Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222930500145123 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039387D9-FFC1-FFF3-C213-18D4FCDA6E25 |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 |
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Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 View in CoL
( Figures 1–4 View Figure 1 View Figure 2 View Figure 3 View Figure 4 )
P. ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge 1869, p 378 View in CoL –379; Plate 11, Figures 13, 21–27; Brignoli 1972, p 909–911; Figures 1–2 View Figure 1 View Figure 2 , 4–7 View Figure 4 View Figure 5 View Figure 6 View Figure 7 ; Brignoli 1975, p 36; Figure 2f View Figure 2 (copied from Brignoli 1972).
Types
Male lectotype and two female paralectotypes (designated by Brignoli 1972), without locality information except Sri Lanka, in Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford, not examined (see Brignoli 1972 for detailed information on the type material).
Diagnosis
Large eight-eyed pholcid, easily distinguished from all known congeners by the shapes of procursus, bulb, male palpal trochanter apophysis, and epigynum ( Figure 2b, e View Figure 2 ).
Male (Istripura). Total length 7.3, carapace width 2.0. Leg 1: 50.4 (12.2+ 0.9+12.3+21.9+3.1), tibia 2: 8.7, tibia 3 missing, tibia 4: 7.9; tibia 1 L/d: 63. Habitus as in Figure 1a, b View Figure 1 . Carapace pale ochre with distinctive brown marks, ocular area also light brown, clypeus pale ochre, sternum pale ochre with light brown median mark, labium light brown; legs light brown, tips of femora and tibiae lighter; abdomen mostly grey, dorsally with distinctive brown pattern (barely visible in Figure 1a View Figure 1 ), genital area small brown mark, ventrally posteriorly light brown. Ocular area distinctly elevated, lateral triads not on stalks, black median line on carapace but no thoracic furrow; distance PME–PME 290 Mm; diameter PME 190 Mm; distance PME–ALE 50 Mm; distance AME–AME 60 Mm, diameter AME 80 Mm. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (1.3/1.1). Chelicerae as in Figure 2d View Figure 2 , with two small modified hairs on each distal apophysis ( Figure 4b View Figure 4 ), proximal apophyses in unusual frontal position ( Figure 2d View Figure 2 ). Palps as in Figures 2a, b View Figure 2 , 3a, b View Figure 3 ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with large retrolateral apophysis provided distally with strong modified hair ( Figure 3e, f View Figure 3 ), femur large, with dorsal projection, procursus rather small and simple ( Figures 2b View Figure 2 , 3a, b View Figure 3 ), bulb with whitish globular part and large apophysis ( Figures 2 View Figure 2 ac, 3a–d), transparent conical projection prolaterally (embolus?) ( Figure 2a View Figure 2 ). Palpal tarsal organ capsulate ( Figure 4c View Figure 4 ). Retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 5%; most hairs on legs missing, but apparently without spines, curved hairs, and vertical hairs; tarsus 1 with.20 pseudosegments, only distally about 10 fairly distinct. Male gonopore apparently with four epiandrous spigots ( Figure 4a View Figure 4 ; note that the gonopore of this specimen is malformed or damaged).
Variation. Tibia 1 in seven other males: 11.4–12.5 (mean: 12.0).
Female. In general similar to male. Tibia 1 in three females: 9.0, 9.9, 10.3. Epigynum small in relation to abdomen ( Figure 1c View Figure 1 ), with black sclerotized rim and variably sclerotized scape ( Figures 1d View Figure 1 , 2e View Figure 2 , 4d View Figure 4 ). Dorsal view as in Figure 2f View Figure 2 . Anterior lateral spinnerets with one widened, one pointed, and several (about six) cylindrically shaped spigots each (the latter spigots appear all damaged in Figure 4e View Figure 4 ). Posterior median spinnerets with two spigots each (one broken in Figure 4f View Figure 4 ).
Distribution
Known from several localities in Sri Lanka ( Figure 9 View Figure 9 ).
Material examined
Sri Lanka: ‘‘Istripura’’ [no further data on label; Brignoli 1972: Hanguranketa, (7 ° 109N, 80 ° 469E), 19 January 1970, V. Aellen, P. Strinati], 2 „, 2♀, several juveniles (three vials), in MHNG. Rawanaella (6 ° 519N, 81 ° 049E) [no further data on label; Brignoli 1972: Ella, 16 January 1970, V. Aellen, P. Strinati], 1♀ in MHNG. ‘‘Nuwalupitiya’’ (Nawalapitiya: 7 ° 039N, 80 ° 329E), no date (E. Simon), ‘‘956 Pholcus polei E. S.’’ (unpublished name), 5 „, 2♀ in MNHN (AR 10229).
Notes
Brignoli (1972) considered it probable that the present species will have to be removed from Pholcus . In fact, the bulb does not show the characteristic sclerites (uncus and appendix) of many other Pholcus species including the type species, and the procursus is unusually small and simple. However, male chelicerae and female epigynum agree with the usual pattern, as do general body shape and size. Most importantly, however, no evidence is known to suggest an alternative placement. The species should be left in Pholcus until a revision of the genus provides evidence to the contrary.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
