Khorata qian Yao & Nie & Li 2019, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Yao, Zhiyuan
name: Nie, Lei
name: Li, Shuqiang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Pholcidae
Khorata
Khorata qian

description: Khorata qian Yao & Li sp. nov.
Figs 9–10
Type material. Holotype: Male (IZCAS-Ar39661), Xianren Cave (25°08.015′N, 105°14.306′E, elevation 1314 ± 3 m), Longguang Town, Anlong County, Guizhou, China, 8 December 2014, Y. Li and Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 3 males and 4 females (IZCAS-Ar39662–Ar39668), same data as holotype.
Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality and is a noun in apposition. Qian is the short name for Guizhou.
Diagnosis. This species resembles K. digitata Yao & Li, 2010 (see Yao & Li 2010: 5, f. 1A–D, 2A–D, 3A–D, 4A–C) with similar male chelicerae (Figs 10 C–D) and epigynum (Fig. 10A), but can be distinguished by short distal apophysis on procursus (arrow in Fig. 9C) and pair of small anterior sclerites on vulval arch (arrow in Fig. 10B).
Description. Male (holotype): Total length 3.17 (3.28 with clypeus), carapace 0.98 long, 1.17 wide, opisthosoma 2.19 long, 1.50 wide. Leg I: 29.26 (7.32 + 0.49 + 6.96 + 11.40 + 3.09), leg II: 19.63 (5.36 + 0.44 + 4.38 + 7.67 + 1.78), leg III: 14.11 (4.25 + 0.41 + 3.20 + 5.03 + 1.22), leg IV: 17.82 (5.96 + 0.39 + 3.94 + 6.47 + 1.06); tibia I L/d: 58. Habitus as in Figs 10 E–F. Carapace yellowish, with black margins and narrow, dark median stripe; sternum black. Legs brownish, but slightly whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, with distinct darker rings on subdistal parts of femora and on proximal and subdistal parts of tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish, with large black spots. Distance PME-PME 0.15, diameter PME 0.15, distance PME-ALE 0.03, AME absent. Ocular area slightly elevated and separated from rest of carapace. Thoracic furrow shallow, but distinct. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.71/0.62). Chelicerae (Figs 10 C–D) with pair of small proximo-ectal apophyses, pair of small distal apophyses on ectal surface, pair of small frontal apophyses (arrows in Figs 10 C–D) provided with scales each, and pair of long, hooked frontal apophyses (tips close together). Pedipalps as in Figs 9 A–D; trochanter with short retrolateral apophysis and ventral apophysis; femur with retrolateral apophysis; patella large; procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with short distal apophysis (arrow in Fig. 9C); bulb simple, no other projections except for embolus. Retrolateral trichobothria of tibia I at 4% proximally; legs with short vertical setae on metatarsi and tarsi, without spines and curved setae; tarsus I with 9 distinct pseudosegments.
Female (IZCAS-Ar39665): Similar to male, habitus as in Figs 10 G–H. Total length 2.81 (2.94 with clypeus), carapace 0.91 long, 1.01 wide, opisthosoma 1.90 long, 1.42 wide; tibia I: 5.96; tibia I L/d: 50. Distance PME-PME 0.14, diameter PME 0.16, distance PME-ALE 0.03. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.65/0.56). Epigynum (Fig. 10A) brown, with large posterior lip medially (arrow in Fig. 10A). Vulva (Fig. 10B) with curved anterior arch, small anterior sclerites (arrow in Fig. 10B) and pair of nearly oval pore plates.
Variation: Tibia I in male paratypes (IZCAS-Ar39662–Ar39664, n=3): 6.24–6.92. Tibia I in the other female paratypes (IZCAS-Ar39666–Ar39668, n=3): 5.41–5.68.
Natural History. The species was found on its irregular web in the entrance zone of cave.
Distribution. China (Guizhou, type locality; Fig. 17).
description: Published as part of Yao, Zhiyuan, Nie, Lei & Li, Shuqiang, 2019, Eight new species of the spider genus Khorata Huber, 2005 (Araneae: Pholcidae) from China, pp. 336-360 in Zootaxa 4683 (3) on page 348, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4683.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/3478927