Micropholcus darbat Huber, 2024

Huber, Bernhard A. & Meng, Guanliang, 2024, Old World Micropholcus spiders, with first records of acrocerid parasitoids in Pholcidae (Araneae), ZooKeys 1213, pp. 95-182 : 95-182

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3897/zookeys.1213.133178
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B8E6EE1A-023D-4B64-8D3A-C1843F0D8376
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13844671
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A7E37832-2C7E-43AA-B85F-DDFCCBA26009
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:A7E37832-2C7E-43AA-B85F-DDFCCBA26009
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Micropholcus darbat Huber
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Micropholcus darbat Huber sp. nov.

Figs 4 A, B View Figure 4 , 5 B View Figure 5 , 6 D, E View Figure 6 , 7 H View Figure 7 , 8 A – C View Figure 8 , 9 C View Figure 9 , 10 C, D View Figure 10 , 11 B, G, H View Figure 11 , 52 View Figure 52 , 53 View Figure 53 , 54 View Figure 54 , 55 View Figure 55

Micropholcus sp. n. Om 74 – Huber and Eberle 2021, Suppl. material 1.

Type material.

Holotype. Oman – Dhofar • ♂; Wadi Darbat ; between 17.086 ° N, 54.444 ° E and 17.095 ° N, 54.452 ° E; 200–230 m a. s. l., 23 Feb. 2018; B. A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24671 . GoogleMaps

Other material.

Oman – Dhofar • 9 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, 1 juv. (1 ♂, 1 ♀ used for SEM); same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Ar 24672 , 24699 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Om 133 GoogleMaps • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Ain Athoom ; 17.1185 ° N, 54.3667 ° E; 280 m a. s. l.; in small cave; 28 Feb. 2018; B. A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24673 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Om 147 GoogleMaps • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; near Qairoon Hairitti ; 17.2600 ° N, 54.0808 ° E; 845 m a. s. l.; in small cave; 27 Feb. 2018; B. A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24674 GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Om 146 GoogleMaps • 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 1 juv.; Wadi Nahiz ; 17.140 ° N, 54.123 ° E; 140 m a. s. l.; in small caverns; 26 Feb. 2018; B. A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24675 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀, 3 juvs, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Om 142 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Males are easily distinguished from known congeners by shape of procursus with distinctive dorsal hinged process split into two branches (Fig. 53 C View Figure 53 ); also by shapes of bulbal processes (Fig. 53 D, E View Figure 53 ; prolateral apophysis simple, with small proximal prolateral hump) and cheliceral processes (Fig. 54 A, B View Figure 54 ; proximal frontal processes very low and indistinct); from geographically close M. shaat sp. nov. also by longer trochanter apophysis without distinct proximal process (Fig. 52 C View Figure 52 ). Females differ from known congeners by pair of internal pockets visible also in uncleared specimens (arrows in Fig. 55 View Figure 55 ); from geographically close M. shaat sp. nov. also by epigynum without median sclerotised band (Fig. 55 A View Figure 55 ), pore plates oval and converging anteriorly (Fig. 55 C View Figure 55 ), and internal genitalia without large membranous sac.

Description.

Male (holotype). Measurements. Total body length 3.2, carapace width 1.2. Distance PME - PME 250 µm; diameter PME 90 µm; distance PME - ALE 20 µm; distance AME - AME 15 µm; diameter AME 55 µm. Leg 1: 36.5 (9.1 + 0.6 + 9.1 + 16.1 + 1.6), tibia 2: 5.9, tibia 3: 3.8, tibia 4: 5.1; tibia 1 L / d: 83; diameters of leg femora (at half length) 0.12–0.13; of leg tibiae 0.11.

Colour (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs pale ochre-yellow, carapace with brown median mark; legs with darkened patellae and tibia-metatarsus joints; abdomen pale grey to whitish.

Body. Habitus as in Fig. 4 A View Figure 4 . Ocular area raised (distinct in frontal view; Fig. 5 B View Figure 5 ). Carapace without thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.75 / 0.60), unmodified. Abdomen oval, approximately twice as long as wide. Gonopore with four epiandrous spigots (Fig. 10 C View Figure 10 ).

Chelicerae. As in Figs 6 D View Figure 6 , 54 A, B View Figure 54 ; with pair of distal apophyses near laminae, each with two cone-shaped hairs (Fig. 6 E View Figure 6 ); pair of proximal lateral processes weakly sclerotised and directed towards distal; and pair of very low proximal frontal humps.

Palps. As in Fig. 52 View Figure 52 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with long ventral apophysis with retrolateral hump at basis and modified hair at tip (Fig. 9 C View Figure 9 ); femur proximally with low dorsal hump, distally with weakly sclerotised rounded process on prolateral-ventral side; femur-patella joints shifted toward prolateral side; tibia-tarsus joints shifted toward retrolateral side; tarsus with large tarsal organ. Procursus (Figs 7 H View Figure 7 , 53 A – C View Figure 53 ) proximally with sclerotised prolateral hump; at half length with prolateral sclerotised ridge transforming distally into transparent membrane, and dense brush of dorsal hairs; distally with small retrolateral ridge, ventral apophysis directed towards prolateral, membranous ventral-prolateral flap (Fig. 8 A, B View Figure 8 ), and distinctive dorsal hinged process split into two branches. Genital bulb (Figs 8 C View Figure 8 , 53 D, E View Figure 53 ) with strong proximal sclerite, prolateral sclerite simple with small proximal prolateral hump, simple retrolateral sclerite, and mostly semi-transparent short embolus.

Legs. Without spines, without curved hairs, without sexually dimorphic short vertical hairs (most hairs missing in holotype but confirmed in males from near Qairoon Hairitti); retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 6 %; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with> 30 pseudosegments, distally distinct.

Variation (male). Tibia 1 in 16 males (incl. holotype): 6.9–9.2 (mean 8.2). Distance between eye triads 190–250 µm. Some males with white marks dorsally on abdomen.

Female. In general very similar to male but abdomen often much wider, ocular area slightly less raised and triads closer together (PME - PME 180–190 µm). Tibia 1 in 13 females: 5.7–7.1 (mean 6.3). Epigynum (Figs 10 D View Figure 10 , 55 A View Figure 55 ) anterior plate oval, protruding, with membranous knob (Fig. 11 B View Figure 11 ) in posterior position and slightly directed towards anterior; lateral internal sclerites clearly visible in untreated specimens; posterior epigynal plate very short and indistinct. Internal genitalia (Fig. 54 C View Figure 54 , 55 B, C View Figure 55 ) with pair of oval pore plates converging anteriorly, pair of lateral sclerites and pair of ventral pockets (arrows in Fig. 55 View Figure 55 ); with sclerotised anterior arc.

Etymology.

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

Distribution.

Known from several localities in Dhofar, western Oman (Fig. 13 C View Figure 13 ).

Natural history.

In Wadi Darbat and Wadi Nahiz, the spiders were abundant on the vertical rocks and rock shelters lining the valleys. They were tightly pressed against the rock surface, making them difficult to spot. Upon disturbance, they ran away or dropped to the ground. Near Qairoon Hairitti, the spiders were collected in a small and shallow cave. At Ain Athoom, most specimens were found in a small cave, but juveniles were also found under rocks in the neighbouring area. Two egg sacs contained 21 and 27 eggs, respectively, with an egg diameter of 0.59 mm ( Huber and Eberle 2021). One male had an acrocerid larva in his book lung (Fig. 76 E, F View Figure 76 ).