Labahitha garciai ( Simon, 1892 ), 2022

Magalhaes, Ivan L. F., Berry, James W., Koh, Joseph K. H. & Gray, Michael R., 2022, Labahitha spiders (Arachnida: Araneae: Filistatidae) from islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, European Journal of Taxonomy 805 (1), pp. 1-51 : 12-20

Labahitha garciai ( Simon, 1892) comb. nov.

Figs 2C–E, 7–12, 28A, 29A–B

Filistata garciai Simon, 1892: 37 . Two males and one female syntypes from Philippines, Grotte de San- Mateo, Mar.–Apr. 1890, E. Simon leg. (MNHN AR 5414), examined through photos.

Filistata pulchella Simon, 1893: 66 . Male and female syntypes from Philippines, Antipolo, Mar.–Apr. 1890, E. Simon leg., deposited in the MNHN, not examined. Male syntype illustrated by Lehtinen (1967: fig. 23). First synonymized with Filistata garciai by Lehtinen (1967).

Pritha heikkii Saaristo, 1978: 99 , figs 1–10. Holotype female from Seychelles, Mahé, 30 Oct. 1975, M. Saaristo leg., deposited in the Zoological Museum of the University of Turku, not examined. Syn. nov.

Pritha sechellana Benoit, 1978: 677 , figs A–B. Holotype male from Seychelles, Curieuse, 17 Aug. 1972, (MRAC 143165), examined. First synonymized with Pritha heikkii by Saaristo (2010). Syn. nov.

Pritha garciai – Lehtinen 1967: 260, fig. 23.

Pritha heikkii – Saaristo 2010: 69, fig. 10.1–6.

Labahitha sp. – Zonstein et al. 2017: fig. 4.

Notes

The original description of Simon (1892) mentions at least two females, but the vial with the syntypes contains one female, a male with both palps attached, and a loose male palp. We did not examine the holotype of F. pulchella , but Lehtinen (1967: fig. 23) provided an excellent illustration of the palp of the holotype and the type localities of both species are nearby ( Simon 1892, 1893). This indicates that the synonymy is correct. We did not examine the type material of Pritha heikkii , but the illustrations in the original description and the proximity between type localities indicate that the synonymy proposed by Saaristo (2010) is correct.

Diagnosis

Males are similar to those of L. oonopiformis , L. ryukyuensis and L. nicobarensis by the teardrop-shaped bulb with a keel-shaped paraembolic lamina. They differ from L. oonopiformis by the shorter embolus (vs longer), from L. ryukyuensis by the more globose base of the bulb (vs base of the bulb more tubular) and from L. nicobarensis by the longer, more curved embolus (vs embolus short and straight) ( Fig. 10). Females are more similar to those of L. oonopiformis and L. gibsonhilli by the large membranous base of the receptacles and well-developed median receptacle; they differ from L. oonopiformis by the median receptacles subequal in size to the laterals (vs median receptacles notably enlarged) and from L. gibsonhilli by the globose median receptacles with evenly scattered pores (vs median receptacles with pores restricted to medial face) ( Fig. 11).

Examined type material

Syntypes of Filistata garciai

PHILIPPINES • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Manila, Cueva de San Mateo ; Mar.–Apr. 1890; E. Simon leg.; MNHN AR 5414 .

Pritha sechellana

Holotype

SEYCHELLES • ♂; Curieuse centre, degraded forest; [4.28159° S, 55.72172° E]; 17 Aug. 1972; P.L.G. Benoit and J.J. Van Mol leg.; MRAC 143165 .

Allotype

SEYCHELLES • ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MRAC 143165 .

Paratypes

SEYCHELLES • 3 ♀♀, 2 imm.; Praslin , Vallée de Mai; [4.33° S, 55.73839° E]; 25 Jul. 1972; P.L.G. Benoit and J.J. Van Mol leg.; in the humus; MRAC 143106 .

Other material examined

MALAYSIA • 1 ♂; Sarawak, Kapit, Sut-Gaat Felling Area; Nanga Suau ; [1.9949° N, 112.9331° E]; 20 Apr. 1978; T. Lau leg.; AMNH IFM-0936 .

PAPUA NEW GUINEA • 5 ♀♀; Morobe Province, E of Wau, Boston ranch; [7.33714° S, 146.71594° E]; 6 Mar. 1979; H.W. Levi, Y.D. Lubin and M.H. Robinson leg.; MCZ 40221 .

PHILIPPINES • 8 ♂♂, 6 imm.; Mindoro, San Jose ; [12.34714° N, 121.06605° E]; Mar. 1945; E.S. Ross leg.; CAS 9060572 • 2 ♀♀, 1 imm.; same collection data as for preceding; CAS 9060573 • 3 ♀♀, 4 imm.; same collection data as for preceding; CAS 9060574 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; CAS 9060575 • 6 ♀♀, 1 imm.; Rizal, Montalban ; [14.60375° N, 121.30841° E]; 16 Feb. 1951; J.F. Bergseng

leg.; MCZ 39060 • 2 ♀♀; Rizal, Montalban, Umber ; [14.60375° N, 121.30841° E]; 21 Dec. 1950; MCZ 40197 .

