Pholcus shuguanensis Yao & Li, 2017

Dong, Tingting, Zheng, Guo, Davlatov, Abdulaziz, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2017, Two new species of the spider genus Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Tajikistan, with the first description of female Pholcus sidorenkoi Dunin, 1994, European Journal of Taxonomy 301, pp. 1-14 : 6-9

Pholcus shuguanensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E8EBA85C-203B-4E3C-8053-D2F0CF69643C

Figs 3–4 , 7

Diagnosis

This species can be distinguished from all congeners in the P. nenjukovi species group by medially wide male chelicerae ( Fig. 4B ), by a narrow and distally blunt uncus provided with a large proximal apophysis ( Fig. 4A ), by a stick-shaped appendix ( Fig. 4A ), and by the presence of a large, prolateral membranous area distally on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 3C ).

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the type locality; adjective.

Material examined

Holotype

TAJIKISTAN: ♂, Gorno-Badakhshan Region, Shuguan District, Tem Village , 37°33.402′ N, 71°30.564′ E, 2061 m, 13 Aug. 2015, K. Meng leg.

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 5.62 (5.93 with clypeus), carapace 1.65 long, 1.80 wide, opisthosoma 3.97 long, 1.74 wide. Leg I and leg IV missing, leg II: 29.23 (8.08 + 0.81 + 7.63 + 11.41 + 1.30), leg III: 21.67 (6.41 + 0.72 + 5.51 + 8.01 + 1.02). Distance PME–PME 0.32; diameter PME 0.13; distance PME–ALE 0.04; distance AME–AME 0.06; diameter AME 0.07.

COLOR. Carapace yellowish, with brown radiating marks extending to ocular area; ocular area yellowish, with brown median stripe; sternum yellowish, with brown marks. Legs yellowish, proximal parts and distal parts of femora and tibiae whitish, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma yellowish.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 4 C–E. Ocular area elevated, without eye-stalks. Thoracic furrow absent. Sternum wider than long (1.22/1.14).

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 4B , with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses provided with two teeth each, and pair of frontal apophyses.

PEDIPALPS. As in Fig. 3 A–B; trochanter with long and curved ventral apophysis; femur with dorsal apophysis proximally; procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with two prolatero-dorsal spines; uncus with scales; appendix stick-shaped, with scales; embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent projections distally.

LEGS. Legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae.

Female

Unknown.

Natural history

The species was found on the underside of rocks.

Distribution

Tajikistan (Gorno-Badakhshan, type locality; Fig. 7 ).

Figures

Fig. 3. Pholcus shuguanensis Yao & Li sp. nov., holotype, ♂. A–B. Pedipalp (A. Prolateral view. B. Retrolateral view). C–D. Distal part of procursus (C. Prolateral view, arrow points at large, prolateral membranous area distally. D. Retrolateral view). Abbreviations: a = appendix; b = bulb; e = embolus; pr = procursus; u = uncus. Scale bars: A–B = 0.20 mm; C–D = 0.10 mm.

Fig. 4. Pholcus shuguanensis Yao & Li sp. nov., holotype, ♂. A. Bulbal apophyses, prolateral view. B. Chelicerae, frontal view. C–E. Habitus (C. Dorsal view. D. Ventral view. E. Lateral view). Abbreviations: a = appendix; da = distal apophysis; e = embolus; fa = frontal apophysis; pa = proximolateral apophysis; u = uncus. Scale bars: A–B = 0.10 mm; C–E = 0.50 mm.

Fig. 7. New distribution records of Pholcus species from Tajikistan. ① Pholcus saidovi Yao & Li sp. nov. ② P. shuguanensis Yao & Li sp. nov. ③ P. sidorenkoi Dunin, 1994.