Modisimus fuscus, BRYANT, 1948

Huber, Bernhard A., Fischer, Nadine & Astrin, Jonas J., 2010, High level of endemism in Haiti’s last remaining forests: a revision of Modisimus (Araneae: Pholcidae) on Hispaniola, using morphology and molecules, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158 (2), pp. 244-299 : 272-273

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00559.x
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5491016
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D3130F-7A24-742B-DE6B-B8B3FA7843F0
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Modisimus fuscus
status

Treatment

MODISIMUS FUSCUS BRYANT, 1948 View in CoL

( Figs 45 View Figures 38–62 , 68 View Figures 63–82 , 142–144 View Figures 142–147 , 198)

Modisimus fuscus Bryant, 1948: 368–369 View in CoL , figures 34, 36, 37, 45.

Types: Male holotype from Kenscoff [~ 18°27 ′ N, 72°17 ′ W; ~ 1500 m a.s.l.], Dept Ouest, Haiti GoogleMaps ; with labels ‘ Haiti; Kenskoff – 4500 ft., 12 Nov. 1934 – P.J. Darlington’ and ‘ Modisimus fuscus Bryant View in CoL , ♂ – holotype B.0022’, in MCZ, examined. Female ‘allotype’ and male paratype from La Visite [~ 18°20 ′ N, 72°16 ′ W], Dept Sud-Est, Haiti GoogleMaps ; with labels ‘ Haiti; La Visite, 6-7000’, 16–23 Sept. 1934 – Darlington’ and ‘ Modisimus fuscus Bryant View in CoL , ♀ allotype – ♂ paratype’, in MCZ, examined .

Diagnosis: Medium-sized species with low ocular area (similar to M. epepye sp. nov.), enlarged femora (similar to M. epepye sp. nov.), contiguous pore plates ( Fig. 144 View Figures 142–147 ; similar to M. epepye sp. nov.); distinguished from M. epepye sp. nov. by rings on legs, shape of epigynum (scape, Fig. 45 View Figures 38–62 ), and pair of small apophyses on chelicerae ( Fig. 143 View Figures 142–147 ).

Male (Case Dent): Total length, 2.6; carapace width, 1.27. Leg 1: 3.7 + 0.5 + 3.6 + 4.5, tarsus missing; tibia 2, 2.4; tibia 3, 2.0; tibia 4, 2.4. Tibia 1 L/d: 23. Habitus in general similar to M. epepye sp. nov. (cf. Figs 23, 24 View Figures 17–37 ), carapace ochre-yellow, with dark structure visible through cuticle posteriorly, ocular area and clypeus dark ochre; sternum ochre-yellow, darker behind labium frontally, and posteriorly; leg femora with three dark ochre and three light, wide rings, tibiae with dark rings proximally and subdistally; abdomen bluish grey, densely covered with dark spots dorsally and laterally, with a few white spots; dark-ochre transverse mark in genital area ventrally, dark plate in front of spinnerets. Ocular area only slightly elevated; thoracic furrow distinct and deep. PME– PME, 125 Mm; PME diameter, 95 Mm; PME–ALE, 105 Mm; AME–AME, 10 Mm; AME diameter, 20 Mm. Sternum wider than long (0.8/0.6), unmodified. Chelicerae with proximal round humps frontally, and a pair of small pointed apophyses, close to lamellae, distally ( Fig. 143 View Figures 142–147 ). Palps as in Figure 142 View Figures 142–147 , coxa with light retrolateral apophysis, femur with rounded proximal and long distal ventral apophyses, procursus simple, with membranous structures distally, but without dorsal spine-like process, bulb with large, weakly curved apophysis. Legs with relatively thick femora, no spines; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 23%; all femora with many short vertical hairs; curved hairs, especially on tibiae, but with fewer on femora and metatarsi; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, present on all other tibiae.

Variation: Tibia 1 in other males: holotype, 3.5; paratype, 3.7. The types are in fair condition, but are more or less uniformly brown. In the holotype, the distal margin of the proximal male cheliceral hump is slightly more abrupt and distinct.

Female: In general similar to male, but with very long hairs posteriorly on sternum. Tibia 1 in all three females: 3.2. Epigynum, roughly triangular plate converging posteriorly ( Fig. 45 View Figures 38–62 ), with long hairs frontally that appear functionally related to the long sternum hairs; dorsal view as in Figures 68 View Figures 63–82 and 144 View Figures 142–147 .

Distribution and habitat: Known from two localities in the Massive de la Selle, Haiti ( Fig. 198). Near La Visite, this species was found in a thick layer of pine leaves overhanging the embankment of a ravine in the pine forest.

Material examined: Haiti: Dept Ouest, Kenscoff, 1♂, holotype above. Dept Sud-Est, La Visite, 1♂ and 1♀, paratypes above. ‘ Case Dent’ (18°20.2 ′ N, 72°16.4 ′ W) near La Visite, ravine in pine forest, 1880 m a.s.l., in small webs near the ground, 27 November 2007 (B.A. Huber), 1♂ and 2♀ ( ZFMK, Haiti 3); same data, 2♀ and one juvenile, in pure ethanol ( ZFMK, Haiti 66) GoogleMaps .