Holocnemus Simon, 1873

Huber, Bernhard A., 2022, Revisions of Holocnemus and Crossopriza: the spotted-leg clade of Smeringopinae (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 795 (1), pp. 1-241 : 7-9

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2022.795.1663

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7394D45E-46E1-453C-BF7E-1FE1B2CEBB0A

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6317864

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/671CB865-FFA9-FFF3-FDE9-FDDFFAF48A3E

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Holocnemus Simon, 1873
status

 

Holocnemus Simon, 1873 View in CoL View at ENA

Holocnemus Simon, 1873: 48 View in CoL

(type species: Aranea pluchei Scopoli, 1763 View in CoL ).

Holocnemus View in CoL – Simon 1893: 471. — Wiehle 1933: 241.

Remark

Holocnemus is an artificial non-monophyletic group (see Relationships below) that is here maintained for the lack of a convincing better solution. The four included species can be weakly diagnosed by sharing the synapomorphies of the spotted-leg clade (i.e., spotted legs and prolateral hump on the procursus) while maintaining the plesiomorphic long abdomen. A comprehensive description of a nonmonophyletic genus appears of little value. The type species H. pluchei is unique in many ways and may eventually end up in its own monotypic genus. The species description below will thus probably serve the entire genus. For the other three species, I also refer to the redescriptions below.

Relationships

There is strong evidence that the four species currently included in Holocnemus are part of the spotted-leg clade of Smeringopinae , together with the genera Crossopriza , Maghreba gen. nov., and Stygopholcus . Beyond that, however, relationships continue to be obscure. All available evidence suggests that Holocnemus as currently construed is not monophyletic. The cladistic analysis places the type species H. pluchei as sister to all other representatives of the spotted-leg clade, and the other species in a paraphyletic comb ( Fig. 1 View Fig ). Support for several of these nodes is weak, however, suggesting that a genomic analysis (in preparation) may well propose a different view of relationships. For that reason, no formal taxonomic changes are implemented here.

Distribution

The type species H. pluchei is widely distributed around the Mediterranean, and has relatively recently expanded towards the north and east and to other continents ( Fig. 2 View Fig ). The other three species are restricted to the western Mediterranean: H. reini to northwestern Africa ( Fig. 3 View Fig ), H. caudatus and H. hispanicus to the Iberian Peninsula ( Figs 3–4 View Fig View Fig 4 ).

Natural history

See individual sections on natural history below.

Composition

Currently four nominal species. The species number of this ‘group’ is not likely to change substantially (or not at all) in the future, considering the size of the spiders, their relatively overt life-style (compared to most other Smeringopinae ), and their geographic distribution.

Identification key

1. Female with enlarged palps ( Figs 29–30 View Figs 29–35 ), with median process on sternum ( Figs 31 View Figs 29–35 , 58 View Figs 51–58 ); male with pair of distinctive processes on distal bulbal sclerite ( Figs 24, 26 View Figs 20–28 ) ......... H. pluchei ( Scopoli, 1763) View in CoL

– Female with regular thin palps, without median process on sternum; males with very different distal bulbal sclerites ( Figs 66–68 View Figs 62–70 , 139–141 View Figs 136–145 ) ............................................................................................. 2

2. Sternum in male and female unmodified (i.e., without marginal indentations); male cheliceral apophyses with one modified hair each ( Figs 142 View Figs 136–145 , 150 View Figs 146–154 ); procursus ventral sclerite not covered retrolaterally by membrane ( Fig. 138 View Figs 136–145 ); distal bulbal sclerite trapezoidal in prolateral view ( Figs 139 View Figs 136–145 , 154 View Figs 146–154 ); epigynum with two long, anteriorly converging pockets (furrows) ( Figs 133–134 View Figs 129–135 , 162 View Figs 155–162 ) ........... ................................................................................................................... H. hispanicus Wiehle, 1933 View in CoL

– Sternum in male and female with distinct marginal indentations ( Figs 81 View Figs 81–88 , 112 View Figs 111–118 ); male cheliceral apophyses with 2–3 modified hairs each ( Figs 64 View Figs 62–70 , 82–83 View Figs 81–88 , 115 View Figs 111–118 ); procursus with distinctive retrolateral membrane partly covering ventral sclerite ( Figs 63 View Figs 62–70 , 117 View Figs 111–118 ); distal bulbal sclerite triangular in prolateral view ( Figs 66 View Figs 62–70 , 92 View Figs 89–96 ); epigynum with pair of pockets in different arrangement ( Figs 69 View Figs 62–70 , 96 View Figs 89–96 , 99 View Figs 97–100 , 128 View Figs 119–128 ) ... ...............................................................................................................................................................3

3. Wide distances between male cheliceral apophyses (70–80% of cheliceral maximum width) and between female epigynal pockets (> 0.5 mm) .......................... H. reini View in CoL comb. nov. (C. Koch, 1873)

– Small distances between male cheliceral apophyses (50–60% of cheliceral maximum width) and between female epigynal pockets (<0.4 mm) ....................................... H. caudatus ( Dufour, 1820) View in CoL

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Loc

Holocnemus Simon, 1873

Huber, Bernhard A. 2022
2022
Loc

Holocnemus

Wiehle H. 1933: 241
Simon E. 1893: 471
1893
Loc

Holocnemus

Simon E. 1873: 48
1873
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