Pholcus tharnlodensis Yao & Li

Dong, Tingting, Zheng, Guo, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, Fifteen new species of the spider genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4136 (2), pp. 201-246 : 203-208

Pholcus tharnlodensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 3–4 , 31 A–B

Type material. Holotype: male, Tharn Lod Cave (08°31.183′N, 98°33.915′E, elevation 116 m), Tham Thong Lang, Tap pud District, Phang Nga, Thailand, 27 October 2014, H. Zhao, Y. Li and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 1 male and 2 females, same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. hinsonensis sp. nov. ( Figs 1–2 ) in having a similar procursus ( Figs 3 A– D) and female genitalia ( Fig. 4 A) but can be distinguished by long eye-stalks on the male ocular area ( Fig. 31 A), by the absence of frontal and distal apophyses on the male chelicerae ( Fig. 4 D), by a distally blunt uncus ( Fig. 4 C), and by a distally hooked appendix ( Fig. 4 C).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 4.89 (5.26 with clypeus), carapace 1.33 long, 1.48 wide, opisthosoma 3.56 long, 1.33 wide. Leg I: 54.64 (12.82 + 0.75 + 13.46 + 25.13 + 2.48), leg II: 36.08 (9.29 + 0.64 + 9.29 +15.26 + 1.60), leg III: 23.45 (6.54 + 0.67 + 5.83 + 9.23 + 1.18), leg IV: 30.56 (8.72 + 0.69 + 7.63 + 12.12 + 1.40); tibia I L/d: 96. Distance PME-PME 0.63; diameter PME 0.11; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME- AME 0.02; diameter AME 0.03. Sternum wider than long (1.02/0.88). Habitus as in Figs 4 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with yellow marks extending to ocular area; ocular area yellowish; clypeus yellowish; sternum yellowish. Legs yellowish, distal parts of femora and tibiae whitish, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma yellowish, with indistinct spots dorsally. Ocular area elevated; each eye triad on top of a long, laterally directed eye-stalk ( Fig. 31 A). Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 4 D, with pair of unsclerotized apophyses proximolaterally. Pedipalps as in Figs 3 A–B; trochanter with a long ventral apophysis; femur with a dorsal apophysis proximally; procursus simple, with two prolatero-dorsal spines distally (arrows in Fig. 3 C), and a hooked ventral apophysis distally; uncus with scales; appendix hooked; embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent projections distally. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 6.3%; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with approximately eight distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 4 G–H. Total length 5.26 (5.71 with clypeus), carapace 1.42 long, 1.36 wide, opisthosoma 3.84 long, 1.52 wide; tibia I: 15.06; tibia I L/d: 48. Distance PME-PME 0.28; diameter PME 0.11; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME-AME 0.02; diameter AME 0.03. Sternum wider than long (1.01/0.96). Ocular area without eye-stalks ( Fig. 31 B). External genitalia ( Fig. 4 A) without knob. Vulva ( Fig. 4 B) with a sclerotized anterior arch and two oval pore plates.

Distribution. Thailand (Phang Nga, type locality; Fig. 32 ).

Natural history. The species was found in the aphotic zone inside the cave.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pholcus hinsonensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Right pedipalp (A. Prolateral view, arrow points at prolaterodorsal spine; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at dorsal apophysis); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view; D. Retrolateral view). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 2. Pholcus hinsonensis sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A – B, G – H). A. External genitalia, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view; D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E – H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F, H. Ventral view). a = appendix, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, fa = frontal apophysis, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A – D), 0.60 (E – H).

FIGURE 3. Pholcus tharnlodensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at dorsal apophysis); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrows point at prolatero-dorsal spines; D. Retrolateral view). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 4. Pholcus tharnlodensis sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A – B, G – H). A. External genitalia, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view; C. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view; D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E – H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F, H. Ventral view). a = appendix, e = embolus, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.07 (A – C), 0.10 (D), 0.50 (E – H).

FIGURE 31. Male and female ocular area, frontal view. A – B. Pholcus tharnlodensis sp. nov., holotype male (A) and paratype female (B). C – D. P. hinsonensis sp. nov., holotype male (C) and paratype female (D). E – F. P. zhuchuandiani sp. nov., holotype male (E) and paratype female (F). Scale bars: 0.10 (A – F).

FIGURE 32. Distribution records of new Pholcus species from Southeast Asia. ® Pholcus anaiensis sp. nov.; P. ballarini sp. nov.; P. cenranaensis sp. nov.; P. chiangmaiensis sp. nov.; P. gou sp. nov.; © P. hinsonensis sp. nov.; P. kaebyaiensis sp. nov.; P. kottawagamaensis sp. nov.; P. krachensis sp. nov.; P. musensis sp. nov.; © P. songkhonensis sp. nov.; ® P. taptaoensis sp. nov.; © P. tharnlodensis sp. nov.; ® P. w a n sp. nov.; ® P. zhuchuandiani sp. nov.