A new species of Khorata Huber, 2005 (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Jiangxi Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, southern China

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• Asia
• biodiversity
• daddy-long-leg spiders
• morpho