SINGAPORE • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 1 imm.; Upper Selatar Reservoir Park ; 1.4° N, 103.80667° E; 15 Feb. 2015; B.A. Huber and D. Court leg.; ZFMK 12710 • 1 ♀; Dairy Farm Nature Park ; 1.36611° N, 103.78056° E; 23 Aug. 2013; J.K.H. Koh leg.; wall of abandoned hut; JK 130823.0003 • 1 ♂; Pulau Ubin , Camp Resilience, National Police Cadet Corps; 1.41861° N, 103.96833° E; 10 Mar. 2015; J.K.H. Koh leg.; old building wall; JK 150310.0001 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; JK 150310.0002 .

Description

Male (from Kapit, Sarawak, Malaysia, AMNH IFM-0936)

COLOURATION. Carapace light brown, with brown median pattern and lateral borders and faint submarginal bands. Chelicerae orange brown. Labium, endites and sternum cream. Legs cream, except for orange brown femur I and light brown tarsus I, without rings. Abdomen light brown; dorsum with two patches of white setae, one large and anterior and one smaller and posterior; venter cream.

HABITUS. Anterior margin of the carapace subrounded, with unsclerotized clypeus. Eye apodemes present. Sternum subrounded, sigilla not visible.

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 3.16. Carapace length 1.32, width 1.03. Clypeus length 0.24. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.06, PME 0.08, ALE 0.11, PLE 0.09, AME–AME 0.02, PME–PME 0.09. Sternum length 0.82, width 0.69. Palp: femur length 0.68, height 0.23, tibia length 0.38, height 0.20. Leg I: 5.76 (1.49, 0.38, 1.67, 1.45, 0.77). II: 4.18 (1.14, 0.39, 1.07, 1.06, 0.52). III: 3.64 (1.05, 0.32, 0.83, 0.97, 0.47). IV: 4.77 (1.23, 0.47, 1.27, 1.28, 0.52). Abdomen: length 1.81, width 0.97.

LEG MACROSETAE. Mt I 1a.vr.

PALP ( Fig. 10). Cymbium horseshoe shaped, bulb piriform, narrowing rapidly towards embolus, sperm duct N-shaped, with a single coil, proximally enlarged, prolateral excavation small, just beneath paraembolic lamina, paraembolic lamina small, spoon-shaped, with fimbriated margin, embolus long and gently curved.

State of the specimen: lost many abdomen setae, many legs, and abdomen separated from the cephalothorax; left palp dissected.

Female (from Dairy Farm Nature Park, Singapore, JK 1308230003)

COLOURATION. As in male, except where noted. Carapace cream, sparsely stippled with brown. Legs yellow, except for white coxae. Abdomen cream, dorsum with sparse white setae on the abdomen.

HABITUS. Anterior margin of the carapace unmodified. Eye apodemes present. Sternum suboval, with a well-marked pair of posterior sigilla.

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.22. Carapace length 1.61, width 1.25. Clypeus length 0.31. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.07, PME 0.08, ALE 0.10, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.02, PME–PME 0.12. Sternum length 0.93, width 0.73. Palp: femur length 0.74, height 0.32, tibia length 0.46, height 0.27. Leg I: 4.49 (1.18, 0.41, 1.17, 0.99, 0.74). II: 3.78 (1.08, 0.42, 0.83, 0.88, 0.57). III: 3.14 (0.86, 0.39, 0.66, 0.76, 0.47). IV: 4.46 (1.31, 0.44, 1.17, 1.05, 0.49). Abdomen: length 2.69, width 1.79.

LEG MACROSETAE. Absent. Calamistrum with three rows with 7-4-6 setae.

EPIGASTRIC FURROW. Adorned with thick setae.

ENDOGYNE ( Fig. 11). Median receptacles large, with pores clustered in large groups set apart from each other; lateral receptacles on a short stalk, large, oval, with more pores in the ectal face.

Variation

This species has two colour morphs (yellow and brown; Figs 7H–I, 8A–B). This had been noted by Simon (1892: 37: “ ♀. Long. 5 mill. — Cephalothorax, pedes-maxillares pedesque pallide testaceo-lurida […] Var. ♀. Cephalothorax et femora infuscata.”) and Benoit (1978: 678: “ P. sechellana se présente sous deux colorations differéntes, à savoir une forme jaune pâle et une forme mélanique”). The shape of the female receptacles varies: they may bulge distally ( Fig. 11A), be slightly sinuous ( Fig. 11C) or collapse ( Fig. 11B, D). Males (N = 5): total length 2.63–3.16 (2.92), carapace length 1.22–1.35 (1.29), femur I length 1.49–1.69 (1.61), tibia I length 1.67–1.87 (1.76), femur/carapace ratio 1.13–1.34 (1.25). Females (N = 5): total length 4.11–4.75 (4.41), carapace length 1.4–1.79 (1.54), femur I length 1.18–1.78 (1.41), tibia I length 1.17–1.81 (1.44), femur/carapace ratio 0.73–0.99 (0.91).

Natural history

The species has been collected in synanthropic settings in Singapore and in the Seychelles (“very common in minute crevices of the walls of the Reef Hotel”; Saaristo 1978: 100).

Distribution

Known from Malaysia ( Sarawak), Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Seychelles and Singapore ( Fig. 1C).