Mesabolivar González-Sponga, 1998

Notes

Mesabolivar is among the most species-rich Neotropical pholcid genera, with currently 94 described species and many undescribed species present in collections (B.A. Huber, L.S. Carvalho, unpubl. data). A recent revision of the genus proposed nine species groups (Huber 2018). Only two of these are present in Venezuela:

The pseudoblechroscelis group with the type species M. pseudoblechroscelis González-Sponga, 1998 and an unidentified species represented by a single female and 2 juveniles from Bolívar, km 44 from El Dorado (6.417° N, 61.642° W), ~ 200 m a.s.l., 2 Dec. 2002 (B.A. Huber), female abdomen deposited in ZFMK (Ar 21964), other specimens in pure ethanol (ZFMK, Ven02/100-39).

The aurantiacus group with six species: M. anseriformis (González-Sponga, 2011); M. aurantiacus (Mello-Leitṳo, 1930); M. cyaneus (Taczanowski, 1874); M. eberhardi Huber, 2000; M. macushi Huber, 2018; and M. spinosus (González-Sponga, 2005) .

An eighth Venezuelan species is among those that could not be assigned to any species group: M. yuruani (Huber, 2000) . Of the eight described Venezuelan species, only three are treated below. For the other species, see the recent revision in Huber (2018). Here, only a few amendments are given concerning the two species described by González-Sponga not further treated herein:

The type locality of M. anseriformis (González-Sponga, 2011), Salto Caruay (= Salto El Hueso, Salto Karwai) is at 5.653° N, 61.896° W, i.e., 75 km NE of the coordinates given in González-Sponga (2011b) (and copied in Huber 2018).

The MIZA has more material of M. spinosus (González-Sponga, 2005) than indicated in the original description and in Huber (2018): two vials with the same MAGS number 1176 (MIZA 105708/9), with a total of 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 2 juvs types, Cerro Guaiquinima, “Camp 1” [approximately 5.956° N, 63.495° W?], 1340 m a.s.l., 21 Feb. 1990 (M.A. González S.); one vial MAGS 1179 (MIZA 105707), with 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, types, Cerro Guaiquinima, “Campamento 4” [approximately 5.808° N, 63.538° W?], 920 m a.s.l., 5 Feb. 1990 (E. Toro, L. Jaspe); and one vial with 3 ♀♀, misidentified paratypes of Carapoia paraguaensis González-Sponga, 1998, MAGS 1178 (MIZA 105736), “Carapo, base del Guaiquinima” [approximately 5.730° N, 63.533° W], 480 m a.s.l., 17 Feb. 1990 (L. Sanabria, M.A. González S.).