Priscula salmeronica González-Sponga, 1999

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 243-248

Priscula salmeronica González-Sponga, 1999

Figs 833–834 , 852–860 , 868–870 , 1060

Priscula salmeronica González-Sponga, 1999: 155 , figs 56–65 (♂ ♀).

Notes

The MAGS collection has four vials with this species, all originating from Miranda state:

MAGS 1014 (MIZA 105589), containing the ♂ holotype and 2 ♀♀ paratypes ( not separated into 1014a and 1014b), Miranda, Salmerón, 250 m a.s.l., 10 Jan. 1987 (A.R. Delgado de G., M.A. González-S.). According to the original publication, this is at 10.461° N, 66.379° W, which is at ~ 420 m a.s.l. The town of Salmerón is at 640 m a.s.l., but the valley between the two places lies below 300 m a.s.l., which is thus possibly the true collecting site (10.469° N, 66.376° W).

MAGS 1041 (MIZA 105591), with 1 ♂, with the same collection data as the holotype above but 12 Mar. 1987. This is possibly not a paratype since the date is not mentioned in the original publication.

MAGS 1166 (MIZA 105664), with 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 7 juvs paratypes, Miranda, El Ávila National Park, Quebrada Quintero [10.517° N, 66.852° W, ~ 1200 m a.s.l.], 19 Aug. 1989 (A.R. Delgado de G., E. González, M.A. González-S.).

MAGS 1006 (MIZA 105615), with 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 2 juvs; the collection card for this vial is lost, but it seems reasonable to assume that these are the paratypes from Miranda, Guatopo National Park [approximately 10.06° N, 66.46° W, ~ 400 m a.s.l.] mentioned in the original publication.

The three type vials together thus contain 6 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, 9 juvs, which is very close to the numbers indicated in the original description (7 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, 10 juvs).

Diagnosis

Distinguished from most known congeners (except P. ulai González-Sponga, 1999 ) by combination of small size (body length <4 mm) and absence of AME; also by distinctive shape of procursus ( Figs 854– 856 ; retrolateral ridge with shallow pocket, distally with ventral flat sclerite and dorsal membranous element), by bulbal apophysis with distinctive subdistal pointed process (arrow in Fig. 858 ), by male palpal femur with ventral apophysis (arrow in Fig. 852 ; similar but smaller than in P. acarite Huber sp. nov.), by epigynum about as long as wide, with angular line close to anterior border ( Fig. 868 ), and by internal female genitalia with pair of dark lateral sclerites posteriorly and median sclerite between pore plates ( Figs 857 , 870 ).

New records

VENEZUELA – Miranda • 1 ♀, ZFMK (Ar 22104), and 2 ♀♀, 2 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven20- 181), El Ávila National Park , near La Julia, ‘site 1’ (10.5012° N, 66.8111° W), 960 m a.s.l., in decaying bamboo trunks, 23 Feb. 2020 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.). – La Guaira • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22105), and 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven20-166), El Limón , ‘site 1’ (10.4788° N, 67.3010° W), 600 m a.s.l., forest remnant along small stream, 21 Feb. 2020 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.). – Aragua • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22106), and 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, 4 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18- 239, 245), between Maracay and Puerto Colombia (10.4304° N, 67.5998° W), 380 m a.s.l., 2 Dec. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) .

Redescription

Male (ZFMK, Ar 22106)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.5, carapace width 1.7. Distance PME–PME 180 µm; diameter PME 110 µm; distance PME–ALE 110 µm; AME absent. ALE and PLE larger than PME (diameter ALE 210 µm). Leg 1: 39.4 (9.8 +0.7 +9.6+17.5 + 1.8), tibia 2: 6.6, tibia 3: 4.5, tibia 4: 6.1; tibia 1 L/d: 66.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre-yellow with dark mark medially and three pairs of radial marks, with pair of whitish marks beside ocular area; ocular area light brown with darker median and lateral bands, clypeus dark brown; sternum brown, with three pairs of small light spots near bases of coxae 2–4; legs ochre-yellow, with darker rings on femora subdistally, on tibiae proximally and subdistally, and on metatarsi proximally; abdomen dorsally and laterally densely covered with black and white spots, ventrally grey with large brown marks in gonopore area and in front of spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 833 . Ocular area distinctly raised, with hump on posterior side. Deep thoracic groove reaching posterior margin. Clypeus strongly protruding but otherwise unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.95/0.75), unmodified. Abdomen higher than long, dorso-posteriorly pointed.

