Pholcus hamuchal Lan & Yao & Ali & Zheng & Li 2020, sp. nov.

Pholcus hamuchal Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 1–2

Type material. Holotype: male (IZCAS-Ar39780), Hamuchal (36°5’36.24”N, 73°59’52.44”E, elevation 1738 ± 6 m), Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan, 29 May 2019, A. Ali leg. Paratypes: 2 males (IZCAS-Ar39781–Ar39782), 3 females (IZCAS-Ar39783–Ar39785), same data as holotype.

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. mixiaoqii Xu, Zhang & Yao, 2019 (see Xu et al. 2019: 385, figs 2A–D, 3A–H) with similar vulva (Fig. 2B) but can be distinguished by presence of ventral apophysis subdistally on procursus (arrow 1 in Fig. 1C; absent in P. mixiaoqii), by distally wide apophysis on distal part of procursus (arrow 2 in Fig. 1C; distally narrow in P. mixiaoqii), by proximo-lateral apophyses and frontal apophyses on median part of male chelicerae (Fig. 2D; two pairs of apophyses close to proximal part of male chelicerae in P. mixiaoqii), by presence of small apophysis distally on appendix (arrow in Fig. 2C; absent in P. mixiaoqii) and by width ratio of anterior and posterior epigynum about 1/4 (Fig. 2A; about 1/ 3 in P. mixiaoqii).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS-Ar39780): Total length 5.66 (5.89 with clypeus), carapace 1.74 long, 1.81 wide, opisthosoma 3.92 long, 1.63 wide. Leg I: 46.30 (12.07 + 0.86 + 12.01 + 19.13 + 2.23), leg II: 30.31 (8.22 + 0.75 + 7.87 + 12.23 + 1.24), leg III: 23.23 (6.74 + 0.70 + 5.98 + 8.78 + 1.03), leg IV: 29.03 (8.53 + 0.70 + 7.26 + 11.21 + 1.33); tibia I L/d: 55. Distance PME-PME 0.28, diameter PME 0.15, distance PME-ALE 0.04, distance AME-AME 0.06, diameter AME 0.08. Sternum wider than long (1.14/0.98). Habitus as in Figs 2 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown marks medially; ocular area yellowish, with brownish stripe medially; clypeus yellowish; sternum yellowish, with brownish marks. Legs yellowish, but brown on patellae and whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, without darker rings. Opisthosoma yellowish, without spots. Ocular area elevated, each eye triad on top of short laterally directed eye-stalk. Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 2D, with pair of large proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses provided with two teeth each, and pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 1 A–B; trochanter with long ventral apophysis; femur with small dorsal apophysis proximally (arrow in Fig. 1B) and distinct ventral protuberance; procursus simple, with two prolatero-dorsal spines (arrows in Fig. 1D); uncus with scaly edge (Fig. 2C); appendix L-shaped, with small apophysis distally (arrow in Fig. 2C); embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent projections distally (Fig. 2C). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 5% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 27 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype, IZCAS-Ar39783): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 2 G–H. Total length 5.73 (5.96 with clypeus), carapace 1.54 long, 1.77 wide, opisthosoma 4.19 long, 1.80 wide; tibia I: 9.91; tibia I L/d: 45. Distance PME-PME 0.22, diameter PME 0.14, distance PME-ALE 0.04, distance AME-AME 0.05, diameter AME 0.08. Sternum wider than long (1.10/0.96). Epigynum (Fig. 2A) with knob and pair of lateral apophyses anteriorly (arrows in Fig. 2A). Vulva (Fig. 2B) with sclerotized anterior arch and pair of nearly rounded pore plates.

Variation: Tibia I in male paratypes (n = 2): 11.79 (IZCAS-Ar39781), 11.92 (IZCAS-Ar39782). Tibia I in the other female paratypes (n = 2): 9.61 (IZCAS-Ar39784), 10.51 (IZCAS-Ar39785).

Distribution. Pakistan (Gilgit Baltistan, type locality; Fig. 5).

Natural history. The species was found on the rock walls.