Pholcus kawit Huber

Huber, Bernhard A., Nuñeza, Olga M. & Leh Moi Ung, Charles, 2016, The Philippine hair wax spiders and their relatives: revision of the Pholcus bicornutus species group (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 225, pp. 1-34 : 15-17

Pholcus kawit Huber , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:92029EA1-F343-406C-8D5F-AD6D9F5820C3

Figs 30–32 , 38–39 , 45–49

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from most similar known relatives (species with horns between eye triads carrying brushes of unglued hairs and with simple, unhinged procursi: P. arayat , P. pagbilao , P. schawalleri , P. baguio sp. nov., P. mulu sp. nov.) by distal modifications of procursus (dorsal pointed process; Fig. 46 ); from most species also by female genitalia (epigynum large trapezoidal plate - Fig. 30 ; similar in P. pagbilao and P. mulu sp. nov.); from most species (except P. mulu sp. nov.) also by undivided dark median band ventrally on abdomen ( Fig. 39 ); from P. pagbilao also by simpler appendix ( Fig. 45 ); from P. arayat also by wider abdomen ( Figs 38–39 ); from P. schawalleri also by more slender uncus ( Fig. 45 ). From other species of the P. bicornutus group ( P. bicornutus and P. olangapo sp. nov.) by unhinged procursus, presence of appendix, large epigynal plate, and by absence of curved hairs on legs.

Etymology

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

Material examined

Holotype

PHILIPPINES: ♁, Mindanao, Mt. Matutum , Kawit Forest , ‘site 1’ (6.338° N, 125.104° E), 950 m a.s.l., along brook , among rocks and tree roots , 13 Feb. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK ( Ar 15504 ) .

Other material

PHILIPPINES: 2 ♁♁, 1 ♀, 3 juvs, ZFMK ( Ar 15505 ), same data as holotype ; 3 juvs , in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Phi 267 ), same data .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 8.0, carapace width 1.8. Leg 1: 52.5 (12.7 + 0.7 + 12.7 + 23.7 + 2.7), tibia 2: 8.4, tibia 3: 5.3, tibia 4: 7.5; tibia 1 L/d: 78. Distance PME-PME 370 µm, diameter PME 140×170 µm, distance PME-ALE ~50 µm, distance AME-AME 30 µm, diameter AME 90 µm.

COLOR. Carapace pale ochre to orange, with wide median dark brown mark including ocular area and small brown submarginal marks laterally ( Fig. 38 ); clypeus light brown; sternum monochromous light brown to orange, labium darker; legs light brown to ochre, dark rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae lighter; abdomen ochre-gray, dorsally with several pairs of dark cuticular marks that are fused above spinnerets, with distinct internal darker marks visible through cuticle dorsally and laterally; ventrally with undivided wide brown band between gonopore and spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 38 ; ocular area raised, each eye triad on additional short hump directed towards lateral, with pair of short processes between eye triads, each with distal brush of hairs; carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum wider than long (1.05/0.95), unmodified. ALS with one widened, one pointed, and three to four very small conical spigots (~1.5–3 µm wide and ~3–6 µm long).

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 47 , with small lateral and frontal apophyses proximally and dark distal apophyses near median line provided with two small modified (cone-shaped) hairs each; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 45–46 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with short conical retrolateral process and longer ventral apophysis with distinctive tip; femur with finger-shaped retrolateral process proximally and distinct ventral apophysis; tibia with dark dorsal band, also ventrally darkened, with small but distinct ventral cavity (for proximal bulbal sclerite); procursus complex distally, with distinctive pointed process dorsally (more sclerotized and at different angle than in P. baguio sp. nov.); bulb with large uncus, weakly sclerotized wide embolus, simple appendix with main branch curved towards retrolateral and shorter prolateral side-branch.

LEGS. Without spines or curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 4%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with>30 pseudosegments, only distally about 10 fairly distinct.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in other male: 13.5 (missing in third male).

Female

In general similar to male but sternum dark brown, eye triads closer together (distance PME-PME 230 µm), without processes between eye triads. Tibiae 1 missing. Epigynum large trapezoidal plate surrounded by whitish cuticle ( Fig. 30 ); with anterior ‘knob’; internal genitalia as in Figs 32 and 49 .

Natural history

Adult specimens were only found in large holes at tree bases near a brook in the forest. Juveniles were more common in any dark sheltered spaces along the brook.

Distribution

Known from type locality in Mindanao only ( Fig. 2 ).

Figures

Figs 24 – 35. Epigyna, ventral views, and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal view. 24 – 26. Pholcus olangapo Huber, sp. nov., ZFMK Ar 15498. 27 – 29. Pholcus mulu Huber, sp. nov., ZFMK Ar 15502. 30 – 32. Pholcus kawit Huber, sp. nov., ZFMK Ar 15505. 33 – 35. Pholcus baguio Huber, sp. nov., ZFMK Ar 15508.

Figs 36 – 39. Live specimens. 36 – 37. Pholcus mulu Huber, sp. nov., ♁, Gunung Mulu. 38 – 39. Pholcus kawit Huber, sp. nov., ♁ and ♀, Mt. Matutum.

Figs 45 – 49. Pholcus kawit Huber, sp. nov., ZFMK Ar 15505. 45 – 46. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrow points at ventral cavity of tibia). 47. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 48 – 49. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale lines: 45 – 46 = 1 mm; 47 – 49 = 0.5 mm.

Figs 1 – 2. Known distributions of the two subgroups of the Pholcus bicornutus species group.