Spermophora, INCERTAE SEDIS, Huber, 2003

Huber, Bernhard A., 2003, Cladistic analysis of Malagasy pholcid spiders reveals generic level endemism: Revision of Zatavua n. gen. and Paramicromerys Millot (Pholcidae, Araneae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 137 (2), pp. 261-318 : 304-308

‘ SPERMOPHORA ’ INCERTAE SEDIS

Two new Malagasy species are tentatively assigned to Spermophora , even though this assignment is almost certainly wrong in at least the second species. Both lack the synapomorphies of Zatavua and Paramicromerys , and do not show any other special similarities that would justify a tentative assignment to any of the two genera. On the other hand, Spermophora in its present status is polyphyletic anyway, and it seems preferable to reconsider the following two species in future revisions rather than to create new but poorly supported genera for them.

‘ SPERMOPHORA’ RANOMAFANA , NEW SPECIES

( FIGS 218–220 , 224–237 )

Type. Male holotype from Talatakely (21∞15¢S, 47∞25¢E), 900 m a.s.l., Ranomafana National Park, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar; December 5–7, 1993 (N. Scharff, S. Larcher, C. E. Griswold, R. Andriamasimanana); in CAS .

Etymology. Named for the type locality. The specific name is a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Light species with very high opisthosoma ( Fig. 219 ), distinguished from known congeners and other Malagasy pholcids by the shape of the sclerotized apophysis on the bulb (‘a’ in Fig. 224 ), the slen- der simple procursus, and the structure with pockets (‘pp’ in Figs 229 , 235 and 237 ) on the female opisthosoma between epigynum and spinnerets.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.9, carapace width 0.78. Leg 1: 18.8 (4.8 + 0.3 + 4.7 + 6.7 + 2.3), tibia 2: 2.7, tibia 3: 1.8, tibia 4: 2.5; tibia 1 L/d: 71. Habitus as in Figures 218 and 219 . Carapace ochre-yellow with black marginal lines; sternum pale ochre-yellow. Legs ochre-yellow, without marks. Opisthosoma ochre-grey, with some large blackish spots; ventrally no marks. Ocular area barely elevated, triads on low elevations; distance PME-PME 220 Mm; diameter PME 60 Mm; distance PME-ALE 25 Mm; no trace of AME. Thoracic furrow present only frontally, low and indistinct. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.52/ 0.48). Chelicerae as in Figures 226 and 227 , distance between tips of apophyses 270 Mm. Palps as in Figures 224 and 225 , trochanter with retrolateral apophysis (longer in dorsal than in retrolateral view); procursus slender and simple, distally with small hinged process (‘hp’ in Figs 224 and 236 ). Embolus (‘e’ in Fig. 224 ) simple membranous tube, without distal spine; distinctive sclerotized apophysis distally on bulb. Legs without spines, without curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 9%; tarsus 1 with>30 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct. Epiandrous spigots as in Figure 231 . ALS and PMS spigots as in Figure 233 .

Variation. Tibia 1 in 46 other males 3.9–5.0 (x = 4.46).

Female. In general similar to male, but most females with blackish pigment proximally on femora (dorsofrontally); some females black on clypeus, chelicerae and palps; with significantly more variation in pattern on opisthosoma. Tibia 1 in 44 females: 2.8–4.0 (x = 3.45). Epigynum as in Figures 220 and 228 , with pair of anterior pockets (‘ap’ in Figs 229 and 237 ) about 255 Mm apart, and additional pair (‘pp’ in Figs 229 , 235 and 237 ) between epigynum and spinnerets, about 120 Mm apart. Dorsal view as in Figure 229 .

Distribution. Known only from the Ranomafana National Park area (Map 2).

Material examined. MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa: Ranomafana N. P.: Talatakely : type above together with 11♂ 15♀, same collection data, in CAS ; 2♀, same collection data, in CAS . Talatakely at 21∞14.9¢S, 47∞25.6¢E, April 5–30, 1998 (C. E. Griswold, D. H. Kavanaugh, N. P. Penny, M. J. Raherilalao, J. S. Ranorianarisoa, J. Schweikert, D. Ubick), 7♂ 10♀ in CAS ; same collection data, at night, 2♂ 3♀ in CAS ; Vohiparara: Piste Touristique (21∞13.6¢S, 47∞24.0¢E), c. 1000 m a.s.l., April 19–23, 1998 (C. E. Griswold, D. H. Kavanaugh, N. P. Penny, M. J. Raherilalao, J. S. Ranorianarisoa, J. Schweikert, D. Ubick), 5♂ 8♀ in CAS . Vatoharanana (21∞16.7¢S, 47∞26.1¢E), primary forest, c. 1200 m a.s.l., April 15, 1998 (C. E. Griswold, D. H. Kavanaugh, N. P. Penny, M. J. Raherilalao, J. S. Ranorianarisoa, J. Schweikert, D. Ubick) 6♂ 5♀ in CAS . Ranomafana N. P., roadside vegetation near park entrance, c. 21∞14.3¢S, 47∞26.0¢E, c. 800 m a.s.l., April 22, 1998 (same collectors), 1♂ 1♀ in CAS . Vohiparara at 21∞14¢S, 47∞24¢E, December 5–7, 1993 (N. Scharff, S. Larcher, C. E. Griswold, R. Andriamasimanana), 3♀ in CAS . 7 km W Ranomafana at 21∞12¢S, 47∞27¢E, 900 m a.s.l., March 1–13, 1990 (W. E. Steiner), 5♂ in USNM ; same collection data, sweeping old paddy, 1♂ in USNM ; same locality, January 20–February 28, 1990 (W. E. Steiner), flight intercept yellow pan trap in Malaise trap in small clearing, montane rainforest, 10♂ in USNM . 7 km W Ranomafana at 21∞16¢S, 47∞25¢E, 900 m a.s.l., on low foliage and saplings, montane rainforest, September 5, 1993 (W. Steiner), 4♂ 4♀ in USNM . 7 km W Ranomafana at 21∞12¢S, 47∞27¢E, 1100 m a.s.l., November 1–7, 1988 (W. E. Steiner), 1♂ 1♀ in USNM . Valohoaka camp 8 km SW Ranomafana (21∞19¢S, 47∞24¢E), 1040 m a.s.l., low foliage and saplings, night, montane rainforest, September 8, 1993 (W. Steiner), 1♂ in USNM .

