Aetana paragua Huber, 2015

Huber, Bernhard A., Nuñeza, Olga M. & Ung, Charles Leh Moi, 2015, Revision, phylogeny, and microhabitat shifts in the Southeast Asian spider genus Aetana (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 162, pp. 1-78 : 26-28

Aetana paragua Huber , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9E9FEDE8-BEB5-46D4-929C-6C2259AA7FDB

Figs 54 , 70–74 , 90–92

Diagnosis

Distinguished from closest known relatives ( A. kiukoki Huber , sp. nov., A. loboc Huber , sp. nov., A. pasambai Huber , sp. nov.) by distinctive modification of male clypeus ( Fig. 72 ; similar only in A. kiukoki Huber , sp. nov.), and tongue-shaped posterior projection of epigynum ( Fig. 73 ; very similar to A. kiukoki Huber , sp. nov.; much shorter in A. loboc Huber , sp. nov.; female of A. pasambai Huber , sp. nov. unknown). Distinguished from A. kiukoki Huber , sp. nov. also by shorter male eye stalks ( Fig. 72 ), weakly curved apophysis on male palpal femur ( Fig. 71 ), different shape of distal procursus elements ( Fig. 71 ), and pore plates wider apart ( Fig. 74 ). Distinguished from A. loboc Huber , sp. nov. and A. pasambai Huber , sp. nov. also by modification of male palpal femur (only one large retrolateral process) and absence of median process in male ocular area.

Etymology

Named for the type locality; noun in apposition.

Material examined

Holotype

PHILIPPINES: ♂, Dinagat Isl., near Libjo, Paragua Forest , ‘site 1’ (10.222° N, 125.553° E), 130 m a.s.l., forest at brook, near ground, 20 Feb. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 13952).

Other material

PHILIPPINES: Dinagat Isl., 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, same data as holotype, ZFMK (Ar 13953); 1 ♂, in pure ethanol, same data, ZFMK (Phi 230). – 1 ♀, 1 juv., Paragua Forest, ‘site 2’ (10.241° N, 125.545° E), 240 m a.s.l., forest along brook, near ground, 20 Feb. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 13954).

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.0, carapace width 1.2. Leg 1: 35.2 (8.0 + 0.5 + 8.2 + 15.5 + 3.0), tibia 2: 4.9, tibia 3: 3.4, tibia 4: 4.9; tibia 1 L/d: 67. Distance PME-PME 230 µm, diameter PME 135× 110 µm, distance PME-ALE ~ 35 µm; AME absent.

COLOR. Carapace ochre-yellow with narrow lateral marginal bands and wide dark brown median band including ocular area and clypeus; sternum with pair of wide brown bands converging posteriorly, labium proximally dark brown; legs greenish ochre with barely visible darker rings on femora (subdistally, with light tip), and tibiae (proximally and subdistally, the latter followed by light tip); abdomen ochre-gray, dorsally and laterally covered with many black marks, with few indistinct white marks, ventrally with dark band behind gonopore and very indistinct mark in front of spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in A. kiukoki Huber , sp. nov. (cf. Figs 51–52 ); ocular area raised, each triad on additional hump directed toward lateral, without median process; carapace with very shallow median furrow in anterior part only; clypeus with large distinctive process ( Fig. 72 ), strongly protruding in upper part, with two pairs of rounded apophyses set with small scales; sternum wider than long (0.80/0.55), unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 72 , with pair of dark lateral apophyses proximally, barely visible lateral humps more distally; without modified hairs; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 70–71 ; very similar to A. kiukoki Huber , sp. nov., but retrolateral apophysis of femur less strongly curved, distal elements of procursus different, and semitransparent pointed process on bulb smaller.

LEGS. Without spines; with curved hairs on metatarsi 1–3 (few curved hairs also on tibiae 1–2); few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~30 pseudosegments, only distally distinct.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in 2 other males: 8.2, 8.3.

Female

In general similar to male but clypeus unmodified; eye triads much closer together (distance PME-PME 125 µm); without stridulatory apparatus between carapace and abdomen. Tibia 1 in 4 females: 5.5, 5.6, 5.6, 5.8; dark and light rings on legs often more distinct than in males. Epigynum and internal genitalia very similar to those of A. kiukoki Huber , sp. nov., but tongue-shaped posterior projection slightly shorter and wider ( Figs 73 , 90 ), and pore plates wider apart ( Fig. 74 ).

Natural history

The spiders were found in domed webs very close to the ground. At the same locality, A. libjo Huber , sp. nov. occurred higher among the vegetation.

Distribution

Known from two neighboring localities on Dinagat Island only ( Fig. 4 ).

Figures

Figs 51–56. Live specimens. Aetana kiukoki group. 51–53. A. kiukoki Huber, sp. nov., ♂ from Baganihan (51), ♂ and ♀ from Santo Domingo (52–53), Mindanao. 54. A. paragua Huber, sp. nov., ♀ from Dinagat Island, Mindanao. 55–56. A. loboc Huber, sp. nov., ♂ and ♀ with eggsac from near Loboc, Bohol.

Figs 70–74. Aetana paragua Huber, sp. nov. 70–71. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 72. Male prosoma, frontal view. 73–74. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views (arrows point at serrated ridges). rt = retrolateral trichobothrium. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

Figs 87–95. Aetana kiukoki group. Female genitalia; untreated in ventral view, cleared in ventral and dorsal views. — 87–89. A. kiukoki Huber, sp. nov. — 90–92. A. paragua Huber, sp. nov. — 93–95. A. loboc Huber, sp. nov.

Figs 3–4. Known distributions of the Aetana ocampoi (3) and A. kiukoki (4) groups. The question mark denotes a female specimen assigned tentatively to A. kiukoki.