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

Pholcus kalam Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 3–4

Type material. Holotype: male (IZCAS-Ar39786), near river (35°32’51.72”N, 72°34’9.12”E, elevation 2520 ± 12 m), Ankra Village, Kalam, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, 3 June 2019, A. Ali leg. Paratype: 1 female (IZCAS-Ar39787), same data as holotype.

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

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. arsacius Senglet, 2008 (see Senglet 2008: 363, figs 40–46, 55–56) with similar bulbal apophyses (Fig. 4C), male chelicerae (Fig. 4D) and epigynum (Fig. 4A) but can be distinguished by subdistal membranous process of procursus not extending to distal part (arrow 1 in Fig. 3C), by presence of swollen prolateral apophysis distally on procursus (arrow 2 in Fig. 3C) and by inverted ‘w’-shaped vulval anterior arch (Fig. 4B).

Description. Male (holotype, IZCAS-Ar39786): Total length 5.65 (5.85 with clypeus), carapace 1.71 long, 1.90 wide, opisthosoma 3.94 long, 1.66 wide. Leg I: 45.92 (11.86 + 0.83 + 12.00 + 18.49 + 2.74), leg II: 30.64 (8.73 + 0.78 + 7.86 + 11.64 + 1.63), leg III: 22.91 (6.67 + 0.76 + 6.01 + 8.33 + 1.14), leg IV: 28.46 (8.52 + 0.76 + 7.23 + 10.61 + 1.34); tibia I L/d: 48. Distance PME-PME 0.35, diameter PME 0.16, distance PME-ALE 0.05, distance AME-AME 0.06, diameter AME 0.07. Sternum wider than long (1.24/0.82). Habitus as in Figs 4 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown marks medially; ocular area brownish, with brown marks posteriorly; clypeus and sternum yellowish, with brown 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. 4D, with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses provided with two teeth each, and pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 3 A–B; trochanter with long curved ventral apophysis; femur with small dorsal apophysis proximally (arrow in Fig. 3B) and distinct ventral protuberance; procursus simple, with two prolatero-dorsal spines (arrows in Fig. 3D) and swollen prolateral apophysis distally (arrow 2 in Fig. 3C); uncus with scaly edge (Fig. 4C); appendix hooked, with indistinct angular apophysis medially (arrow in Fig. 4C); embolus weakly sclerotized, with some transparent projections distally (Fig. 4C). 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 30 distinct pseudosegments.

Female (paratype, IZCAS-Ar39787): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 4 G–H. Total length 6.26 (6.40 with clypeus), carapace 1.67 long, 1.81 wide, opisthosoma 4.59 long, 2.89 wide; tibia I: 9.91; tibia I L/d: 45. Distance PME-PME 0.27, diameter PME 0.16, distance PME-ALE 0.04, distance AME-AME 0.05, diameter AME 0.07. Sternum wider than long (1.08/0.80). Ocular area without brown patch posteriorly. Epigynum (Fig. 4A) with knob. Vulva (Fig. 4B) with inverted ‘w’-shaped sclerotized anterior arch, pair of sclerites, and pair of elliptic pore plates (posterior covered by sclerite, arrow in Fig. 4B).

Variation: Right procursus of holotype with only one prolatero-dorsal spine.

Distribution. Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, type locality; Fig. 5).

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