Pholcus sabah Huber, 2011

Berhard A. Huber, Booppa Petchard, Charles Leh Moi Ung, Joseph K. H. Koh & Amir R. M. Ghazali, 2016, The Southeast Asian Pholcus halabala species group (Araneae, Pholcidae): new data from field observations and ultrastructure, European Journal of Taxonomy 190 (190), pp. 1-55 : 12-13

Pholcus sabah Huber, 2011

Figs 9–10

Pholcus sabah Huber, 2011: 133 , figs 497–498, 537–541 (♂♀).

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from putatively closest known relatives (other species in the halabala core group) by ‘double’ uncus and large rounded rather than pointed flap dorsally on procursus (figs 537, 538 in Huber 2011) and by large lateral structures in female internal genitalia (fig. 541 in Huber 2011).

New material examined

MALAYSIA-BORNEO: 1 ♂, ZFMK ( Ar 15012 ), Sabah , Mt Kinabalu , Poring Hot Springs (type locality), forest near beginning of Kipungit Trail (6.048° N, 116.706° E), 450 m a.s.l., on underside of leaf, 7 Aug. 2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber) ; 1 ♂, RMNH, Poring Hot Springs , 28–31 Mar. 1998 (C.L. Deeleman-Reinhold, P. Zborowski) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 2 juvs, ZFMK ( Ar 15013 ), Sepilok, Rainforest Discovery Centre, forest along Pitta Trail (5.875– 5.878° N, 117.937– 117.942° E), 30 m a.s.l., on undersides of leaves, 9 Aug. 2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber) ; 1 ♀, 5 juvs, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Bor 173 ), same data .

Note

The color dimorphism observed among females from Poring in the original description also occurs among males: while the single male from Sepilok has the ‘usual’ pattern of two V-marks ( Fig. 10 ), the newly collected male from Poring has a large black mark covering most of the carapace posteriorly ( Fig. 9 ). This latter pattern also occurs in one of the three females from Sepilok. In the male it is associated with a slightly darker brown sternum that is only medially and anteriorly light; in the female it is associated with a black sternum. Tibia 1 in two males: 7.1, 8.4; in two females: 7.1, 7.3.

Natural history

Most new specimens were collected relatively close to the ground (approximately 50 cm above the ground). All previously known specimens (1♂, 3♀♀) were collected by canopy fogging ( Huber 2011).

Distribution

Known from two localities in northeastern Borneo ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

Fig. 17. Known distribution of the core group of the Pholcus halabala species group.

Figs 9 – 16. Live specimens, Pholcus sabah Huber, 2011 (9 – 10), Ph. lintang Huber, sp. nov. (11 – 12) and Ph. erawan Huber, 2011 (13 – 16). 9. ♂ from Poring, Sabah. 10. ♂ from Sepilok, Sabah. 11 – 12. ♂ and ♀ from Bako, Sarawak. 13. ♂ from Khao Nan, Thailand. 14. Male from Erawan, Thailand. 15 – 16. ♂ and ♀ with egg-sac from Gunung Jerai, Malaysia.