Belisana kachin, Zhu & Li, 2021

Zhu, Wenhui & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, Six new species of the spider genus Belisana (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4963 (1), pp. 115-137 : 125

Belisana kachin sp. nov.

Figs 7–8 , 13G–H , 14G–H , 15D

Type material. Holotype: Male ( IZCAS Ar41907), Roadside between Camp 2 to Ziradum (27°34’38.76”N, 97°04’32.64”E, elevation 1171 m), Hponkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary, Putao, Kachin, Myanmar, 12 May 2017, Z. Chen & J. Wu leg. Paratypes: 2 females ( IZCAS Ar41908–41909), same data as holotype .

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles B. nujiang Huber, 2005 (see Huber 2005: 14, figs 7, 8, 57, 83–87, 93–111) with the elongated distal apophyses on the male chelicerae ( Figs. 8C , 15D ) and bulbal apophyses ( Fig. 8D ), but males can be distinguished by the absence of a distal spine and retrolateral flap on the procursus ( Fig. 7D , 13H ). Females can be distinguished from other species by the external genitalia with an anterior arch extending to the posterior part (arrow in Figs 8B , 14H ; anterior arch extending to the median part in B. nujiang ) and the different shape of the pore plates (arrow pp in Figs 8B , 14H ).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS Ar41907): Total length 1.70 (1.76 with clypeus), carapace 0.64 long, 0.62 wide, opisthosoma 1.12 long, 0.60 wide. Leg I: 16.34 (4.49 + 0.25 + 4.10 + 6.35 + 1.15), leg II: 11.13 (3.40 + 0.23 + 2.82 + 3.85 + 0.83), leg III: 7.44 (2.18 + 0.20 + 1.92 + 2.56 + 0.58), leg IV: 9.70 (2.88 + 0.21 + 2.69 + 3.21 + 0.71); tibia I L/d: 43. Distance PME-PME 0.19, diameter PME 0.06, distance PME-ALE 0.08, AME absent. Habitus as in Figs 8E–F . Carapace pale. Ocular area not elevated. Clypeus unmodified. Chelicerae ( Figs. 8C , 15D ) with pair of small proximo-lateral apophyses and pair of long, curved distal apophyses, each with sclerotized and pointed tip (distance between tips of distal apophyses: 0.44). Sternum pale, slightly wider than long (0.53/0.52). Thoracic furrow absent. Legs pale. Opisthosoma pale, without spots. Palps as in Figs 7A–B ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with ventral apophysis (arrow in Fig. 7B ); femur without proximo-dorsal apophysis; procursus ( Figs 7A–D , 13G–H ) simple proximally but complex distally, with curved subdisto-dorsal sclerite (arrow 1 in Figs 7C , 13G ), large distoprolateral sclerite (arrow 2 in Figs 7C , 13G ), inverted L-shaped subdisto-prolateral sclerite (arrow 3 in Figs 7C , 13G ) and disto-retrolateral membranous lamella (arrow in Figs 7D , 13H ); bulb ( Fig. 8D ) with hooked apophysis and simple embolus. Retrolateral trichobothria of tibia Iat 5% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on metatarsi, without spines or curved setae; tarsus Iwith 9 distinct pseudopodomeres.

Female (IZCAS Ar41909): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 8G–H . Total length 1.60 (1.66 with clypeus), carapace 0.60 long, 0.52 wide, opisthosoma 1.06 long, 0.60 wide. Tibia I: 1.75; tibia I L/d: 21. Distance PME-PME 0.13, diameter PME 0.05, distance PME-ALE 0.04, AME absent. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.44/0.42). External female genitalia ( Figs 8A , 14G ) simple and flat, with pair of frontal “epigynal” pockets laterally on sclerotized plate (arrow ep in Figs 8A–B , 14G–H ), 0.42 apart. Vulva ( Figs 8B , 14H ) with pointed anterior arch extending to posterior part, with scaly edge (arrow in Figs 8B , 14H ) and pair of large pore plates (arrow pp in Figs 8B , 14H ), without serrated sclerites.

Variation: Tibia Iin another male (IZCAS Ar41908): 4.04.

Natural history. The species was found on domed webs attached to the underside of leaves.

Distribution. Myanmar (Kachin, type locality only; Fig. 16 ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Belisana kachin sp. nov., holotype male. A–B. Palp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at ventral apophysis on palpal trochanter); C–D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow 1 points at curved subdistodorsal sclerite, arrow 2 points at large disto-prolateral sclerite, arrow 3 points at inverted L-shaped subdisto-prolateral sclerite; D. Retrolateral view, arrow points at disto-retrolateral membranous process). b = bulb, ba = bulbal apophysis, e = embolus, pr = procursus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A–B), 0.05 (C–D).

FIGURE 8. Belisana kachin sp. nov., holotype male (C–F) and paratype female (A–B, G–H). A. External female genitalia, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view, arrow points at extending part of anterior arch; C. Chelicerae, frontal view; D. Bulb, prolateral view; E–H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; H. Ventral view). b = bulb, ba = bulbal apophysis, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, ep = frontal “epigynal” pocket, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.05 (A–D), 0.30 (E–H).

FIGURE 13. Drawings of male left procursus in prolateral and retrolateral views (arrows point at same structures as photos of each species, respectively).A–B. B. bachma sp. nov.; C–D. B. cucphuong sp. nov.; E–F. B. jaegeri sp. nov.; G–H. B. kachin sp. nov.; I–J. B. putao sp. nov.; K–L. B. tarang sp. nov. f = flap. Scale bars: 0.05.

FIGURE 14. Drawings of female genitalia in ventral and dorsal views. A–B. B. bachma sp. nov., arrow points at strongly protruding median ridge of anterior arch; C–D. B. cucphuong sp. nov., arrow points at strongly protruding median ridge of anterior arch; E–F. B. jaegeri sp. nov.; G–H. B. kachin sp. nov., arrow points at extending part of anterior arch; I–J. B. tarang sp. nov. ep = frontal “epigynal” pocket, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.10.

FIGURE 15. Chelicerae in lateral views.A. B. bachma sp. nov.; B. B. cucphuong sp. nov.; C. B. jaegeri sp. nov.; D. B. kachin sp. nov.; E. B. putao sp. nov.; F. B. tarang sp. nov. ba = bulbal apophysis, da = distal apophysis. Scale bars: 0.05.

FIGURE 16. Distribution records of six new species of the genus Belisana from Southern Asia. 1. B. bachma sp. nov.; 2. B. cucphuong sp. nov.; 3. B. jaegeri sp. nov.; 4. B. kachin sp. nov.; 5. B. putao sp. nov.; 6. B. tarang sp. nov.