Pholcus krachensis 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 : 214

Pholcus krachensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 9–10

Type material. Holotype: male, Cave without a name (14°11.400′N, 99°01.555′E, elevation 334 m), Wang Krach, Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi, Thailand, 2 November 2014, H. Zhao, Y. Li and Z. Chen leg. Paratype: 1 male, same data as holotype.

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. negara Huber, 2011 (see Huber 2011: 285, figs 1361–1363, 1396–1397, 1425–1429) and P. r ut e ng Huber, 2011 (see Huber 2011: 287, figs 1364–1366, 1398–1399, 1430–1434) in having a similar uncus ( Fig. 10 A) and appendix ( Fig. 10 A), but can be distinguished by the presence of frontal apophyses on the male chelicerae ( Fig. 10 B), by a slender ventral apophysis on pedipalpal trochanter ( Figs 9 A–B), by the indistinct dorsal apophysis subdistally on the procursus (arrows in Figs 9 A, C), and by the presence of a long subdistal branch on the appendix (arrow in Fig. 10 A).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 7.16 (7.44 with clypeus), carapace 1.65 long, 1.58 wide, opisthosoma 5.51 long, 1.24 wide. Leg I: 69.36 (17.24 + 0.83 + 16.92 + 31.09 +3.28), leg II: 45.87 (12.31 + 0.83 + 11.60 +18.91 + 2.22), leg III: 31.02 (9.29 + 0.75 + 7.50 + 11.92 + 1.56), leg IV: 39.25 (11.47 + 0.75 + 9.62 + 15.38 + 2.03); tibia I L/d: 90. Distance PME-PME 0.42; diameter PME 0.13; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME- AME 0.05; diameter AME 0.05. Sternum wider than long (1.17/1.03). Habitus as in Figs 10 E–G. Carapace yellowish, with brown radiating marks extending to ocular area; ocular area yellowish, with two symmetric brown patches retrolaterally; sternum dark brown. Legs yellowish, distal parts of femora and tibiae whitish, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma pale grey, with brown and dark brown marks peripherally. Ocular area elevated; each eye triad on top of a short, laterally directed eye-stalk (as in P. hinsonensis sp. nov., cf. Fig. 31 C). Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 10 B, with a pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, a pair of black distal apophyses, each with two teeth, and a pair of small, inconspicuous frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 9 A–B; trochanter with a slender ventral apophysis; femur with a distinct ventral modification; procursus simple proximally but complex distally; uncus with a scaly edge; appendix hooked, with a long subdistal branch; embolus weakly sclerotized. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 3.3%; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with approximately 15 distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. Thailand (Kanchanaburi, type locality; Fig. 32 ).

Natural history. The species was found in the entrance zone of the cave.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Pholcus krachensis sp. nov., holotype male. A – B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view, arrow points at indistinct dorsal apophysis subdistally on procursus; B. Retrolateral view); C – D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow points at indistinct dorsal apophysis subdistally on procursus; D. Retrolateral view). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.15 (A – B), 0.05 (C – D).

FIGURE 10. Pholcus krachensis sp. nov., holotype male. A. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view, arrow points at long subdistal branch; B. Chelicerae, frontal view; C – E. Habitus (C. Dorsal view; D. Ventral view; E. Lateral view). a = appendix, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, fa = frontal apophysis, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.08 (A), 0.10 (B), 1.00 (C – E).

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.