Pholcus phnombak Lan, Jäger & Li, 2021

Lan, Tianqi, Jäger, Peter, Zhu, Wenhui & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, Pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Southeast Asia, with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4963 (3), pp. 545-562 : 560-561

Pholcus phnombak Lan, Jäger & Li sp. nov.

Figs 9–10

Type material. Holotype: male ( SMF), Phnom Bak Cave (10°34’21”N, 104°28’21”E, elevation 12 m), Kompong Trach, Kampot, Cambodia, 5 July 2017, P. Jäger and S. Münnich leg. Paratypes: 1 male and 2 females ( SMF), same data as holotype .

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. sakaew Yao & Li, 2018 (see Zhu et al. 2018: 236, figs 1–2) with similar male chelicerae ( Fig. 10D ) but can be distinguished by the presence of a slender branch medially on the appendix (arrow in Fig. 10C ), by the presence of a small pointed apophysis subdistally (arrow in Fig. 9C ) and a large, bifid middle extension (arrow in Fig. 9D ) on the procursus, and by having a pair of triangular vulval pore plates ( Fig. 10B ).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 5.56 (5.70 with clypeus), carapace 1.46 long, 1.66 wide, opisthosoma 4.10 long, 1.61 wide. Leg I: – (11.22 + 0.75 + 11.09 + 20.51 + –), leg II: 35.86 (9.62 + 0.73 + 9.10 + 14.81 + 1.60), leg III: 25.55 (7.44 + 0.67 + 6.28 + 9.81 + 1.35), leg IV: 32.65 (9.36 + 0.67 + 7.88 + 13.27 + 1.47); tibia I L/d: 55. Distance PME-PME 0.87, diameter PME 0.19, distance PME-ALE 0.03, distance AME-AME 0.04, diameter AME 0.05. Sternum wider than long (1.02/0.80). Habitus as in Figs 10E, F . Carapace yellowish, with brownish marks medially; ocular area and sternum yellowish, with brownish marks; clypeus yellowish. Legs yellowish, but brownish on patellae and whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, with slightly darker rings on subdistal parts of femora, and proximal and subdistal parts of tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish, with spots dorsally. Ocular area elevated, each eye triad on top of short laterally directed eye stalk. Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 10D , with pair of small proximo-lateral apophyses, each with small apophysis proximally, pair of distal apophyses and pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 9A, B ; trochanter with long ventral apophysis; femur with small dorsal apophysis proximally (arrow in Fig. 9B ) and distinct ventral protuberance; procursus simple, with small pointed apophysis subdistally (arrow in Fig. 9C ) and large ventral bifid middle extension (arrow in Fig. 9D ); uncus with scaly edge, pointed proximally ( Fig. 10C ); appendix curved, with slender branch medially (arrow in Fig. 10C ); embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent projections distally ( Fig. 10C ). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 5% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on metatarsi, without spines and curved setae.

Female (paratype): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 10G, H . Total length 6.02 (6.20 with clypeus), carapace 1.79 long, 1.41 wide, opisthosoma 4.23 long, 1.92 wide; tibia I: 11.92; tibia I L/d: 54. Distance PME-PME 0.27, diameter PME 0.15, distance PME-ALE 0.03, distance AME-AME 0.03, diameter AME 0.04. Sternum wider than long (1.08/0.96). Epigynum ( Fig. 10A ) with triangular knob. Vulva ( Fig. 10B ) with sclerotized anterior arch, pair of sclerites (arrows in Fig. 10B ), and pair of triangular pore plates, medially positioned.

Variation: Leg I missing in male paratype and another female paratype.

Distribution. Cambodia (Kampot, type locality; Fig. 11 ).

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

Figures

FIGURE 9. Pholcus phnombak sp. nov., holotype male. A, B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view; B. Retrolateral view, arrow points at dorsal apophysis); C, D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow points at small pointed apophysis subdistally; D. Dorsal view, arrow points at large bifid middle extension). a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A, B), 0.05(C, D).

FIGURE 10. Pholcus phnombak sp. nov., holotype male (C–F) and paratype female (A, B, G, H). A. Epigynum, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view, two arrows point at pair of sclerites; C. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view, arrow points at slender branch medially; D. Chelicerae, frontal view; E–H. Habitus (E, G. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view; 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 (A–D), 1.00 (E–H).

FIGURE 11. Known distribution records of new Pholcid species from Southeast Asia. 1. Holocneminus samanggi sp. nov.; 2. Khorata kep sp. nov.; 3. Khorata musee sp. nov.; 4. Pholcus bat sp. nov.; 5. Pholcus phnombak sp. nov.