CHELICERAE. With pair of short apophyses near fang joints (cf. González-Sponga 1999: figs 59–60), without stridulatory ridges, with pair of distinct white areas laterally that are distally bordered by sclerotized rim.

PALPS. As in Figs 852–853 ; coxa unmodified, trochanter slightly protruding ventrally, femur long, with distinct retrolateral process proximally, distinctive sclerotized ventral process at ~¾ of length (arrow in Fig. 852 ), and sclerotized protruding ventral rim distally; patella ventrally reduced to strongly sclerotized narrow rim; tibia small relative to femur; procursus ( Figs 854–856 ) with distinctive distal elements: retrolateral ridge with shallow pocket (arrow in Fig. 856 ), distally with ventral flat sclerite and dorsal membranous element; genital bulb ( Figs 858–860 ) with small proximal sclerite connecting to tarsus, strong main apophysis with distinctive subdistal pointed process (arrow in Fig. 858 ), with large whitish area ventrally between strong proximal transversal sclerite and main apophysis.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few short vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all leg tibiae; tarsi without distinct pseudosegments but rather with many small platelets.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in other newly collected males: 7.3, 8.0, 8.9. In male holotype (according to original description; not checked): 7.3.

Female

In general similar to male ( Fig. 834 ), also with hump on posterior side of ocular area, also without curved hairs on legs. Some newly collected females with dark pigment in place of AME but never with lenses. Tibia 1 in 11 newly collected females: 4.0–5.4 (mean 4.7). In female paratype measured in original description ( not checked): 4.3. Epigynum ( Fig. 868 ) large dark brown plate, with dark angular line close to anterior border, posterior margin with whitish triangular area; internal large arc visible in uncleared specimens. Without posterior epigynal plate. Internal genitalia relatively small (compared to epigynal plate; Figs 857 , 869–870 ), with pair of dark sclerites posteriorly and median sclerite between pore plates; pore plates semicircular.

Distribution

Known from several localities in the Venezuelan states Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua (Fig. 1060). All localities are at about 250–1200 m a.s.l.

Natural history

The newly collected specimens from between Maracay and Puerto Colombia were found in a degraded forest close to the road, mostly on overhanging rocks, but also on the undersides of large live leaves and under large dead leaves on the ground. At El Limón, the spiders were collected in a small degraded forest remnant along a small stream. Adult specimens were found on rock walls, usually in small cavities or under trapped leaf litter; juveniles were also found in the vegetation and even on live leaves. In El Ávila National Park the spiders were found in a very dry habitat, hiding in decaying bamboo trunks on the ground [together with Micropholcus evaluna (Huber, Pérez González & Baptista, 2005) ]. Two eggsacs contained approximately 30– 40 eggs each.

Figures

Figs 829–834. Priscula Simon, 1893; live specimens. 829–830. P. ulai González-Sponga, 1999; male and female with egg sac from Mérida, El Valle. 831–832. P. bolivari Huber sp. nov.; male and female from Mérida, Mesa Bolívar. 833–834. P. salmeronica González-Sponga, 1999; male and female with egg sac from Aragua, between Maracay and Puerto Colombia.

Figs 852–853. Priscula salmeronica González-Sponga, 1999; holotype from Miranda, Salmerón (MIZA 105589; MAGS 1014); left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrow: ventral femur apophysis). Scale line: 0.5 mm.

Figs 854–860. Priscula salmeronica González-Sponga, 1999; from Aragua, between Maracay and Puerto Colombia (ZFMK Ar 22106). 854–856. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrow: retrolateral ridge with shallow pocket). 857. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. 858–860. Left genital bulb, dorsal, retrolateral, and ventral views (arrow: subdistal prolateral process). Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

Figs 861–870. Priscula Simon, 1893; epigyna, ventral (and lateral) views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 861–863. P. ulai González-Sponga, 1999; from Mérida, El Valle (ZFMK Ar 22099). 864–867. P. bolivari Huber sp. nov.; from Mérida, Mesa Bolívar (ZFMK Ar 22103). 868–870. P. salmeronica González-Sponga, 1999; from Aragua, between Maracay and Puerto Colombia (ZFMK Ar 22106).