Pholcoides afghana (Roewer, 1960)

Zonstein, Sergei L., Marusik, Yuri M. & Koponen, Seppo, 2013, Redescription of three species of Filistatidae (Araneae) described by C. F. Roewer from Afghanistan, Zootaxa 3745 (1) : -

Pholcoides afghana (Roewer, 1960)

Figs 1–12

Pholcoides afghana Roewer 1960: 40 , f. 12a–d (♀); Huber 2009: 68.

Material examined. Holotype ♀— AFGHANISTAN, Central Hindukush Mts., Kabul Valley, Qal'eh Lakou, 7.07.1957, K. Lindberg (NMG). Holotype in poor condition, bleached, lost some of the legs and most spines and even the calamistral setae.

Diagnosis. As for the genus.

Description. Female (holotype): as for the genus, with additional details as follows: total length ca. 5.50. Color in alcohol: body and legs after maceration—pale grayish-yellow without discernible pattern; eye tubercle brownish. Carapace ( Fig. 1 ): 1.74 long, 1.73 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.10 with encircled light area 0.05, ALE 0.18, PLE 0.15, PME 0.13 with lighter area 0.08. Interdistance AME-AME: 0.08. Femora I–IV with long ventral setae, longer than the femur diameter ( Fig. 9 ), calamistrum with two rows, dorsal row with 4 setae, and ventral row with 7 setae.

Endogyna as in Figs 10–12 , with distinct insemination ducts longer than receptacles proper; receptacles unbranched, with several globular “knots”, left and right receptacles of different shape; stem connected to insemination duct and receptacle thinner than duct.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Central Afghanistan.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Holotype female of Pholcoides afghana. 1 – 2 prosoma, dorsal and ventral; 3 abdomen, ventral; 4 prosoma, frontal; 5 spinnerets; 6 metatarsus IV showing calamistrum; 7 tarsus I; 8 leg IV showing long ventral macrosetae on femur; 9 tarsus III and loose paired claw; 10 copulatory organs, dorsal.

FIGURES 11 – 15. Female copulatory organs of Pholcoides afghana (11 – 12), Zaitunia afghana (13) and Tricalamus lindbergi (14 - 15). 11, 13 ventral; 12, 14 – 15 dorsal. Abbreviations: Ar accessorial receptacle; Mr main receptacle.