Pholcus shangrila, 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 : 76

Pholcus shangrila sp. nov.

( Figs. 43–44 )

Types. Male holotype, 6♂, 4♀ paratypes, CHINA: Yunnan Province, Shangri-la County, Gorge Hutiao [27°12’N, 100°6’E], August 7, 2002, leg. Z. Z. Yang ( MHBU); Shangri-la County , Haba Village , 1♂, 6♀, August 8, 2002, leg. Z. Z. Yang ( MHBU) .

Diagnosis. Among its near Pholcus relatives (see the remark of P. clavatus ), this species is very similar to P. yangi sp. nov. and P. kunming sp. nov. in the shape of the palpal bulb, all with branched appendices ( Figs. 23H , 43H and 58H ) and teat-shaped epigynal apophyses ( Figs. 23A , 43A and 58A ). It can be distinguished from them by the shape of the procursus ( Figs. 43G–I ), also from P. kunming sp. nov. by the nearly T-shaped epigynal apophysis ( Fig. 43A ) and the cephalic region without brown slender central marks ( Fig. 43C ), and also from P. yangi sp. nov. by the nearly T-shaped epigynal apophysis ( Fig. 43A ) and the shorter ventral apophysis of the trochanter ( Figs. 43D, H–I ).

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

Description. Male (holotype): total body length 4.7: cephalothorax 1.4 long, 1.6 wide; abdomen 3.3 long, 1.5 wide. Leg I: 43.8 (11.0+1.0+11.1+18.3+2.4), tibia II: 7.3, tibia III: 4.4, tibia IV: 6.4; tibia I L/D: 69. Prosoma shape as in Fig. 43C . Carapace short, broad and almost circular, ochre, with pair of brown marks broadly connecting to ocular area. Cephalic region raised, without brown marks centrally, ocular area dark yellow. Clypeus 0.48, slightly ochre, without marks. Distance AME–AME 0.06. Diameter AME 0.08, ALE 0.16, PME0.14, PLE 0.15. Chelicerae as in Fig. 43E , with pair of black apophyses distally, pair of unsclerotized thumb-shaped apophyses proximolaterally and pair of unsclerotized rounded apophyses proximocentrally. Labium light yellow. Endites gray. Sternum dark gray, with four pairs of yellow patches laterally and a yellow mark centrally as in Fig. 43F . Femora, patellae and tibiae fawn, with dark rings, metatarsi and tarsi brown. Abdomen cylindrical, pale ochre, dorsum with large brown patterns as in Fig. 43C . Venter pale brown. Male gonopore with four epiandrous spigots. Six spinnerets ( Fig. 44F ), ALS with six piriform gland spigots ( Fig. 44G ), PMS with two spigots ( Fig. 44H ) and PLS without any spigots ( Fig. 44I ). Palps as in Figs. 43H–I and 44D . Procursus as in Fig. 43G . Tarsal organ capsulate as in Fig. 44B .

Variation. Tibia I in six male paratypes (one male missing Tibia I): 9.9–11.2 (mean 11.0). Body length in seven male paratypes: 4.4–4.9.

Female: in general very similar to male. Total length of bodies 3.7–4.4. A paratype measured (Gorge Hutiao), total length 4.0: cephalothorax 1.1 long, 1.3 wide; abdomen 2.9 long, 1.6 wide. Tibia I: 6.5. Distance AME–AME 0.05. Diameter AME 0.07, ALE 0.13, PME 0.12, PLE 0.13. Epigynum roughly with a flattened hill-shape as in Figs. 43A and 44A , with a small T-shaped apophysis on the top. Dorsal view as in Fig. 43B , with a wavy sclerotized arch anteriorly and a pair of shoe-shaped pore plates.

Distribution. Known from type locality only.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Pholcus kunming 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, D–I).

FIGURE 43. Pholcus shangrila 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 44. Pholcus shangrila sp. nov. A. epigynum, ventral view. B. male left palpal tarsal organ. C. male gonopore, showing four epiandrous spigots. D. right male palp, prolateral view. E. tip of bulb embolus. F. male spinnerets, overview. G. male ALS, with several piriform gland spigots. H. male PMS, with two spigots. I. male PLS, without any spigots.

FIGURE 58. Pholcus yangi 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).