‘ SPERMOPHORA’ VYVATO, NEW SPECIES

( FIGS 221–223 , 238–243 )

Type. Male holotype from Marojejy Reserve , 8.4 km NNW Manantenina (14∞26¢S, 49∞45¢E), 700 m a.s.l., Antsiranana, Madagascar; November 10–16, 1993 (C. E. Griswold, J. Coddington, N. Scharff, S. Larcher, R. Andriamasimanana); in CAS .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition, contracted from Vy, Vato, Sakélika, a group of Malagasy intellectuals founded in 1913 to oppose French colonialism.

Diagnosis. Small species with globular opisthosoma, easily distinguished from known congeners and from other Malagasy pholcids by the unusual male palp ( Figs 238 and 239 ) and the proximal and median position of the male cheliceral apophyses ( Fig. 240 ). Paramicromerys rabeariveloi has apophyses in a similar position, but extremely different palps.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.4, carapace width 0.68. Leg 1: 10.9 (2.9 + 0.3 + 2.9 + 3.5 + 1.3), tibia 2: 1.6, tibia 3: 1.3, tibia 4: 1.8; tibia 1 L/d: 52. Habitus as in Figures 221 and 222 . Carapace ochre with brown pattern; sternum dark brown. Legs ochre, slightly darker subdistally on femora and tibiae. Opisthosoma greenish-grey, with large dark spots shining through cuticle ( Fig. 222 ); ventrally brownish. Ocular area barely elevated, only triads on low elevations; distance PME-PME 110 Mm; diameter PME 80 Mm; distance PME-ALE 20 Mm; no trace of AME. Thoracic furrow present only frontally, very shallow. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.48/0.40). Chelicerae as in Figure 240 , with one globular hair on the tip of each apophysis ( Fig. 241 ); distance between tips of apophyses 22 Mm. Palps as in Figures 238 and 239 , trochanter with retrolateral apophysis; procursus with short basis and two, apparently hinged, distal structures (‘p1’ and ‘p2’ in Fig. 239 ); embolus (‘e’ in Fig. 239 ) simple, without distal spine. Legs without spines, without curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 18%; tarsus 1 with>15 pseudosegments, only distally fairly distinct.

Female. In general similar to male, but darker, with black spots close to lateral margins on carapace and on posterior side of ocular area; legs dark brown; opisthosoma with black pattern on surface. Tibia 1: 2.2. Epigynum as in Figures 223 and 242 , distance between pockets 24 Mm. Dorsal view as in Figure 243 .

Distribution. Known only from type locality (Map 2).

Material examined. MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana: Marojejy Res. : type above, together with 1♀, same collection data, in CAS .

Figures

Figures 218–223. ‘Spermophora’ spp. habitus, males in dorsal and lateral views, and female opisthosomata, ventral views with epigynum. 218–220, ‘S.’ ranomafana. 221–223, ‘S.’ vyvato.

Figures 224–229. ‘Spermophora’ ranomafana. Left male palp in prolateral (224) and retrolateral (225) views, male chelicerae in frontal (226) and lateral (227) views, and cleared epigynum in ventral (228) and dorsal (229) views. ‘a’: bulbal apophysis; ‘ap’: anterior pocket; ‘e’: embolus; ‘hp’: hinged process; ‘pp’: posterior pocket. Scale lines: 0.3 mm (224, 225), 0.2 mm (226–229).

Figures 230–237. ‘Spermophora’ ranomafana. 230, Female prosoma, frontal view. 231, Male gonopore with epiandrous spigots. 232, Female ALS. 233, Male ALS and PMS. 234, Tip of female palp with tarsal organ. 235, Structure on female opisthosoma between epigynum and spinnerets, with pair of pockets. 236, Tip of procursus with hinged process (‘hp’). 237, Epigynum with posterior structure. ‘ap’: anterior pocket; ‘pp’: posterior pocket. Scale lines: 300 Mm (230), 20 Mm (231, 234), 10 Mm (232, 233), 50 Mm (235), 60 Mm (236), 200 Mm (237).

Figures 238–243. ‘Spermophora’ vyvato. Left male palp in prolateral (238) and retrolateral (239) views, male chelicerae in frontal (240) view, male cheliceral apophyses with single modified hair imbedded in each tip (241) and cleared epigynum in ventral (242) and dorsal (243) views. ‘e’: embolus; ‘p1’, ‘p2’: distal procursus elements. Scale lines: 0.3 mm (238, 239), 0.2 mm (240, 242, 243), 30 Mm (241).