Pholcus jingnan Lan & Yao & Zheng & Li 2020, sp. nov.

Pholcus jingnan Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 1–2

Type material. Holotype: male (IZCAS-Ar39788), Feilong Cave (24°58’13.86”N, 104°52’54.00”E, elevation 1382 m), Jingnan Town, Xingyi, Guizhou, China, 15 April 2018, Z. Chen and J. Liu leg. Paratypes: 1 male (IZ- CAS-Ar39789) and 2 females (IZCAS-Ar39790–Ar39791), same data as holotype.

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. xingyi Chen, Zhang & Zhu, 2011 (see Chen et al. 2011: 57, figs 23–29) with similar male chelicerae (Fig. 2D) and uncus (Fig. 2C) but can be distinguished by large, nearly trapezoid distal apophysis dorsally on procursus (arrow in Fig. 1D; small, nearly triangular in P. xingyi) and by presence of distinct angular apophysis medially on appendix (arrow in Fig. 2C; absence in P. xingyi). The females may be distinguished by having epigynum that is not protruding (Fig. 2A; epigynum strongly protruding posteriorly in P. xingyi) and by having sclerite of vulval anterior arch that is not strongly protruding laterally (arrows in Fig. 2B; sclerite strongly protruding laterally in P. xingyi).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS-Ar39788): Total length 4.36 (4.55 with clypeus), carapace 1.28 long, 1.38 wide, opisthosoma 3.08 long, 1.42 wide. Leg I: 44.24 (10.77 + 0.66 + 10.70 + 19.61 + 2.50), leg II: 27.82 (7.37 + 0.63 + 6.67 + 11.61 + 1.54), leg III: 20.10 (5.71 + 0.62 + 4.62 + 7.81 + 1.34), leg IV: 25.81 (7.31 + 0.62 + 6.09 + 10.32 + 1.47); tibia I L/d: 56. Distance PME-PME 0.53, diameter PME 0.16, distance PME-ALE 0.03, distance AME-AME 0.08, diameter AME 0.05. Sternum wider than long (1.02/0.82). Habitus as in Figs 2 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown marks medially; ocular area brownish; clypeus and sternum brown. Legs yellowish, but whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, with slightly darker rings on subproximal and subdistal parts of femora and proximal and subdistal parts of tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish, with spots dorsally and laterally. Ocular area elevated, each eye triad on top of long laterally directed eye-stalk. Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 2D, with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses and pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 1 A–B; trochanter with short ventral apophysis; femur with small dorsal apophysis proximally (arrow in Fig. 1B) and distinct ventral protuberance; tibia with projection prolaterally; procursus (Figs 1 C–D) simple proximally but complex distally, with large, nearly trapezoid distal apophysis (arrow in Fig. 1D); uncus with scales (Fig. 2C); appendix curved, with distinct angular apophysis medially (arrow in Fig. 2C) and scales distally; embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent projections distally (Fig. 2C). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 6% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 28 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype, IZCAS-Ar39790): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 2 G–H. Total length 4.74 (4.98 with clypeus), carapace 1.34 long, 1.38 wide, opisthosoma 3.40 long, 1.62 wide; tibia I: 9.68; tibia I L/d: 51. Distance PME-PME 0.22, diameter PME 0.16, distance PME-ALE 0.04, distance AME-AME 0.06, diameter AME 0.05. Sternum wider than long (0.98/0.80). Epigynum (Fig. 2A) strongly sclerotized, not protruding posteriorly, with knob. Vulva (Fig. 2B) with anterior arch provided with long sclerite, pair of elliptic pore plates, and pair of sclerites posterior to pore plates.

Variation: Tibia I in male paratype (IZCAS-Ar39789): 9.36. Tibia I in another female paratype: 8.27 (IZCAS- Ar39791).

Distribution. China (Guizhou, type locality; Fig. 5).

Natural history. The species was found on the web in the aphotic zone inside the Feilong Cave (karst area).