Pholcus musensis 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 : 238-241

Pholcus musensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 27–28

Type material. Holotype: male, Wat Dearoop Song Cave 1 (14°33.708′N, 101°24.064′E, elevation 397 m), Musee Village, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, 23 October 2014, H. Zhao, Y. Li and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 2 females, same data as holotype.

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. kaebyaiensis sp. nov. ( Figs 25–26 ) and P. songkhonensis sp. nov. ( Figs 29–30 ) in having similar male chelicerae ( Fig. 28 D), uncus ( Fig. 28 C), and female external genitalia ( Fig. 28 A) but can be distinguished by the absence of branches on the appendix ( Fig. 28 C), by the presence of a large, sclerotized retrolateral apophysis distally on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 27 D), by the anterior arch of the vulva not protruding medially ( Fig. 28 B); also distinguished from P. songkhonensis sp. nov. by the short eye-stalks on male ocular area (as in P. zhuchuandiani sp. nov., cf. Fig. 31 E).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 4.50 (4.87 with clypeus), carapace 1.22 long, 1.41 wide, opisthosoma 3.28 long, 1.03 wide. Leg I missing, leg II: 28.7 (7.82 + 0.64 + 7.30 +11.54 + 1.40), leg III: 20.77 (6.09 + 0.60 + 5.13 + 8.01 + 0.94), leg IV: 26.20 (7.69 + 0.56 + 6.41 + 10.34 + 1.20). Distance PME-PME 0.32; diameter PME 0.10; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME-AME 0.05; diameter AME 0.06. Sternum wider than long (0.88/0.78). Habitus as in Figs 28 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown median line and indistinct yellow marks; ocular area yellowish; sternum yellowish, with whitish marks. Legs yellowish, distal parts of femora and tibiae whitish, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma yellowish, with whitish spots dorsally. Ocular area elevated; each eye triad on top of a short, laterally directed eye-stalk (as in P. zhuchuandiani sp. nov., cf. Fig. 31 E). Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 28 D, with a pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, a pair of black distal apophyses, and a pair of small frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 27 A–B; trochanter with a short ventral apophysis; femur with a distinct ventral modification; procursus with two prolatero-dorsal spines (arrows in Fig. 27 C), distally complex; uncus with a scaly edge; appendix hooked; embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent projections distally. Legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 28 G–H. Total length 4.48 (4.87 with clypeus), carapace 1.16 long, 1.25 wide, opisthosoma 3.32 long, 1.31 wide; leg I missing in all females. Distance PME-PME 0.20; diameter PME 0.09; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME-AME 0.03; diameter AME 0.05. Sternum wider than long (0.80/0.72). Opisthosoma with indistinct spots dorsally. External genitalia ( Fig. 28 A) with a knob. Vulva ( Fig. 28 B) with a sclerotized anterior arch and two nearly triangular pore plates.

Distribution. Thailand (Nakhon Ratchasima, type locality; Fig. 32 ).

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

Figures

FIGURE 25. Pholcus kaebyaiensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, up arrow points at prolatero-dorsal spines, left arrow points at prolatero-distal membranous process, right arrow points at small, pointed prolateral apophysis; D. Retrolateral view). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 26. Pholcus kaebyaiensis 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 27. Pholcus musensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrows point at prolatero-dorsal spines; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at large, sclerotized retrolateral apophysis). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A – B), 0. 0 5 (C – D).

FIGURE 28. Pholcus musensis 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: 0.05 (A – C), 0.10 (D), 0.50 (E – H).

FIGURE 29. Pholcus songkhonensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow points at narrow prolatero-distal membranous process; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolateral apophysis). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 30. Pholcus songkhonensis 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: 0.05 (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.