Calapnita anai, Bernhard A. Huber, 2017

Bernhard A. Huber, 2017, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Southeast Asian leaf-dwelling spider genus Calapnita Simon (Araneae, Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4219 (1), pp. 1-63 : 29-30

Calapnita anai sp. nov. Figs 11–12 , 107–119

“ Calapnita phasmoides ” (misidentification): Huber 2011: 59 (only specimens assigned tentatively from Sumatra and Java).

Diagnosis. Males are easily distinguished from most congeners (except C. phasmoides and C. deelemanae ) by simple appendix with small subdistal side-branch ( Fig. 110 ); from C. phasmoides and C. deelemanae by tip of procursus (not strongly bent; indistinct retrolateral hump; dorsally gradually widening; Figs 107–109 ); females of these three species may be indistinguishable externally; internally, the round pore plates close together and the straight anterior margin ( Fig. 111 ) may be distinctive.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality; noun in apposition.

Material examined. Holotype. INDONESIA-SUMATRA: ♂, ZFMK (Ar 16016), West Sumatra, Lembah Anai Forest Reserve , forest along stream (0.472°S, 100.363°E), 600 m a.s.l., 19.x.2009 (S. Sutono).

Other material. INDONESIA-SUMATRA: 3♀, ZFMK (Ar 16016), together with holotype; 3♂ 5♀ in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Ind 134), same data.

SINGAPORE: 2♂ 1♀, ZFMK ( Ar 16017), MacRitchie Reservoir Park (1°21.3’N, 103°48.8’E), 50 m a.s.l., on leaves, 14.ii.2015 (B.A. Huber, J.K.H. Koh, D. Court) ; 5♂ 4♀ 2 juvs in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 207), same data . 1♀ in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Mal 221), Rifle Range (1°21.3’N, 103°47.8’E), 50 m a.s.l., on leaf, 15.ii.2015 (B.A. Huber, D. Court).

MALAYSIA: 2♂ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 16018), Pahang, Cameron Highlands (4°27.6’N, 101°23.5’E), 1200 m a.s.l., forest along ‘trail 9’, on leaves, 25.ii.2015 (B.A. Huber); 4 juvs in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 281), same data . 1♀ in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 260), Pahang, Ulu Dong (3°56.2’N, 102°01.9’E), 190 m a.s.l., forest near river, on leaf, 21.ii.2015 (B.A. Huber, A.R.M. Ghazali, K.A. Braima).

THAILAND: 1♂ in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 307), Narathiwat, Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary , ‘site 3’ (5°48.5’N, 101°49.4’E), 220 m a.s.l., forest near road, leaf litter, 2.iii.2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad) . 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 16019), Narathiwat, Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary , ‘site 2’ (5°48.4’N, 101°48.6’E), 330 m a.s.l., forest near river, on leaves, 2.iii.2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad) . 1♀ in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 301), Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary , ‘site 1’, forest at river near headquarters (5°47.8’N, 101°49.9’E), 90 m a.s.l., on leaf, 1.iii.2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad) . 3♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 16020), Satun, Thaleban National Park (6°42.6’N, 100°10.2’E), forest near headquarters, 110 m a.s.l., on leaves, 5.iii.2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad) ; 2♀ in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 327), same data.

Description. Male (holotype).

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 5.6, carapace width 1.0. Leg 1: 35.9 (8.4 + 0.4 + 8.5 + 16.6 + 2.0), tibia 2: 6.1, tibia 3: 3.6, tibia 4: 5.5; tibia 1 L/d: 100. Distance PME-PME 300 µm, diameter PME 90 µm, distance PME- ALE ~30 µm; no trace of AME.

COLOR. Entire animal mostly whitish to pale ochre-yellow, patellae and tibia-metatarsus joints slightly darker brown, abdomen monochromous whitish.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 11 ; ocular area barely elevated, each triad on very low hump; carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum as wide as long (0.56), unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in close relatives (cf. figs 172, 204 in Huber 2011), with pair of scaly apophyses near lamellae ( Fig. 112 ) and pair of distinct but whitish proximal humps; without modified hairs; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. In general similar to C. phasmoides (cf. figs 194–195 in Huber 2011); tip of trochanter apophysis more strongly curved; procursus rather simple distally, gradually widening in lateral view, with indistinct retrolateral process ( Figs 107–109 ); appendix with small retrolateral cone between tip and subdistal side branch ( Figs 110 , 115 ).

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2.5%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 apparently with ~30 pseudosegments but only distally fairly visible in dissecting microscope.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in 8 other males (including “ C. phasmoides ” male from Sumatra in Huber 2011): 7.4– 8.6 (mean 7.8).

Female. In general similar to male; eye triads slightly closer together (distance PME-PME 250 µm). Tibia 1 in 12 females (including “ C. phasmoides ” females from Sumatra in Huber 2011): 6.1–7.2 (mean 6.7). Epigynum weakly sclerotized, internal dark structure visible through cuticle near posterior margin; with simple posterior ‘knob’ ( Fig. 119 ); internal genitalia as in Fig 111 .

Natural history. At Cameron Highlands, all specimens were collected from banana leaves near the forest edge; no specimen was seen in the forest. Egg-sacs (seen at several localities) consisted of a single row of 9– 12 eggs ( Fig. 12 ). Webs consisted of a rather dense sheet of silk, but could only be seen against the light when the leaf was viewed from the side.

Distribution. Widely distributed on the Malay Peninsula and West Sumatra ( Fig. 281 ); the single female from Java that was tentatively assigned to C. phasmoides in Huber 2011 may in fact belong to this species.

Figures

FIGURE 281. Known distribution of the Calapnita phyllicola group, part 1 (cf. Fig. 282). The western Java record is based on a single female of uncertain identity. For details on the undescribed species in RMNH see C. phasmoides.

FIGURES 3 – 12. Live specimens, Calapnita phyllicola group. 3 – 6. C. lehi sp. nov., ♂ and ♀ with egg-sac from Lambir (3 – 4); ♂ and penultimate instar ♂ from Gunung Mulu (5 – 6). 7 – 8. C. kubah sp. nov., ♂ and ♀ with egg-sac from Kubah. 9. C. deelemanae Huber, ♀ with egg-sac from Poring. 10. C. subphyllicola Deeleman-Reinhold, ♀ with egg-sac from Malagos. 11 – 12. C. anai sp. nov., ♂ from MacRitchie, ♀ with egg-sac from Lembah Anai.

FIGURES 107 – 111. Calapnita anai sp. nov. (ZFMK, Ar 16016). 107 – 109. Left procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 110. Left bulbal appendix, prolateral view. 111. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.5 mm (all male structures at same scale).

FIGURES 112 – 119. Calapnita anai sp. nov., SEM micrographs (ZFMK, Mal 207). 112. Male cheliceral apophysis. 113. Tip of right procursus, prolateral view. 114. Tip of left procursus, retrolateral view. 115. Tips of left embolus and appendix (arrow points at sperm duct opening). 116 – 117. Male and female ALS (asterisk marks area where one spigot it absent). 118. Male gonopore. 119. Epigynum, ventral view. a, appendix; e, embolus. Scale lines: 10 µm (112, 116, 117), 50 µm (113, 114, 118), 100 µm (115, 119).