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

Leptopholcus baoruco Huber , new species

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

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 .

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 , 4b, c , 9a ), by the shape of the procursus ( Figure 3b ), and by the internal sclerotized structures in the female genitalia ( Figures 2i , 3d ); from L. hispaniola also by the much longer male palpal trochanter apophysis ( Figure 3b ) and longer abdominal projection beyond the spinnerets ( Figure 2b ); from L. toma also by the dark ocular area ( Figure 2a ).

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 ; 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 ). 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 , 4d ). Palps as in Figure 3a, b ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with short retrolateral and long ventral apophyses, the latter with distal modified hair ( Figure 4h ); 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 ); genital bulb with distinctive uncus and appendix and slightly sclerotized embolus ( Figures 3a , 4b, c , 9a ); palpal tarsal organ capsulate ( Figure 4f ). 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 ); pseudosegments on tarsi very indistinct, only a few visible distally. Gonopore with four epiandrous spigots ( Figure 4g ). 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 ), 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 ). Usually with pair of small grey marks behind ocular area. ALS with one widened, one pointed, and five cylindrically shaped spigots ( Figure 4i ), PMS with two small pointed spigots, PLS without spigots. Epigynum with median rounded projection ( Figures 3d , 4j ), with distinctive internal sclerotized structures, very elongated pore plates ( Figures 3e , 4k ). 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 ).

Material examined

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

Figures

Figure 1. (a, b) Leptopholcus baoruco, male (a) and female with egg sac (b) on banana leaves, in the typical position flat against the leaf; (c) the piece of amber containing the holotype of L. kiskeya and four unidentified insects; the length of the piece is 23 mm; (d) ventral view of L. kiskeya; (e) unparasitized egg sacs of L. baoruco; (f) parasitized egg sacs of L. baoruco (arrows point to two unparasitized eggs).

Figure 2. (a–f) Males in dorsal and lateral views: Leptopholcus baoruco (a, b); L. hispaniola (c, d); L. toma (e, f); (g, h) L. baoruco females, lateral views; (i–k) untreated female genitalia in ventral views: L. baoruco (i); L. hispaniola (j); L. toma (k).

Figure 3. Leptopholcus baoruco. (a, b) Male palp in prolateral and retrolateral views; (c) male chelicerae, frontal view; (d, e) cleared epigynum in ventral and dorsal views. a, appendix; b, bulb; f, femur; p, procursus; pp, pore plate; tr, trochanter; u, uncus. Scale bars: 0.3 mm (a, b); 0.2 mm (c–e).

Figure 4. Leptopholcus baoruco, SEM images. (a) Female ocular area (arrows point to AME); (b, c) male bulbal projections; (d) male distal cheliceral apophysis (arrows point to modified hairs); (e) tip of procursus, retrolateral view; (f) male palpal tarsal organ; (g) male gonopore; (h) tip of male palpal trochanter apophysis with modified hair at tip; (i) female ALS; (j) epigynum, ventral view; (k) female internal genitalia, dorsal view of cleared genitalia; (l) pore plate, dorsal view; (m) pore plate, ventral view. a, appendix; e, embolus; pp, pore plate; u, uncus. Scale bars: 100 Mm (a–c, k); 10 Mm (d, f, h, i, m); 70 Mm (e); 40 Mm (g); 200 Mm (j); 6 Mm (l).

Figure 8. Leptopholcus toma, SEM images. (a) Left procursus and palpal trochanter, retrolateral view; (b, c) male bulbal projections; (d) tip of male palpal trochanter apophysis with modified hair; (e) tip of procursus, retrolateral view; (f) female ocular area (arrows point to AME lenses); (g) female tarsus 4 with row of serrated hairs; (h) tip of female pedipalp; (i) female spinnerets and anal cone; (j) female ALS and PMS; (k) epigynum, ventral view; (l) female internal genitalia, dorsal view of cleared genitalia; (m) pore plate, dorsal view. a, appendix; e, embolus; p, procursus; tr, trochanter; u, uncus. Scale bars: 100 Mm (a, c, f, l); 70 Mm (b, i); 10 Mm (d, g, j); 50 Mm (e); 30 Mm (h); 200 Mm (k); 20 Mm (m).

Figure 9. Distinctive bulbal projections (left bulbs in retrolateral views). (a) Leptopholcus baoruco; (b) L. hispaniola; (c) L. toma from type locality; (d) L. toma from near Cabral. a, appendix; e, embolus; u, uncus. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 10. Known distribution of Leptopholcus in Hispaniola. Unidentified females and juveniles were collected at two localities in the Dominican Republic: near El Pino (19°24.79N, 71°29.99W), E of San Juan de la Maguana (18°47.69N, 71°12.29W). All other localities are detailed in the text.