Pholcus cheni Dong & Zheng & Yao & Li 2017, sp. nov.

Pholcus cheni Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 13–14

Type material. Holotype: male (Ar29665), Sumano Cave (7°35.172′N, 99°52.078′E, elevation 76 m), Srinakarind District, Rattalung, Thailand, 27 October 2015, Q. Zhao, G. Zhou and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 2 males and 2 females (Ar 29666–29669), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honor of the collector Z. Chen; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. khaolek Huber, 2016 (see Huber et al. 2016c: 21, figs 52–53, 63–78, 99– 101) with similar male chelicerae (Fig. 14 D), procursus (Figs 13 C–D), bulbal apophyses (Fig. 14 C) and epigynum (Fig. 14 A) but can be distinguished by the male pedipalp trochanter apophysis broad proximally but very narrow distally (Fig. 13 B), by the anterior arch heavily sclerotized medially on the vulva (arrow in Fig. 14 B) and by the more separated pore plates (Fig. 14 B).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length Total length 4.40 (4.74 with clypeus), carapace 1.28 long, 1.44 wide, opisthosoma 3.12 long, 1.38 wide. Leg I: 54.71 (12.69 + 0.63 + 13.27 + 26.09 + 2.03), leg II: – (9.17 + 0.63 + 8.97 + 15.06 + –), leg III: – (6.09 + 0.58 + – + – + –), leg IV: 28.23 (8.72 + 0.63 + 5.75 + 11.93 + 1.20); tibia I L/ d: 104. Distance PME-PME 0.34; diameter PME 0.10; distance PME-ALE 0.04; distance AME-AME 0.05; diameter AME 0.06. Sternum wider than long (0.94/0.70). Habitus as in Figs 14 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown marks on posterior half; ocular area yellowish; sternum yellowish, with brownish marks. Legs yellowish, patellae, distal parts of tibiae and proximal part of metatarsi dark brown, without darker rings. Opisthosoma yellowish, without spots. Ocular area elevated, each eye triad on top of a laterally directed eye-stalk, and provided with modified setae. Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 14 D, with a pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, a pair of distal apophyses, each with two cone-shaped teeth, and a pair of frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 13 A–B; trochanter with a long and large ventral apophysis, broad proximally but very narrow distally; femur proximally widened on ventral side, with a dorsal apophysis proximally (arrow in Fig. 13 B); procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with a membranous, fringed prolateral process subdistally (arrow in Fig. 13 D); bulbal apophyses as in Fig. 14 C; uncus with a scaly edge; appendix swollen distally, with a retrolateral apophysis subdistally; embolus weakly sclerotized. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 7%; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 14 distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 14 G–H. Total length 4.09 (4.49 with clypeus), carapace 1.12 long, 1.30 wide, opisthosoma 2.97 long, 1.31 wide; tibia I: 9.74; tibia I L/d: 70. Distance PME-PME 0.22; diameter PME 0.11; distance PME-ALE 0.03; distance AME-AME 0.03; diameter AME 0.05. Sternum wider than long (0.83/ 0.69). Ocular area without eye-stalks. Epigynum (Fig. 14 A) with a knob. Vulva (Fig. 14 B) with a medially heavily sclerotized anterior arch and two nearly elliptic pore plates.

Variation: Tibia I in male paratype (n=1, leg I lost in the other specimen): 13.85. Tibia I in another female paratype: 9.42.

Distribution. Thailand (Rattalung, type locality; Fig. 21).

Natural History. The species was found in the entrance zone of the cave.