Pholcus lingguanensis Yao & Li

Dong, Tingting, Zheng, Guo, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2016, Thirteen new species of the spider genus Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 4170 (1), pp. 1-40 : 22-27

Pholcus lingguanensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 17–18

Type material. Holotype: male, Lingguan Cave (33°12.832′N, 112°11.377′E, elevation 336 m), Lingguandian Village , Erlong Town , Zhenping County, Nanyang, Henan, China, 22 May 2014, Y. Li and J. Liu leg . Paratypes: 3 males 4 females, same data as holotype .

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. parayichengicus Zhang & Zhu, 2009 (see Zhang & Zhu 2009: 62, figs 33–34 and Yao & Li 2012: 29, figs 140–141) with similar male chelicerae ( Fig. 18 D), bulbal apophyses ( Fig. 18 C) and epigynum ( Fig. 18 A) but can be distinguished by the absence of small retrolateral apophyses subdistally on the long male pedipalpal trochanteral apophyses ( Figs 17 A–B), by the small, membranous prolatero-distal process (arrow 1 in Fig. 17 C) and the very small, sclerotized ventro-subdistal apophysis on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 17 D) and by the curved vulval pore plates ( Fig. 18 B).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 5.52 (5.96 with clypeus), carapace 1.56 long, 1.90 wide, opisthosoma 3.96 long, 1.78 wide. Leg I: 42.98 (11.15 + 0.80 + 10.64 + 18.01 + 2.38), leg II: 29.58 (8.27 + 0.76 + 7.48 + 11.67 + 1.40), leg III: 22.25 (6.41 + 0.70 + 5.32 + 8.72 + 1.10), leg IV: 28.96 (8.46 + 0.68 + 7.24 + 11.22 + 1.36); tibia I L/d: 63. Distance PME-PME 0.23; diameter PME 0.14; distance PME-ALE 0.06; distance AME- AME 0.07; diameter AME 0.11. Sternum wider than long (1.25/0.91). Habitus as in Figs 18 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown radiating marks extending to ocular area and brown bands marginally; ocular area yellowish; clypeus brown; sternum brown with yellowish marks medially. Legs yellowish, femora (subproximally and subdistally) and tibiae (subproximally and subdistally) with slightly darker rings. Opisthosoma yellowish, with small spots dorsally and laterally. Ocular area elevated, without eye stalks (as in P. gonggarensis sp. nov., cf. Fig. 27 C). Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 18 D, with a pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, a pair of black distal apophyses, and a pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 17 A–B; trochanter with a ventral apophysis; femur with a ventral ridge; tibia with a projection prolaterally; procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with a spine-like prolatero-ventral apophysis medially (arrow 2 in Fig. 17 C), a small, membranous prolatero-distal process (arrow 1 in Fig. 17 C) and a small, sclerotized ventro-subdistal apophysis (arrow in Fig. 17 D); uncus with a scaly edge; appendix hooked, with a small branch subdistally; embolus weakly sclerotized. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 8%; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 23 distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 18 G–H. Total length 5.13 (5.51 with clypeus), carapace 1.41 long, 1.60 wide, opisthosoma 3.72 long, 2.64 wide; tibia I: 8.01; tibia I L/d: 57. Distance PME-PME 0.21; diameter PME 0.11; distance PME-ALE 0.06; distance AME-AME 0.06; diameter AME 0.09. Sternum wider than long (1.06/ 0.78). Ocular area with brown marks; Epigynum ( Fig. 18 A) with a knob. Vulva ( Fig. 18 B) with a sclerotized anterior arch and two curved pore plates.

Distribution. China (Hena, type locality; Fig. 28 ).

Natural History. The species was found on the wall in the entrance zone of the cave.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Pholcus lingguanensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow 1 points at small, membranous prolatero-distal process, arrow 2 points at spine-like prolatero-ventral apophysis medially; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at small, sclerotized ventro-subdistal apophysis). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.15 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 18. Pholcus lingguanensis sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A – B, G – H). A. Epigynum, 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 (AD), 0.80 (E – H).

FIGURE 27. Male and female ocular area, frontal view. A – B. Pholcus yanjinensis sp. nov., holotype male (A) and paratype female (B). C – D. P. gonggarensis sp. nov., holotype male (C) and paratype female (D). E – F. P. zhongdongensis sp. nov., holotype male (E) and paratype female (F). Scale bars: 0.10 (A – F).

FIGURE 28. Distribution records of new Pholcus species from China. 1. Pholcus yanjinensis sp. nov. from P. bidentatus species group (pink); 2. P. jingyangensis sp. nov., 3. P. langensis sp. nov. and 4. P. longus sp. nov. from P. crypticolens species group (light blue); 5. P. huoxiaerensis sp. nov. from P. ponticus species group (green); 6. P. difengensis sp. nov., 7. P. gonggarensis sp. nov., 8. P. hamaensis sp. nov., 9. P. lingguanensis sp. nov., 10. P. qingyunensis sp. nov., 11. P. tangyuensis sp. nov.; 12. P. tianmuensis sp. nov. and 13. P. zhongdongensis sp. nov. from P. yichengicus species group (red).