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

Pholcus bulacanensis Yao & Li sp. nov.

Figs 1–2

Type material. Holotype: male (Ar29639), Bayukbok Cave (15°10.090′N, 121°5.072′E, elevation 125 m), near Biak-na-Bato National Park, San Miguel, Bulacan, Luzon Island, Philippines, 21 May 2015, F. Ballarin and Y. Li leg. Paratypes: 3 males and 3 females (Ar 29640–29645), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. bicornutus Simon, 1892 (see Huber 2011b: 315, figs 1509–1513, 1539– 1540, 1560–1573) with similar male chelicerae (Fig. 2 D) and female genitalia (Figs 2 A–B) but can be distinguished by the wider and dorsally bent prolatero-dorsal process on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 1 A), by the procursus less protruding ventro-medially (arrow 2 in Fig. 1 B), by the presence of a large curved rigid process proximally on the uncus (arrow in Fig. 2 C), and by the presence of appendix (Fig. 2 C).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 6.22 (6.54 with clypeus), carapace 1.41 long, 1.88 wide, opisthosoma 4.81 long, 1.54 wide. Leg I: 61.6 (14.55 + 0.88 + 15.38 + 27.31 + 2.97), leg II: 40.71 (10.64 + 0.82 + 10.38 + 16.99 + 1.88), leg III: 26.21 (7.56 + 0.75 + 6.73 + 9.87 + 1.30), leg IV: – (10.00 + 0.75 + 8.72 + – + –); tibia I L/d: 83. Distance PME-PME 0.60; diameter PME 0.14; distance PME-ALE 0.04; distance AME-AME 0.05; diameter AME 0.09. Sternum wider than long (1.20/0.88). Habitus as in Figs 2 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with brown marks medially and marginally; ocular area brownish, with two brown bands medially; clypeus yellowish; sternum brown. Legs brownish, distal parts of femur and tibiae yellowish, darker rings absent. Opisthosoma yellowish, with brown spots posteriorly and laterally. Ocular area elevated, each eye triad on top of a laterally directed eye-stalk, with a pair of long processes between eye triads, each with distal brush of setae, setae separated. Thoracic furrow absent. Chelicerae as in Fig. 2 D, with a pair of large proximo-lateral apophyses, a pair of black distal apophyses, each with two cone-shaped teeth, and a pair of indistinct frontal apophyses. Pedipalps as in Figs 1 A–B; trochanter with a retrolateral apophysis provided with a pointed apophysis distally (arrow 1 in Fig. 1 B); femur with a small retrolateral apophysis proximally and a distinct ventral hump (arrow 3 in Fig. 1 B); procursus complex and hinged, with a large, long prolatero-dorsal process medially (arrow in Fig. 1 A); bulbal apophyses as in Fig. 2 C; uncus with scales distally; appendix short and weakly sclerotized, with a small branch medially; embolus weakly sclerotized, with some nearly transparent projections distally. Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia I at 6%; legs with short vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 24 distinct pseudosegments.

Female: Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 2 G–H. Total length 6.31 (6.73 with clypeus), carapace 1.63 long, 1.88 wide, opisthosoma 4.68 long, 1.50 wide; tibia I: 14.55; tibia I L/d: 86. Distance PME-PME 0.31; diameter PME 0.14; distance PME-ALE 0.05; distance AME-AME 0.04; diameter AME 0.08. Sternum wider than long (1.16/0.94). Ocular area without eye-stalks. Epigynum (Fig. 2 A) with a knob. Vulva (Fig. 2 B) with a sclerotized anterior arch and two rounded pore plates.

Variation: Tibia I in male paratypes (n=3): 13.14, 13.46, 8.33. Tibia I in another female paratype (leg I lost in the other specimens): 14.10.

Distribution. Philippines (Bulacan, type locality; Fig. 21).

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