Modisimus repens Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 207-210

Modisimus repens Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:17A58690-0B66-4074-8E5C-3CFDCE23325F

Figs 721–724, 730–735, 739–741, 1023, 1058

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by morphology of procursus ( Figs 733–734; widened in midsection, with slender dorsal process and membranous distal fringes), by strong, weakly curved bulbal apophysis ( Figs 730–731), by armature of male chelicerae ( Fig. 732; patch of 6–8 stronger hairs on each side on low elevation), and by shape of epigynum and internal female genitalia ( Figs 735, 739–741; rectangular epigynum with semicircular whitish area posteriorly; pair of spherical pore plates). From many congeners also by strongly marked femora in males and females ( Figs 721–724; many ventral dots rather than just subdistal dark rings).

Etymology

The species name (Latin: unexpected) refers to our surprise in finding this ‘regular’ long-legged Modisimus in Venezuela ; adjective.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Falcón • Ƌ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 22062), Península de Paraguaná, Cerro Santa Ana (11.8080° N, 69.9452° W), 220 m a.s.l., 17 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Falcón • 4 ƋƋ, 4 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22063), and 3 ƋƋ, 2 ♀♀, 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18-189), same collection data as for holotype .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.9, carapace width 0.85. Distance PME–PME 70 µm; diameter PME 70 µm; distance PME–ALE 80 µm; AME absent. Leg 1: 14.7 (3.9 +0.4+3.7 +5.7+1.0), tibia 2: 2.4, tibia 3: 1.9, tibia 4: 2.3; tibia 1 L/d: 41; all femora approximately same width.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace pale ochre-yellow, with three pairs of brown marks and brown median band including ocular area; clypeus dark brown; sternum light brown laterally, whitish medially; legs ochre-yellow, femora with numerous dark ventral marks (in live specimens clearly visible also in dorsal view) and subdistal dark ring, tibiae with proximal and subdistal dark rings; abdomen pale bluish, with many darker bluish and white marks dorsally and laterally, ventrally with light brown mark in gonopore area.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 721–722. Ocular area moderately raised. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.58/0.38), unmodified. Abdomen oval.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 732, with patch of 6–8 stronger hairs on each side on low elevation.

PALPS. As in Figs 730–731; coxa with retrolateral apophysis; trochanter barely modified; femur with low retrolateral process proximally and strong ventral apophysis distally; tarsus with conical dorsal process, procursus ( Figs 733–734) widened in mid-section, with slender dorsal process and distal membranous fringes; genital bulb with strong, weakly curved distal apophysis.

LEGS. Without spines; with curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1–2; with vertical hairs in high density on all femora; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 19%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~15 pseudosegments, distally distinct.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in seven males (including holotype): 3.6–4.4 (mean 3.9). Some males with curved hairs also on metatarsus 3.

Female

In general similar to male ( Figs 723–724) but without (or very few) vertical hairs on femora and with lighter sternum (only laterally anteriorly slightly darker brown). Tibia 1 in six females: 2.4–2.8 (mean 2.6). Epigynum ( Fig. 739) relatively small, rectangular brown plate with pair of dark marks and semicircular whitish area posteriorly; internal bluish ‘valve’ variably visible in uncleared specimens. Internal genitalia ( Figs 735, 740–741) with median receptacle and pair of spherical pore plates, each connected to tapering lateral process.

Distribution

Known from type locality only, in Venezuela , Falcón (Fig. 1058).

Natural history

The spiders were found under rocks near the basis of Cerro Santa Ana, in an area dominated by small trees and bushes (Fig. 1023).