Modisimus paraiso, 2010

Huber, Bernhard A., Fischer, Nadine & Astrin, Jonas J., 2010, High level of endemism in Haiti’s last remaining forests: a revision of Modisimus (Araneae: Pholcidae) on Hispaniola, using morphology and molecules, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158 (2), pp. 244-299 : 291-293

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00559.x
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5491038
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D3130F-7A17-7407-DC1B-BFA9FD51456D
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Modisimus paraiso
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

MODISIMUS PARAISO HUBER View in CoL SP. NOV.

( Figs 10 View Figures 5–16 , 37 View Figures 17–37 , 62 View Figures 38–62 , 192–194 View Figures 190–194 , 201 View Figure 201 )

Type: Male holotype from ~ 7 km north-west of Paraíso (18°02.4 ′ N, 71°11.6 ′ W; ~ 180 m a.s.l.), Barahona Prov., Dominican Republic GoogleMaps ; forest near river, in vegetation about 0.5–2 m above the ground, from sheet webs connected to undersides of leaves, 7 December 2007 (B.A. Huber), in ZFMK ( Haiti 53a) .

Etymology: The species name refers to the type locality; it is used as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis: Medium-sized, pale-greenish, long-legged species, with six eyes, easily distinguished from close relatives ( M. palvet sp. nov., M. miri sp. nov., and M. berac sp. nov.) and other congeners by long male cheliceral apophyses ( Fig. 193 View Figures 190–194 ), simple rod-shaped procursus ( Fig. 192 View Figures 190–194 ), and distinctive dorsal projection on bulb ( Fig. 192 View Figures 190–194 ).

Male (holotype): Total length, 2.1; carapace width, 0.80. Leg 1: 24.4 (5.7 + 0.3 + 5.9 + 10.2 + 2.3); tibia 2, 3.8; tibia 3, 2.7; tibia 4, 3.1. Tibia 1 L/d: 74. Habitus as in Figures 10 View Figures 5–16 , 37 View Figures 17–37 , carapace pale ochre-yellow, clypeus light brown with darker lateral bands, sternum whitish with pair of darker lateral areas frontally; legs pale ochre-yellow with darker patella area and tibia–metatarsus joints; abdomen ochre-grey with several large white spots dorsally. Ocular area elevated; thoracic furrow distinct, but shallow. PME– PME, 105 Mm; PME diameter, 80 Mm; PME–ALE, 95 Mm; no AME. Sternum wider than long (0.55/0.45), unmodified. Chelicerae with pair of long apophyses ( Fig. 193 View Figures 190–194 ). Palps as in Figure 192 View Figures 190–194 , coxa with retrolateral apophysis, trochanter with small ventral projection, femur strongly widened distally, with proximal flap retrolaterally and distal apophysis ventrally; procursus very simple, without dorsal membranous structures, bulb with distinctive dorsal projection, prominent curved apophysis, and membranous embolus area. Legs with three or four long, and more than 30 short, spines on femur 1, many short vertical hairs on all femora; without curved hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 9%; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, present on all other tibiae; tarsus 1 with more than 30 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct.

Variation: Some males with distinct purple mark on abdomen medially; some males without white spots on abdomen. Tibia 1 in five other males: 5.8–6.9 (mean 6.3).

Female: In general similar to male, but paler, and clypeus with dark V-shaped mark. Tibia 1 in eight females: 3.6–4.8 (mean 4.1). Epigynum, very simple externally ( Fig. 62 View Figures 38–62 ); dorsal view as in Figure 194 View Figures 190–194 .

Distribution: Known from type locality only ( Fig. 201 View Figure 201 ).

Material examined: Dominican Republic: Barahona Prov., ~ 7 km north-west of Paraiso, 1♂, holotype above; same data, 8♂ and 11♀ ( ZFMK, Haiti 53); same data, 4♂ and 1♀, in pure ethanol ( ZFMK, Haiti 98); same locality (7 km north-west of Paraiso ), 200 m a.s.l., rainforest remnant, sweeping, 27 November 1991 (Masner & Peck), 1♂ and 2♀ ( AMNH) .