Pholcus mengding Li, Li & Yao, 2025

Li, Jinglin, Li, Shuqiang, Zhang, Xiaoqing & Yao, Zhiyuan, 2025, Diversity survey of Pholcus spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae) from eastern Sichuan and neighboring areas, with descriptions of six new species, ZooKeys 1240, pp. 39-64 : 39-64

Pholcus mengding Li, Li & Yao sp. nov.

Figs 8 , 9 , 14 D

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Sichuan, Yaan, Yucheng District, Mengdingshan Scenic Spot ; 30.075869 ° N, 103.052207 ° E; alt. 982 m; 23 May 2024; X. Zhang, Y. Wang & Q. Meng leg.; SYNU -Ar 00481 . Paratypes: China • 1 ♂; same data as for the holotype; SYNU -Ar 00482 • 2 ♀; same data as for the holotype; SYNU -Ar 00483 –84 .

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles P. yaan sp. nov. (Figs 12 A – D , 13 A – H , 14 F ) by having similar uncus (Figs 9 C , 14 D ), male chelicerae (Fig. 9 D ) and epigyne (Fig. 9 A ), but can be distinguished by prolatero-subdistal membranous edge of procursus laterally blunt (arrow 1 in Fig. 8 D vs laterally pointed), by appendix with curved subdistal branch (arrow 3 in Fig. 9 C , arrow 4 in Fig. 14 D vs absent), and by vulval pore plates nearly elliptic (2 × longer than wide, pp in Fig. 9 B vs nearly round).

Description.

Male (holotype): Measurements: Total length 5.08 (5.28 with clypeus), carapace 1.44 long, 1.66 wide, opisthosoma 3.64 long, 1.50 wide. Leg I: 49.94 (12.82, 0.71, 12.50, 21.35, 2.56), leg II: 32.27 (8.85, 0.67, 8.21, 12.82, 1.72), leg III: 22.07 (6.41, 0.64, 5.39, 8.33, 1.30), leg IV: 29.16 (8.33, 0.65, 7.24, 11.54, 1.40); tibia I L / d: 83. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME – PME 0.32, PME 0.17, PME – ALE 0.05, AME – AME 0.08, AME 0.08. Sternum width / length: 1.03 / 0.99.

Color: Carapace yellowish, with brown radiating marks and marginal brown bands; ocular area brownish, with median brown band; clypeus brown; sternum yellowish, with brown marks. Legs yellowish, but dark brown on patellae and whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, with darker rings on subdistal parts of femora and proximal and subdistal parts of tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish, with dorsal and lateral brown spots.

Body: Habitus as in Fig. 9 E, F ; ocular area elevated, each eye triad on top of laterally directed eye-stalk.

Chelicerae: As in Fig. 9 D , with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses with two teeth each, and pair of frontal apophyses.

Palp: As in Fig. 8 A, B ; trochanter with long (2 × longer than wide), retrolaterally strongly bulged ventral apophysis; femur with retrolatero-proximal protrusion (arrow in Fig. 8 B ) and distinct ventral protrusion; tibia with prolatero-ventral protrusion (arrow in Fig. 8 A ); procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with raised, prolatero-subdistal membranous edge bearing distal membranous process (arrow 1 in Fig. 8 C ), distal membranous process bearing sclerotized part (arrow 2 in Fig. 8 C ), sclerotized dorso-subdistal apophysis (arrow 3 in Fig. 8 C ), and one slender and two strong dorsal spines (arrows 2–4 in Fig. 8 D ); uncus with scaly edge, proximal apophysis, and distinct latero-median protrusion (arrows 1, 2 in Figs 9 C , 14 D ); appendix hooked, with curved subdistal branch (arrow 3 in Fig. 9 C ; arrows 3, 4 in Fig. 14 D ); embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent distal projections (Figs 9 C , 14 D ).

Legs: Retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia I at 2 % proximally; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi; tarsus I with 34 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype, SYNU -Ar 00483 ): Similar to male, habitus as in Fig. 9 G, H . Total length 5.02 (5.22 with clypeus), carapace 1.42 long, 1.66 wide, opisthosoma 3.60 long, 1.34 wide; tibia I: 8.91; tibia I L / d: 64. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME – PME 0.22, PME 0.17, PME – ALE 0.05, AME – AME 0.06, AME 0.08. Sternum width / length: 1.01 / 0.93. Ocular area with median and lateral brown bands, without eye-stalks. Epigyne nearly trapezoidal, laterally strongly sclerotized, with knob (Fig. 9 A ). Vulva with curved, posteriorly sclerotized anterior arch and pair of nearly elliptic pore plates (Fig. 9 B ).

