Panjange casaroro Huber

Huber, Bernhard A. & Nuñeza, Olga M., 2015, Evolution of genital asymmetry, exaggerated eye stalks, and extreme palpal elongation in Panjange spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 169, pp. 1-46 : 14-18

Panjange casaroro Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D6FF36FF-D69F-4F92-919F-82F423701E71

Figs 6–7 , 24–34

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from closest known relatives ( Pa. malagos Huber sp. nov.; Pa. camiguin Huber sp. nov.) by morphology of male palps ( Figs 24–27 ; symmetric modiFcations of trochanter and femur; asymmetric shapes of procursi), and by pair of semi-transparent lobes on epigynal scape ( Figs 29 , 33 ). From most congeners (except Pa. camiguin Huber sp. nov.) also by very long eye stalks and contiguous tips of male ocular processes ( Fig. 28 ); from Pa. camiguin Huber sp. nov. also by proximally unmodiFed male chelicerae (densely covered with small scales in Pa. camiguin Huber sp. nov.; cf. Fig. 47 ) and by small process between eye stalks ( Fig. 28 ).

Etymology

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

Type material

PHILIPPINES: holotype Ƌ, in ZFMK ( Ar 13000 ), Negros Island, Negros Oriental Province, Casaroro Falls (9.281°N, 123.208°E), 550 m a.s.l., forest along river below waterfall , on leaves , 10 Mar. 2014 (B.A. Huber) .

Other material examined

PHILIPPINES: 1 Ƌ, 3 ♀♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 13001 ) and 1 Ƌ, 1 ♀ in MSU-IIT, same data as holotype ; 1 ♀, 1 juv. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ( Phi 187 ), same data .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 4.8, carapace width 1.0. Leg 1: 39.2 (9.2 + 0.5 + 9.4 + 18.9 + 1.2), tibia 2: 5.6, tibia 3: 3.2, tibia 4: 4.9; tibia 1 L/d: 106. Distance PME–PME 420 µm, diameter PME 105 µm, distance PME–ALE ~30 µm; AME absent.

COLOR. Carapace and clypeus pale ochre to whitish, only base of eye stalks dark; sternum whitish; legs ochre-yellow with dark brown patellae and tibia-metatarsus joints; abdomen pale gray, with black marks dorsally, monochromous ventrally.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 6–7 ; ocular area raised, triads on long stalks with further distal processes whose contiguous tips seem to form a functional unit ( Fig. 28 ); with small process between eye stalks; carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodiFed; sternum wider than long (0.65/0.55), unmodiFed.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 28 , with pair of simple, weakly sclerotized lateral processes, without modiFed hairs; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 24–27 ; proximal segments symmetric in shape but slightly larger on left side (e.g., length and diameter of right tibia about 90–95% of left tibia); coxa with strong ventro-distal rim but otherwise unmodiFed; trochanter with long weakly sclerotized retrolateral process directed toward dorsal; femur with weakly sclerotized Fnger-shaped process retrolatero-ventrally and more heavily sclerotized apophysis prolatero-dorsally; tibia with retrolateral trichobothrium in rather proximal position; tarsus with long whitish elongation, distally more strongly widened (club-shaped) in left palp; procursi of left and right palps strongly different, in each case with ventral process arising from proximal part (simple in right palp; biFd in left palp); distal part of procursus clearly hinged in left palp, not hinged in right palp; bulb much smaller in right palp, long processes extending in opposite directions (dorsal embolus; ventral appendix) almost symmetric (slightly longer in left palp).

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with> 20 pseudosegments, only distally fairly distinct.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in other male: 9.5 (missing in third male).

Female

In general similar to male but eye triads on low humps and much closer together (distance PME–PME 265 µm); with dark mark in place of AME. Tibia 1 in 4 females: 6.7, 7.0, 7.1, 7.4. Epigynum mostly weakly sclerotized, with apparently slightly asymmetric internal structures visible through cuticle; distinctive scape with small median process at tip and two long extensible projections curved toward dorsal ( Figs 29 , 33, 34 ); internal genitalia as in Fig. 30 .

Natural history

The spiders were found on the undersides of large leaves about 50–100 cm above the ground.

Distribution

Known from type locality on Negros Island only ( Fig. 16 ).

Figures

Fig. 16. Known distribution of the Panjange lanthana group.

Figs 2 – 15. Live specimens. 2 – 4. Pa. lanthana, Mt. Isarog, Ƌ, ♀ with eggsac, and penultimate Ƌ. 5. Pa. malagos Huber sp. nov., Ƌ. 6 – 7. Pa. casaroro Huber sp. nov., ƋƋ. 8 – 10. Pa. camiguin Huber sp. nov. 8. ♀ with parasitized eggsac, from Camiguin Island. 9. Ƌ from Bohol Island. 10. Ƌ from Camiguin Island. 11 – 13. Pa. dinagat Huber sp. nov., Ƌ, ♀ with eggsac, and penultimate Ƌ. 14 – 15. Pa. marilog Huber sp. nov., ƋƋ showing color variation.

Figs 24 – 25. Panjange casaroro Huber sp. nov. (ZFMK, Ar 13001), left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. Abbreviations: a = appendix; b = genital bulb; e = embolus; h = hinge; p = procursus; pto = palpal tarsal organ; te = tarsal elongation; tr = trochanter; vp = ventral process. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs 26 – 30. Panjange casaroro Huber sp. nov. (ZFMK, Ar 13001). 26 – 27. Right male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 28. Male prosoma and chelicerae, frontal view. 29 – 30. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs 31 – 34. Panjange casaroro Huber sp. nov., SEM micrographs (ZFMK, Ar 13001). 31. Female spinnerets. 32. Female ALS. 33 – 34. Epigynum and scape. 33. Lateral (slightly posterior) view. 34. Ventral view. Abbreviations: ALS, anterior lateral spinneret; PLS = posterior lateral spinneret; PMS = posterior median spinneret. Scale bars: 31 = 60 µm; 32 = 10 µm; 33 – 34 = 100 µm.

Figs 45 – 49. Panjange camiguin Huber sp. nov., SEM micrographs (ZFMK, Ar 13003, 13004). 45 – 46. Male and female prosomata, frontal views (arrows point at tiny AME remnants). 47. Male chelicerae. 48 – 49. Male eye triads and ocular processes, oblique frontal and frontal views. Scale bars: 45 – 46, 49 = 200 µm; 47 – 48 = 100 µm.