Hoplopholcus atik, Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A., 2020, Revision of the spider genus Hoplopholcus Kulczyński (Araneae, Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4726 (1), pp. 1-94 : 72-75

Hoplopholcus atik sp. n.

Figs 356–371

Pholcus opilionoides (misidentification)— Roewer 1959: 10 (only specimens from “Atik, Amanus”).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from known congeners by shapes of procursus and bulbal processes ( Figs 362–363, 366–369 ): tip of procursus with large dorsal process (arrow in Fig. 363 ) and prolateral whitish protrusion (arrow in Fig. 362 ), without sclerotized prolateral process or ridge, ventral spine of procursus proximally strongly curved, ventral ‘knee’ of procursus small but distinct; ventral bulbal sclerite distally strongly widened (in retrolateral view, Fig. 369 ). Females are difficult to distinguish externally from congeners; dorsal arc with distinctive median ridge (arrow in Fig. 371 ), median pouch of uterus externus poorly visible in uncleared specimens ( Fig. 359 ); pair of lateral pouches of uterus externus connected to ventral arc, with posteriorly diverging sclerotized external margins ( Fig. 370 ).

Type material. TURKEY, Hatay: ♂ holotype, NHMG, Amanus [ Amanus Mountains , Nur Dağlari], Atik [~ 36.52°N, 36.24°E], Roewer collection number “TQ 139” (“ Aatik, Grotte I ”), 17.vi.1953 (K. Lindberg) .

Other material examined. TURKEY: 3♂ 8♀, NHMG and 1♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 20966), same data as holotype .

Uncertain identity (see Description below). TURKEY, Erzurum: 1♂ 1♀ 1 juv., NMNHS, Tercan District, small cave near road at 2 km W Tercan (39.773°N, 40.356°E), 1465 m a.s.l., under stones and on walls, 18.vii.2006 (P. Stoev, S. Lazarov).

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

Description. Male (holotype). MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.7, carapace width 1.7. Distance PME-PME 130 µm; diameter PME 110 µm; distance PME-ALE 40 µm; diameter AME 60 µm; distance AME-AME 30 µm. Leg 1: 37.4 (10.2 + 0.8 + 10.2 + 13.5 + 2.7), tibia 2: 6.7, tibia 3: 5.2, tibia 4: 6.2; tibia 1 L/d: 57.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace mostly ochre-yellow, ocular area and clypeus light brown; sternum ochre-yellow, medially slightly darker and margins light brown; legs ochre-yellow, without darker rings; abdomen monochromous gray, only dorso-posteriorly with indistinct darker marks; ventrally with light brown plate in front of gonopore.

BODY. Habitus similar to H. labyrinthi (cf. Figs 6–7 ). Ocular area slightly elevated. Deep thoracic pit and indistinct pair of shallow furrows diverging from pit toward posterior margin. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (1.3/0.8), unmodified. Abdomen oval, dorso-posteriorly rounded.

CHELICERAE. As in Figs 364–365 , with pair of latero-distal apophyses provided with two modified coneshaped hairs each; fine stridulatory ridges barely visible in dissecting microscope.

PALPS. As in Figs 356–358 ; coxa with retrolateral bulge, trochanter barely protruding ventrally, femur with retrolateral dark line and prolateral stridulatory pick; procursus ( Figs 362–363 ) with small but distinct ventral ‘knee’, with distinctive dorsal process and prolateral whitish protrusion (arrows in Figs 362, 363 ), ventral spine proximally strongly curved, without prolateral process or ridge; genital bulb ( Figs 366–369 ) with distally strongly widened (in retrolateral view) ventral sclerite; dorsal membranous process distinct ( Fig. 367 ).

LEGS. Femur 1 with single row of ~25 ventral spines; with curved hairs (but most hairs missing); few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all leg tibiae; tarsi without distinct pseudosegments but with many small platelets.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 length in three other males: 10.2, 11.2, 11.5. Most males with two modified hairs on each cheliceral apophysis, one male with only one hair on each side. Largest males with some stronger hairs also on femur 2 (ventro-distally). Single male from Erzurum Province very similar to holotype but dorsal process on procursus smaller; tibia 1: 9.1.

Female. In general similar to male but without spines on legs. Tibia 1 in five females (except female from Erzurum Province): 10.0–11.4 (mean 10.5).

FEMALE GENITALIA. Epigynum as in Fig. 359 , triangular to bell-shaped; internal median pouch of uterus externus, sclerotized arcs, and lateral pouches usually visible in uncleared specimens; with pair of light brown weakly bulging areas in front of epigynum and simple, very short but wide posterior plate. Internal genitalia with distinctive median ridge at dorsal sclerotized arc (arrow in Fig. 371 ), low and indistinct median pouch of uterus externus, pair of lateral pouches of uterus externus connected anteriorly to ventral arc and posteriorly with diverging sclerotized external margins ( Fig. 370 ). Single female from Erzurum Province not cleared; tibia 1: 11.7.

Distribution. Known from type locality in Hatay Province, Turkey, only; specimens from Erzurum Province, Turkey, are assigned tentatively ( Fig. 446 ).

Figures

FIGURE 446. Known distributions of Hoplopholcus cecconii and H. atik. TL = type locality “?” = specimens assigned tentatively.

FIGURES 356–361. Hoplopholcus atik sp. n. from Atik (NHMG). 356–358. Left male palp in prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 359–361. Epigynum, ventral view, and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views.

FIGURES 362–371. Hoplopholcus atik sp. n. from Atik (NHMG). 362–363. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrows point at distinctive prolateral whitish protrusion and at dorsal process). 364–365. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 366–369. Left genital bulb, dorsal, prolateral, ventral, and retrolateral views. 370–371. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views (arrow points at distinctive median ridge). mp, median pouch of uterus externus; lp, lateral pouch of uterus externus. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 6–11. Hoplopholcus spp., live specimens. 6–7. H. labyrinthi (Kulczyński, 1903), male and female from Spilaio Melidoniou. 8–9. H. suluin sp. n., male and female from Sulu İn Mağarası. 10–11. H. minous Senglet, 1971, male from Orino Gorge and female with egg-sac from Exo Mouliana.