Pholcus jiuzhai Yan, Li & Yao, 2025

Pholcus jiuzhai Yan, Li & Yao sp. nov.

Figs 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 6 A View Figure 6

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Sichuan, Aba , Jiuzhaigou County; 33.2458°N, 104.2516°E; alt. 1456 m; 24 May 2013; X. Jiang leg.; SYNU -Ar 00502 GoogleMaps . Paratypes: China • 7 ♂; same data as for the holotype; SYNU -Ar 00503 –509 GoogleMaps • 4 ♀; same data as for the holotype; SYNU -Ar 00510 –513 GoogleMaps .

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; it is used as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles P. zichyi Kulczyński, 1901 (under “ P. crypticolens ” in Zhang and Zhu 2009: 23, fig. 8; Huber 2011: 358, figs 1725, 1726) by having similar male chelicerae (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ) and epigyne (Fig. 3 C View Figure 3 ), but can be distinguished by procursus ( pr) with weakly sclerotized pointed distal apophysis ( da in Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 vs absent) and dorso-median part of procursus ( pr) strongly protruding (arrow in Fig. 2 A, B View Figure 2 vs very slightly protruding), by proximal part of appendix 1 / 2 wider than distal part (a in Fig. 3 A View Figure 3 vs 1 / 4), by vulval anterior arch medially strongly curved ( aa in Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 vs very slightly curved), and by carapace without marginal brown bands (Fig. 3 E, G View Figure 3 vs present).

Description.

Male ( holotype) measurements: total length 3.77 (3.86 with clypeus), carapace 1.18 long, 1.29 wide, opisthosoma 2.59 long, 1.28 wide. Leg I: 27.64 (7.02, 0.52, 7.31, 10.83, 1.96), leg II: 18.12 (5.00, 0.52, 4.75, 6.75, 1.10), leg III: 12.80 (3.80, 0.45, 3.06, 4.68, 0.81), leg IV: 16.83 (5.16, 0.42, 4.29, 5.96, 1.00); tibia I L / d: 60. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME – PME 0.20, PME 0.12, PME – ALE 0.04, AME – AME 0.03, AME 0.06. Sternum width / length: 0.88 / 0.78.

Colour: carapace yellowish, with median brown marks; ocular area yellowish; clypeus and sternum yellowish, with brown marks (Fig. 3 E, F View Figure 3 ). Legs yellowish, but brown on patellae and whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, without darker rings on femora and tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish, without spots.

Body: as in Fig. 3 E, F View Figure 3 ; ocular area elevated, without eye-stalks.

Chelicerae: as in Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 , with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses ( pa), pair of distal apophyses ( da) with two teeth each, and pair of frontal apophyses ( fa).

Palp: as in Fig. 2 A, B View Figure 2 ; trochanter with long (3 × longer than wide) ventral apophysis ( va); femur with retrolatero-proximal apophysis ( rpa) and distinct ventral protrusion ( vp). Procursus ( pr) simple proximally, but complex distally, with raised prolatero-subdistal edge bearing subdistal lamella ( sl) and weakly sclerotized pointed distal apophysis ( da), pointed prolatero-subdistal apophysis ( psa), and two strong dorsal spines ( ds). Bulb: uncus (u) with proximal apophysis ( pra, visible in Fig. 6 A View Figure 6 ) and scales; appendix (a) nearly T-shaped; embolus (e) weakly sclerotized, with transparent distal projections (Fig. 6 A View Figure 6 ).

Legs: retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia I situated at 3 % proximally; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi; tarsus I with 38 distinct pseudosegments.

Female ( paratype, SYNU -Ar 00510 ): similar to male, habitus as in Fig. 3 G, H View Figure 3 . Total length 4.48 (4.63 with clypeus), carapace 1.32 long, 1.40 wide, opisthosoma 3.16 long, 1.99 wide; tibia I: 6.15; tibia I L / d: 44. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME – PME 0.17, PME 0.13, PME – ALE 0.04, AME – AME 0.05, AME 0.06. Sternum width / length: 0.95 / 0.88. Epigyne (Fig. 3 C View Figure 3 ) nearly triangular, with knob ( kn). Vulva (Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 ) with sclerotized, medially strongly curved anterior arch ( aa) and pair of nearly round pore plates ( pp).

Variation.

Tibia I in seven male paratypes ( SYNU -Ar 00503 –509): 6.22–8.72. Tibia I in the other three female paratypes ( SYNU -Ar 00511 –513): 5.71, 6.09, 6.99.

Habitat.

Underside of overhang on rocky cliffs in mountainous area.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).