Leptopholcus baoruco Huber, 2006

Huber, Bernhard A. & Wunderlich, Jörg, 2006, Fossil and extant species of the genus Leptopholcus in the Dominican Republic, with the first cases of egg-parasitism in pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae), Journal of Natural History 40 (41 - 43), pp. 2341-2360 : 2342-2347

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222930601051196

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B2583A-FF9B-1B37-FE94-FA13FE10FC30

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Leptopholcus baoruco Huber
status

sp. nov.

Leptopholcus baoruco Huber View in CoL , new species

( Figures 1a, b View Figure 1 , 2a, b, g–i View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 9a View Figure 9 )

Type

Male holotype from near Polo (18 ° 06.89N, 71 ° 16.29W), Sierra de Baoruco, Barahona Prov., Dominican Republic; forest with plantations, 850 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, mostly banana, 17 November 2005 (B. A. Huber), in ZFMK GoogleMaps .

Etymology

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

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known Caribbean congeners by the shapes of the apophyses on the male genital bulb, especially the unique appendix ( Figures 3a View Figure 3 , 4b, c View Figure 4 , 9a View Figure 9 ), by the shape of the procursus ( Figure 3b View Figure 3 ), and by the internal sclerotized structures in the female genitalia ( Figures 2i View Figure 2 , 3d View Figure 3 ); from L. hispaniola also by the much longer male palpal trochanter apophysis ( Figure 3b View Figure 3 ) and longer abdominal projection beyond the spinnerets ( Figure 2b View Figure 2 ); from L. toma also by the dark ocular area ( Figure 2a View Figure 2 ).

Male (holotype) Total length 5.4, carapace width 1.0. Leg 1: 37.0 (8.8+0.4+8.9+17.3+1.6), tibia 2: 5.8,

tibia 3: 3.6, tibia 4: 5.7. Tibia 1 L/d: 112. Habitus as in Figures 2a, b View Figure 2 ; prosoma very pale ochre-grey, only ocular area dark, almost black; sternum whitish, legs pale ochre, patellae and tibia–metatarsus joints dark (almost black), abdomen ochre-grey with black spots dorsally ( Figure 2a View Figure 2 ). Ocular area slightly elevated, with lateral triads on distinct low humps; distance PME–PME 285 Mm; diameter PME 100 Mm; distance PME–ALE 20 Mm; distance AME–AME 85 Mm, diameter AME 20 Mm. Thoracic furrow absent. Sternum about as wide as long (0.6). Chelicerae with proximo-lateral projections and two modified hairs on distal apophyses ( Figures 3c View Figure 3 , 4d View Figure 4 ). Palps as in Figure 3a, b View Figure 3 ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with short retrolateral and long ventral apophyses, the latter with distal modified hair ( Figure 4h View Figure 4 ); femur with two small apophyses retrolaterally and one larger projection ventrally; procursus strongly bent dorsally, distal part longer than in other species, with distinctive distal structures ( Figure 4e View Figure 4 ); genital bulb with distinctive uncus and appendix and slightly sclerotized embolus ( Figures 3a View Figure 3 , 4b, c View Figure 4 , 9a View Figure 9 ); palpal tarsal organ capsulate ( Figure 4f View Figure 4 ). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 6%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; legs without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; serrated hairs on tarsi 4 as in L. toma (cf. Figure 8g View Figure 8 ); pseudosegments on tarsi very indistinct, only a few visible distally. Gonopore with four epiandrous spigots ( Figure 4g View Figure 4 ). Spinnerets as in female (see below).

Variation

The pattern on the abdomen is fairly constant but variably distinct. Tibia 1 in two other males: 8.4, 8.7.

Female

In general similar to male, but abdomen tip mostly longer, in some cases much longer ( Figure 2g, h View Figure 2 ), and ocular area not darker. Pattern on abdomen usually less distinct, in some cases even missing. All specimens with small but distinct AME lenses ( Figure 4a View Figure 4 ). Usually with pair of small grey marks behind ocular area. ALS with one widened, one pointed, and five cylindrically shaped spigots ( Figure 4i View Figure 4 ), PMS with two small pointed spigots, PLS without spigots. Epigynum with median rounded projection ( Figures 3d View Figure 3 , 4j View Figure 4 ), with distinctive internal sclerotized structures, very elongated pore plates ( Figures 3e View Figure 3 , 4k View Figure 4 ). Tibia 1 in 18 females: 5.8–6.8 (mean: 6.4). Serrated hairs on tarsi 4 as in male.

Distribution

Known only from type locality ( Figure 10 View Figure 10 ).

Material examined

Dominican Republic: Barahona Prov.: near Polo : type above, together with 5 „, 20♀, same collection data ( ZFMK) .

ZFMK

Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Genus

Leptopholcus

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