The Southeast Asian Pholcus halabala species group (Araneae, Pholcidae): new data from field observations and ultrastructure
Author
Berhard A. Huber
Author
Booppa Petchard
Author
Charles Leh Moi Ung
Author
Joseph K. H. Koh
Author
Amir R. M. Ghazali
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2016
190
1
55
http://www.europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/313
journal article
32674
10.5852/ejt.2016.190
3c438ae3-9ea0-4eda-b893-acf6d5756c90
831004
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BE92596B-62D9-46CD-8486-CF6B36C640B11
Pholcus erawan
Huber, 2011
Figs 13–16
,
39–48
Pholcus erawan
Huber, 2011
: 297
–298, figs
1374–1375
,
1404–1405
,
1466–1470
(
♂♀
).
Diagnosis
Easily distinguished from putatively closest known relatives (other species in the
halabala
core group) by absence of dorsal flap on procursus, by long whitish process of male palpal tarsus (fig.
1467 in
Huber 2011
), by unique shapes of bulbal processes (fig.
1644 in
Huber 2011
), and by much longer than wide female internal genitalia and small oval pore plates (fig.
1470 in
Huber 201 1).
New material examined
THAILAND
:
8 ♂♂
,
9 ♀♀
,
ZFMK
(
7 ♂♂
,
8 ♀♀
,
AR 15016–17
)
and
PSUZC
(
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
),
Kanchanaburi
,
Erawan
National Park
(
14°22.2' N
,
99°08.75' E
),
85 m
a.s.l.,
forest along stream, on leaves
,
15 Mar. 2015
(
B.A. Huber
,
B. Petcharad
)
;
2 ♂♂
,
7 ♀♀
, in absolute ethanol,
ZFMK
(
Mal 378
), same data
;
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
,
ZFMK
(
Ar 15018
),
Nakhon Si Thammarat
,
Khao Nan National Park
(
8°46.2' N
,
98°48.1' E
),
250–300 m
a.s.l.,
on leaves in forest
,
9 Mar. 2015
(
B.A. Huber
,
B. Petcharad
)
;
1 ♂
,
ZFMK
(
Ar 15019
), same data,
collected penultimate
, adult on
11 Mar. 2015
;
3 juvs
, in absolute ethanol,
ZFMK
(
Mal 345
), same data
;
3 ♂♂
,
3 ♀♀
,
ZFMK
(
Ar 15020
),
Nakhon Si Thammarat
,
Khao Nan National Park
(
8°46.23' N
,
98°48.27' E
),
100 m
a.s.l.,
on palm leaves near park buildings
,
9 Mar. 2015
(
B.A. Huber
,
B. Petcharad
)
;
1 ♂
,
ZFMK
(
Ar 15021
), same data,
collected penultimate
, adult on
12 Mar. 2015
;
2 ♂♂
,
ZFMK
(
Ar 15022
),
Krabi
,
Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, trails near headquarters
(
8°14.1' N
,
98°55.1' E
),
150–300 m
a.s.l.,
on leaves
,
8 Mar. 2015
(
B.A. Huber
,
B. Petcharad
)
;
4 ♀♀
,
4 juvs
, in absolute ethanol,
ZFMK
(
Mal 340
), same data
.
Figs 39–48.
Pholcus erawan
Huber, 2011
, ZFMK Ar 15016–17.
39
. Male distal cheliceral apophysis (arrows point at modified hairs).
40
. Left procursus, prolateral view.
41
. Right procursus, retrolatero-dorsal view (arrow points at distal pocket).
42
. Left bulbal processes, distal view.
43
. Male ocular area, frontal view.
44
. Male gonopore.
45
. Female ALS.
46
. Comb-hairs on male tarsus 4.
47
. Female prosoma, frontal view.
48
. Epigynum, ventral view.Abbreviations: a = appendix; e = embolus; u = uncus. Scale lines: 10 µm (39); 20 µm (45–46); 40 µm (44); 60 µm (42); 80 µm (40); 100 µm (41, 48); 200 µm (43, 47).
MALAYSIA
:
2 ♂♂
,
5 ♀♀
,
ZFMK
(
Ar 15023
),
Kedah
,
Gunung Jerai
,
forest near Sri Perigi Waterfall
(
5°48.3' N
,
100°24.6' E
),
100–200 m
a.s.l.,
on leaves
,
27 Feb. 2015
(
B.A. Huber
)
;
1 ♀
,
6 juvs
, in absolute ethanol,
ZFMK
(
Mal 291
), same data
;
4 ♂♂
,
3 ♀♀
,
1 juv.
,
ZFMK
(
Ar 15024
),
Pulau Pinang, Penang National Park near Teluk Bahang
(
5°27.7' N
,
100°12.1' E
),
10–50 m
a.s.l., on
leaves
,
28 Feb. 2015
(
B.A. Huber
)
;
1 ♂
,
ZFMK
(
Ar 15025
), same data,
collected penultimate
, adult on
2 Mar. 2015
;
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
,
1 juv.
, in absolute ethanol,
ZFMK
(
Mal 296
), same data
.
Description – amendments
Carapace pattern slightly variable, ranging from two separate V-marks (
Fig. 15
) to medially fused V-marks to almost completely fused single posterior mark (
Fig. 14
). Females and juveniles with more delicate V-marks. Sternum coloration also slightly variable, from almost monochromous whitish to small black posterior marks (males) and larger black posterior marks (females). Tibia
1 in
21 males
: 6.3–8.1 (mean 7.1); in
20 females
: 5.8–6.7 (mean 6.3). In most males, except those from the
type
locality (
Erawan
), the ventro-distal sclerite of the procursus is slightly more pointed than illustrated in
Huber 2011
(fig. 1467). Male ocular area with dense brush of stronger hairs, but without spines (
Fig. 43
); tarsus 4 comb-hairs of the simplified
Pholcus
-
type
(cf.
Huber & Fleckenstein 2008
), with three lateral tines (
Fig. 46
); procursus with retrolateral distal pocket (
Fig. 41
); distal male cheliceral apophyses with two cone-shaped teeth (modified hairs) each (
Fig. 39
); gonopore with four epiandrous spigots (
Fig. 44
); ALS with one widened, one pointed, and six smaller cylindrically shaped spigots of varying sizes (
Fig. 45
; pointed spigot damaged in this spinneret).
Natural history
As noted above,
Ph. erawan
was sometimes found at the same localities as
Ph. halabala
but on monocot rather than dicot leaves. Only at
Erawan
, this species seemed to occur on all kinds of leaves, preferably (but not only) large ones. At Khao Nan,
Ph. erawan
was found on palm leaves both in the forest and in the garden near the park buildings. At Penang, specimens were found both on green leaves and on dead brown leaves still attached to the plant. Small silk tufts were observed in the webs at most localities. At night (at
Erawan
), spiders were observed moving among the vegetation.
Distribution
Widely distributed on the Malay Peninsula, reaching northern Laos (
Fig. 17
).