the mountain area.

Distribution.

China (Shanxi, type locality; Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution records of Pholcus spiders from the Qinling Mountains in this study. The Pholcus bidentatus group: 1 P. bidentatus; the crypticolens group: 2 P. jingyangensis, 3 P. langensis, 4 P. manueli, 5 P. zichyi; the Pholcus taishan group: 6 P. jiaozuo sp. nov., 7 P. yugong; the Pholcus yichengicus group: 8 P. luonan sp. nov., 9 P. luoyang sp. nov., 10 P. lushan sp. nov., 11 P. ovatus, 12 P. parayichengicus, 13 P. shangluo sp. nov., 14 P. songxian, 15 P. taibaiensis, 16 P. tangyuensis, 17 P. weinan sp. nov., 18 P. yuncheng sp. nov.

Figure 8. Pholcus lushan sp. nov., holotype male A, B. Palp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C, D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view; D. Dorsal view). Scale bars: 0.20 mm (A, B); 0.10 mm (C, D).

Figure 9. Pholcus lushan sp. nov., holotype male (C-F) and paratype female (A, B, G, H) A. Epigyne, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view (arrow points at latero-median protrusion); D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E-H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; H. Ventral view). Scale bars: 0.20 mm (A-D); 1.00 mm (E-H).

Figure 14. Pholcus yuncheng sp. nov., holotype male A, B. Palp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C, D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view; D. Dorsal view). Scale bars: 0.20 mm (A, B); 0.10 mm (C, D).

Figure 15. Pholcus yuncheng sp. nov., holotype male (C-F) and paratype female (A, B, G, H) A. Epigyne, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view; D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E-H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; H. Ventral view). Scale bars: 0.20 mm (A-D); 1.00 mm (E-H).