Biodiversity Data Journal :
Taxonomy & Inventories
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Corresponding author: Guchun Zhou (zhguch_23@163.com)
Academic editor: Yanfeng Tong
Received: 05 Nov 2024 | Accepted: 13 Nov 2024 | Published: 19 Nov 2024
© 2024 Guchun Zhou, Jian Lu, Yutong Deng
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Zhou G, Lu J, Deng Y (2024) A new species of Khorata Huber, 2005 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Jiangxi Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, southern China. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e141018. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e141018
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Khorata Huber, 2005 contains 52 species distributed in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, out of which about 34 species have been recorded from China. It can be distinguished from all other genera of Pholcidae by the male chelicerae with lateral ledges and the cheliceral apophyses with cuticular ridges or scales. The femur of the male palp features a retrolateral apophysis. The male palp is small, characterised by a prolaterally attached genital bulb that lacks projections, except for the embolus. The carapace exhibits a shallow median groove and the female abdomen shows no posterior pockets.
A spider survey conducted in June 2024 from the Jiangxi Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi, China recorded the genus Khorata for the first time. Based on morphological comparison, one new species was identified and is described here. A detailed description, diagnosis, photographs and distribution map of the new species are provided.
Asia, biodiversity, daddy-long-leg spiders, morphology, taxonomy
The genus Khorata Huber, 2005, belonging to the subfamily Pholcinae C.L. Koch, 1850, is mainly distributed in China and Southeast Asia (
Specimens were collected by handpicking and beating shrubs and were kept in 95% ethanol. After dissection, the epigyne was cleared in trypsin enzyme solution before examination and photography. Specimens were examined and, measured with a Leica MZ6 stereomicroscope. Photos were taken with a Kuy Nice CCD mounted on an Olympus BX41 and stacked with Helicon Focus software (v.3.10) (
Khorata qiyunshanensis Zhou, sp. nov., holotype male (C–F) and paratype female (A, B, G, H). A epigyne, ventral view; B vulva, dorsal view; C, D chelicerae (C frontal view, D lateral view; arrows point at strong frontal apophyses); E–H habitus (E, G dorsal view, F lateral view, H ventral view). Abbreviations: aa = anterior arch, da = distal apophysis, fa = frontal apophysis, ma = posteromedian apophysis, pa = proximo-lateral apophysis, pp = pore plate. Scale bars: 0.20 (A–D); 0.50 (E–H).
Khorata qiyunshanensis Zhou, sp. nov., holotype male. A, B palp (A prolateral view, B retrolateral view, arrow 1 points at trochanteral retrolateral apophysis, arrow 2 points at trochanteral ventral apophysis, arrow 3 points at femoral retrolateral apophysis); C, D distal part of procursus (C prolateral view, arrows 1, 2, 3 point at angular apophyses, D retrolateral view, arrows at angular apophyses). Abbreviations: b = bulb, e = embolus, pr = procursus. Scale bars: 0.20 (A-D).
Terminology and taxonomic descriptions follow
Male (holotype, JXQYS-24-43-01): Total length 2.23 (2.46 with clypeus), carapace 0.92 long, 0.93 wide, opisthosoma 1.31 long, 0.97 wide. Leg I: 20.59 (5.18, 0.42, 5.16, 7.47, 2.36), leg II: 13.97 (3.95, 0.42, 3.39, 4.79, 1.42), leg III 10.59 (3.11, 0.37, 2.58, 3.58, 0.95), leg IV: 13.02 (3.74, 0.42, 3.23, 4.74, 0.89); tibia I L/d: 49. Eye interdistances and diameters: PME–PME 0.13, PME 0.12, PME–ALE 0.04, AME absent. Sternum width/length: 0.67/0.62. Habitus as in Fig.
Female (paratype, JXQYS-24-43-03): Similar to male, habitus as in Fig.
Tibia I in the male paratype (JXQYS-24-43-02): 3.74. Tibia I in another female paratype (JXQYS-24-43-04, 05, 06; JXQYS-24-82-01): 4.68, 4.69, 4.47; 4.71.
This species can be easily distinguished from all known congeners by combination of the following characters: (1) bulb oval shape and fawn, embolus length equal to bulb (Fig.
The specific name refers to the type locality, adjective.
China (Jiangxi, type locality; Fig.
The species was found in the twilight zone of an artificially excavated unnamed cave or between the cliffs of Xiangluba (netting between stones).
The manuscript benefitted greatly from comments by Yanfeng Tong and two anonymous referees. Thanks to Dr Muhammad Irfan (Southwest University, Chongqing, China) for checking the English of the article. Thanks to Xianglong Zhu and Yaoli He of Jiangxi Qiyun Mountain National Nature Reserve for their help in field collection. This research was supported by the Scientific Research Foundation of Education Department of Jiangxi Province (Grant No. GJJ190780).