Pholcus lintang Huber

Berhard A. Huber, Booppa Petchard, Charles Leh Moi Ung, Joseph K. H. Koh & Amir R. M. Ghazali, 2016, The Southeast Asian Pholcus halabala species group (Araneae, Pholcidae): new data from field observations and ultrastructure, European Journal of Taxonomy 190, pp. 1-55 : 13-15

Pholcus lintang Huber , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2AB6CE0F-8B36-4D8F-B1ED-9DFEBB5637DE

Figs 11–12 , 34–38 , 93–95

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from putatively closest known relatives (other species in the halabala core group) by morphology of male palps ( Figs 34–35 ; procursus with rather pointed dorsal flap and without ventrodistal sclerotized process; simple beak-shaped uncus and simple curved appendix) and by female internal genitalia ( Figs 37–38 ; large rounded pore plates close to each other; small lateral structures).

Etymology

The species name is derived from the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

MALAYSIA-BORNEO: holotype, ♂, ZFMK ( Ar 15014 ), Sarawak, Bako National Park , along Lintang Trail (1.713– 1.722° N, 110.447– 110.457° E), 10–130 m a.s.l., 11 Jul. 2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber) .

Other material examined

MALAYSIA-BORNEO: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 2 juvs, ZFMK ( Ar 15015 ), same data as holotype ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 4 juvs, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Bor 192 ), same data .

Assigned tentatively

MALAYSIA-BORNEO: 1 ♀, 4 juvs, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Bor 221 ), Sarawak, Kubah National Park , along Main Trail (1.611° N, 110.191– 110.195° E), 160–200 m a.s.l., 13 Jul. 2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber) ; 1 ♀, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Bor 224 ), Niah Cave National Park , forest near headquarters (3.820° N, 113.763° E), 40 m a.s.l., night collecting, 28 Jul. 2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.5, carapace width 0.95. Leg 1: 27.6 (6.6 + 0.4 + 6.6 + 12.5 + 1.5), tibia 2: 4.3, tibia 3: 2.6, tibia 4: 3.7; tibia 1 L/d: 79. Distance PME-PME 290 µm, diameter PME 95 µm, distance PME-ALE ~35 µm; distance AME-AME 55 µm; diameter AME 50 µm.

COLOR. Carapace pale ochre-whitish with brown pattern of radiating marks posteriorly; ocular area and clypeus not darkened; sternum whitish with dark lateral margins; legs pale whitish with brown patellae and tibia-metatarsus joints; abdomen pale gray with black and white marks dorsally and laterally, monochromous ventrally.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 11 ; ocular area raised, with brushes of ~4 spines on low hump behind each PME; carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum wider than long (0.66/0.50), unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 36 , with pair of frontal apophyses provided with two modified hairs each, rounded lateral processes, and indistinct small frontal proximal humps.

PALPS. As in Figs 34–35 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur widened proximally ventrally, with small retrolatero-dorsal apophysis proximally and low retrolateral hump; tibia very large; tarsus with conical dorsal elongation carrying subdistal tarsal organ; procursus with prominent ventral ‘knee’, with distinctive flat dorsal process and distal elements; bulb oval, with distinctive uncus and appendix; weakly sclerotized embolus with subdistal fringed side branch.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 6%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 pseudosegments very indistinct, only distally ~10 poorly visible in dissecting microscope.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in other male: 7.0; this male with slightly more pigment, clypeus with large light brown mark.

Female

In general similar to male ( Fig. 12 ) but without spines behind PME and eye triads closer together than in male (PME-PME distance: 230 µm). Tibia 1 in 1 female: 6.2. Epigynum mostly weakly sclerotized except for posterior area ( Fig. 93 ); with median ‘knob’ ( Figs 37 , 94 ); internal genitalia as in Figs 38 and 95 , with roundish pore plates close to each other. Females from Kubah National Park and Niah Cave National Park are assigned tentatively because females in this species group are not easily distinguished externally and no males are available from these localities.

Natural history

At Bako, this species was found on the plateau, in the rather low Kerangas forest. At Kubah, most specimens were taken from large leaves of ornamental plants close to the buildings; only one specimen was found in well-preserved forest.

Distribution

Known from three localities in northern Borneo ( Fig. 17 ; note that specimens from Kubah and Niah are assigned tentatively).

Figures

Fig. 17. Known distribution of the core group of the Pholcus halabala species group.

Figs 9 – 16. Live specimens, Pholcus sabah Huber, 2011 (9 – 10), Ph. lintang Huber, sp. nov. (11 – 12) and Ph. erawan Huber, 2011 (13 – 16). 9. ♂ from Poring, Sabah. 10. ♂ from Sepilok, Sabah. 11 – 12. ♂ and ♀ from Bako, Sarawak. 13. ♂ from Khao Nan, Thailand. 14. Male from Erawan, Thailand. 15 – 16. ♂ and ♀ with egg-sac from Gunung Jerai, Malaysia.

Figs 34 – 38. Pholcus lintang Huber, sp. nov., ZFMK Ar 15015. 34 – 35. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 36. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 37 – 38. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Abbreviations: a = appendix; b = genital bulb; e = embolus; p = procursus; u = uncus. Scale lines: 0.3 mm (36 – 38); 0.5 mm (34 – 35).

Figs 90 – 101. Female genitalia, untreated in ventral view, cleared in ventral and dorsal views. 90 – 92. Pholcus ubin Huber, sp. nov. 93 – 95. Ph. lintang Huber, sp. nov. 96 – 98. Ph. kuhapimuk Huber, sp. nov. 99 – 101. Ph. khaolek Huber, sp. nov.