Kambiwa, HUBER, 2000

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2000, New World Pholcid Spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae): A Revision At Generic Level, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2000 (254), pp. 1-348 : 87-90

KAMBIWA , NEW GENUS

TYPE SPECIES: Ninetis neotropica Kraus, 1957 .

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name honors the Kambiwa people in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Since the 1940s, they are being displaced from their land by neo-Brazilian settlers and are being rapidly integrated into neo-Brazilian economy and society. Gender feminine.

NOTE: The synonymization of Myrmidonella Berland with Ninetis Simon above has the consequence that the neotropical Myrmidonella anomala (Mello-Leitao, 1918) must be put in another genus too. However, the type specimen is apparently lost, and the original description just reveals that it might actually be a ninetine (1.5 mm female body length, eight eyes, carapace quasi como o das aranhas do genero Scytodes, opisthosoma more or less globular). It could either follow the type species Myrmidonella minuta to the Old World genus Ninetis , or it could tentatively be assigned to a New World genus. I have chosen the second option, and in particular the genus Kambiwa , because the type locality of Kambiwa neotropica is just about 150 km from the type locality of Myr- midonella anomala (Campina Grande, Paraíba): Kambiwa anomala (Mello-Leitao, 1918) , new combination. I must emphasize, however, that the assignment is highly speculative.

DIAGNOSIS: See Diagnosis of type species.

DESCRIPTION: See Description of type species.

GENERIC RELATIONSHIPS: The genus may be close to several other genera of short-legged pholcids with globular opisthosoma, especially with Nerudia , Gertschiola , and the Old World genus Ninetis . With these genera it shares the ventral apophysis on the bulb (fig. 338). Otherwise, however, the genitalia in these genera are quite different.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from northeastern Brazil.

Kambiwa neotropica (Kraus, 1957) , new combination Figures 338 341

Ninetis neotropica Kraus, 1957: 242 243, figs.

73 80. TYPES: Male holotype (RII/6776a), 13 4♀

paratypes ( RII/6776 b) from Recife , Pernambuco, Brazil ; date and collector not given, in SMF (examined).

NOTE: Only one palp is left on the holotype. Both palps and the chelicerae of the male paratype are missing, as is the epigynum of one of the females.

DIAGNOSIS: Tiny, short-legged pholcid with eight eyes, without thoracic groove, with globular opisthosoma; distinguished from other short-legged pholcids by the short procursus with bifid ending (fig. 340), and by the hook-shaped apophysis ventrally on the male bulb (fig. 338). (A similar structure occurs in Nerudia and Gertschiola , but these genera differ in many other aspects of the palps and chelicerae.)

MALE (holotype; see also Kraus, 1957; most measurements copied from original description): Total length 1.3, carapace width 0.53; leg 1: 2.65 (0.75+0.17+0.67+0.67+0.37), tibia 2: 0.55, tibia 3: 0.52, tibia 4: 0.82; tibia 1 l/d: 9. Habitus as in Aucana platnicki , n. sp. (cf. fig. 395); distance PME-ALE about 20% of PME diameter. Carapace without thoracic groove, sternum without anterior humps. Chelicerae with pair of anterior apophyses and lateral stridulatory ridges (see fig. 76 in Kraus, 1957). Palps as in figs. 338 339, stridulatory pick proximally on femur (arrow in fig. 338), tibia globular, bulb voluminous with distinct hooked apophysis (fig. 338); procursus as in fig. 340. Legs without spines, without curved and vertical hairs.

FEMALE (paratypes): In general very similar to male. Epigynum simple brown plate (see fig. 80 in Kraus, 1957); dorsal view as in fig. 341.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from type locality.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: BRAZIL: Pernambuco: Recife: types above.

Figures

Figs. 338 341. Kambiwa neotropica (Kraus). 338. Left male palp, prolateral view (arrow points to stridulatory pick). 339. Left male palp, retrolateral view. 340. Left procursus, retrolateral view. 341. Epigynum, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.1 mm.