Variation.

Tibia I in paratype male ( SYNU -Ar 00482 ): 11.67. Tibia I in another paratype female ( SYNU -Ar 00484 ): 8.40.

Habitat.

Underside of overhang on rocky cliffs in the mountain area.

Distribution.

China (Sichuan, type locality; Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution records of Pholcus spiders from the eastern of Sichuan and neighboring areas in this study. The bidentatus group: 1 P. bidentatus 2 P. kimi 3 P. qiaojia sp. nov.; the crypticolens group: 4 P. aba sp. nov. 5 P. chang 6 P. ganziensis 7 P. manueli 8 P. spilis 9 P. wenchuan sp. nov.; the yichengicus group: 10 P. jiulong 11 P. kangding 12 P. kunming 13 P. luding 14 P. mengding sp. nov. 15 P. miyi sp. nov. 16 P. qingchengensis 17 P. qinghaiensis 18 P. taibaiensis 19 P. yaan sp. nov. 20 P. zhangae. Blue, green, and red circles represent previously recorded species, species collected in this study, and new species, respectively.

Figure 8. Pholcus mengding sp. nov., holotype male A, B palp (A prolateral view, arrow points at prolatero-ventral protrusion B retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolatero-proximal protrusion) C, D distal part of procursus (C prolateral view, arrow 1 points at distal membranous process, arrow 2 points at sclerotized part, arrow 3 points at sclerotized dorso-subdistal apophysis D dorsal view, arrow 1 points at laterally blunt prolatero-subdistal membranous edge, arrows 2–4 point at dorsal spines). Abbreviations: a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A, B); 0.10 (C, D).

Figure 9. Pholcus mengding sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A, B, G, H) A epigyne, ventral view B vulva, dorsal view C bulbal apophyses, prolateral view, arrow 1 points at proximal apophysis, arrow 2 points at latero-median protrusion, arrow 3 points at curved subdistal branch D chelicerae, frontal view E – H habitus (E, G dorsal view F lateral view H ventral view). Abbreviations: a = appendix, aa = anterior arch, b = bulb, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, fa = frontal apophysis, kn = knob, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.10 (A – C); 0.20 (D); 1.00 (E – H).

Figure 12. Pholcus yaan sp. nov., holotype male A, B palp (A prolateral view, arrow points at prolatero-ventral protrusion B retrolateral view, arrow points at retrolatero-proximal protrusion) C, D distal part of procursus (C prolateral view, arrow 1 points at distal membranous process, arrow 2 points at sclerotized part, arrow 3 points at sclerotized dorso-subdistal apophysis D dorsal view, arrow 1 points at laterally pointed prolatero-subdistal membranous edge, arrows 2, 3 point at dorsal spines). Abbreviations: a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A, B); 0.10 (C, D).

Figure 13. Pholcus yaan sp. nov., holotype male (C – F) and paratype female (A, B, G, H) A epigyne, ventral view B vulva, dorsal view C bulbal apophyses, prolateral view, arrow 1 points at proximal apophysis, arrow 2 points at latero-median protrusion D chelicerae, frontal view E – H habitus (E, G dorsal view F lateral view H ventral view). Abbreviations: a = appendix, aa = anterior arch, b = bulb, da = distal apophysis, e = embolus, fa = frontal apophysis, kn = knob, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – D); 1.00 (E – H).

Figure 14. Bulbal apophyses, retrolatero-ventral views A Pholcus qiaojia sp. nov., arrow 1 points at proximal apophysis, arrow 2 points at latero-median protrusion, arrow 3 points at slender subdistal branch B P. aba sp. nov., arrow 1 points at proximal apophysis, arrow 2 points at latero-median protrusion C P. wenchuan sp. nov., arrow 1 points at proximal apophysis, arrow 2 points at latero-median protrusion D P. mengding sp. nov., arrow 1 points at proximal apophysis, arrow 2 points at latero-median protrusion, arrow 3 points at hooked appendix, arrow 4 points at curved subdistal branch E P. miyi sp. nov., arrow points at proximal apophysis F P. yaan sp. nov., arrow 1 points at proximal apophysis, arrow 2 points at latero-median protrusion. Abbreviations: a = appendix, b = bulb, e = embolus, u = uncus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A – F).