Pholcus liaoning S. Li & Yao 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Li, Jinglin
name: He, Qiaoqiao
name: Li, Shuqiang
name: Yao, Zhiyuan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Pholcidae
Pholcus
Pholcus liaoning

description: Pholcus liaoning S. Li & Yao sp. nov.
Figs 11, 12
Type material.
Holotype: China • ♂; Liaoning, Chaoyang, Beipiao, Daheishan Scenic Spot; 42.006997°N, 120.484051°E; alt. 609 m; 16 Jul. 2024; Z. Yao, J. Li & M. Yan leg.; SYNU -Ar 00433. Paratypes: China • 1 ♂; same data as for the holotype; SYNU -Ar 00434 • 2 ♀; same data as for the holotype; SYNU -Ar 00435 –36.
Etymology.
The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.
Diagnosis.
The new species resembles Pholcus wangjiang Yao & Li, 2021 (Yao et al. 2021: S 22, figs 2 B. 20, S 21 A – D, S 22 A – H) by having a similar uncus (Fig. 12 C) and male chelicerae (Fig. 12 D), but it can be distinguished by the: procursus with a ventro-distal apophysis (arrow 2 in Fig. 11 C vs. absent) and nearly semi-circular, dorso-distal membranous lamella (arrow 1 in Fig. 11 D vs. absent), epigynal plate without brown marks (Fig. 12 A vs. with distinct lateral brown marks), vulval pore plates quadrilateral (pp in Fig. 12 B vs. elliptical).
Description.
Male (holotype): Total length 4.37 (4.49 with clypeus), carapace 1.34 long, 1.50 wide, opisthosoma 3.03 long, 1.41 wide. Leg I: 37.15 (9.36, 0.70, 9.49, 15.32, 2.28), leg II: 25.89 (7.12, 0.67, 6.47, 10.13, 1.50), leg III: 18.46 (5.38, 0.63, 4.49, 6.79, 1.17), leg IV: 24.22 (6.99, 0.63, 6.20, 9.04, 1.36); tibia I L / d: 67. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME – PME 0.21, PME 0.14, PME – ALE 0.04, AME – AME 0.06, AME 0.08. Sternum width / length: 1.04 / 0.86. Habitus as in Fig. 12 E, F. Carapace yellowish, with brown radiating marks and marginal brown bands; ocular area yellowish, with median and lateral brown bands; clypeus and sternum yellowish, with brown marks. Legs yellowish, dark brown on patellae and whitish on distal parts of femora and tibiae, with darker rings on subdistal parts of femora and proximal and subdistal parts of tibiae. Opisthosoma yellowish, with dorsal and lateral brown spots. Chelicerae with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses (pa in Fig. 12 D), pair of distal apophyses (da in Fig. 12 D) with two teeth each, and pair of frontal apophyses (fa in Fig. 12 D). Palps as in Fig. 11 A, B; trochanter with retrolaterally strongly bulged ventral apophysis; femur with retrolatero-proximal protrusion (arrow 1 in Fig. 11 B) and indistinct ventral protrusion; tibia with prolatero-ventral protrusion (arrow in Fig. 11 A); procursus simple proximally but complex distally, with raised prolatero-subdistal edge bearing pointed apophysis (arrow 1 in Fig. 11 C), ventro-distal apophysis (arrow 2 in Fig. 11 C), dorso-distal membranous lamella (arrow 1 in Fig. 11 D), and two strong dorsal spines (arrows 2, 3 in Fig. 11 D); uncus nearly elliptical, with scales (u in Fig. 12 C); “ pseudo-appendix ” semi-transparent (arrow 2 in Fig. 11 B); embolus weakly sclerotized, with transparent distal projections (e in Fig. 12 C). Retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia I at 5 % proximally; legs with short, vertical setae on tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi; tarsus I with 30 distinct pseudosegments.
Female (paratype, SYNU -Ar 00435): Similar to male, habitus as in Fig. 12 G, H. Total length 4.68 (4.81 with clypeus), carapace 1.40 long, 1.52 wide, opisthosoma 3.28 long, 1.86 wide; tibia I: 8.01; tibia I L / d: 57. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME – PME 0.19, PME 0.13, PME – ALE 0.04, AME – AME 0.04, AME 0.08. Sternum width / length: 0.99 / 0.90. Clypeus brown. Epigyne posteriorly slightly curved, with knob (kn in Fig. 12 A). Vulva with ridge-shaped anterior arch (aa in Fig. 12 B) and pair of quadrilateral pore plates (pp in Fig. 12 B).
Variation.
Tibia I in paratype male (SYNU -Ar 00434): 8.84. Tibia I in another paratype female (SYNU -Ar 00436): 8.33.
Habitat.
Underside of overhang on rocky cliffs in mountainous area.
Distribution.
Liaoning; known only from the type locality (Figs 1, 2E).
description: Published as part of Li, Jinglin, He, Qiaoqiao, Li, Shuqiang & Yao, Zhiyuan, 2025, Filling a zoogeographical gap in China: Taxonomic descriptions of six new spider species of the Pholcus phungiformes species group (Araneae, Pholcidae), pp. 285-310 in ZooKeys 1232 on pages 285-310, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1232.145622