Pholcus yichengicus Zhu, Tu & Shi, 1986

Zhang, Feng & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, A review of the genus Pholcus (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, Zootaxa 2037 (1), pp. 1-114 : 103

Pholcus yichengicus Zhu, Tu & Shi, 1986

( Fig. 60 )

Pholcus yichengicus Zhu, Tu & Shi 1986: 121 , f. 4.1–7. Song, Zhu & Chen 1999: 63, f. 25A'–C'. Song, Zhu & Chen 2001: 77, f. 34A–G.

Diagnosis. Among its close Pholcus relatives (see the remark of P. clavatus ), this species is very similar to P. harveyi sp. nov., P. huberi sp. nov., P. songxian sp. nov., and P. parayichengicus sp. nov. (all from Henan Province except P. yichengicus itself, that occurs in the adjacent Shanxi Province) in the shape of the palpal bulb and epigynum, all with a biforked ventral apophysis of the trochanter ( Figs. 15I , 17I , 33I , 46I and 60I ) and a long teat-shaped epigynal apophysis ( Figs. 15A , 17A , 33I , 46A and 60A ). It can be distinguished from all these species by the shape of the tip of the procursus and appendix ( Figs. 60G–I ), also from P. huberi sp. nov. by a branched appendix centrally ( Fig. 60H ), also from P. songxian sp. nov. and P. parayichengicus sp. nov. by the cephalic region with brown central marks ( Fig. 60C ), and also from P. harveyi sp. nov. by the pair of smaller pore plates ( Fig. 60B ).

Redescription. Male (‘allotype’), total length 4.3: cephalothorax 1.3 long, 1.3 wide; abdomen 3.0 long, 1.2 wide. Leg I: 33.1 (9.3+0.8+9.1+12.3+1.6), tibia II: 6.3, tibia III: 4.1, tibia IV: 5.7; tibia I L/D: 57. Prosoma shape as in Fig. 60C . Carapace short, broad and almost circular, ochre, with pair of brown markings broadly connecting to ocular area. Cephalic region raised, with brown stripes centrally, ocular area dark yellow. Clypeus 0.56, slightly ochre, without brown marks centrally. Distance AME–AME 0.06. Chelicerae as in Fig. 60E , with pair of black serrated apophyses distally, pair of unsclerotized thumb-shaped apophyses proximolaterally and pair of unsclerotized rounded apophyses proximocentrally. Labium and endites yellowish brown. Sternum blackish brown, with a light yellow mark centrally as in Fig. 60F . Femora, patellae and tibiae ochre, with dark rings, metatarsi and tarsi brown. Abdomen cylindrical, pale yellow, dorsum with numerous brown spots as in Fig. 60C . Venter pale, without markings. Palps as in Figs. 60H–I , bulb with a large uncus, appendix curved. Procursus as in Fig. 60G .

Variation. Tibia I in male paratype missing. Body length in male paratype: 4.2.

Female (holotype): in general very similar to male. Total length 5.1, cephalothorax 1.4 long, 1.2 wide; abdomen 3.7 long, 1.2 wide. Tibia I: 6.4. Distance AME–AME 0.05. Epigynum roughly triangular as in Fig. 60A , with a broad necktie-shaped apophysis on the top. Dorsal view as in Fig. 60B , with a shallow M-shaped sclerotized arch anteriorly and a pair of teardrop-shaped pore plates.

Variation. Total length in other two females: 5.0, 5.1.

Distribution. Known from type locality only.

Material examined. CHINA: Shanxi, Yicheng County, August 14, 1983, leg. M. S. Zhu, female holotype , male ‘allotype’, 1♂, 2♀ paratypes ( MHBU) .

Figures

FIGURE 15. Pholcus harveyi 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 17. Pholcus huberi 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 33. Pholcus parayichengicus 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 46. Pholcus songxian 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 60. Pholcus yichengicus Zhu, Tu & Shi, 1986. 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).