Taxonomic study of four closely-related species of the Pholcus yichengicus species group (Araneae, Pholcidae) from China’s Qinling Mountains: An integrated morphological and molecular approach

By

Yang, Lan
He, Qiaoqiao
Yao, Zhiyuan

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

Zoosystematics and evolution

Volume

100

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

279--289

Subjects

Biodiversity , daddy-long-legs spider , identification key , molecular species delimitation , new species

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.115633

 

Abstract

Four morphologically similar species of the Pholcus yichengicus species group, occurring in geographic proximity of China’s Qinling Mountains, were recognised, based on morphology and four methods of molecular species delimitation. They comprise two new species, namely Pholcus ankang sp. nov. and P. baoji sp. nov. and two previously described species: P. ovatus Yao & Li, 2012 and P. taibaiensis Wang & Zhu, 1992. Their DNA barcodes were obtained to estimate p-distances and K2P distances. In addition, an identification key for the four closely-related species is presented.