Galapa, 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 : 100-103

GALAPA , NEW GENUS

TYPE SPECIES: Pholcophora baerti Gertsch and Peck, 1992 .

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name refers to the Galápagos Islands. Gender feminine.

DIAGNOSIS: Tiny pholcids (total length 1 1.5 mm), without thoracic groove, with short legs, globular opisthosoma, eight eyes; distinguished from other short-legged genera by the apophyses on the male cheliceral fangs (figs. 30, 384) and the procursus with dorsal apophysis and retrolateral pointed protrusion (figs. 383, 387).

DESCRIPTION: Total length ~ 1 1.5 mm. Carapace without thoracic groove; ocular area hardly elevated, with eight eyes, AME only slightly smaller than others; distance PME-ALE about 40% of PME diameter. Male clypeus unmodified. Male chelicerae with pair of apophyses basally on fangs, with stridulatory ridges laterally (fig. 384). Male sternum without humps. Male palpal coxa without retrolateral apophysis, femur relatively short, procursus with dorsal apophysis (arrows in figs. 383, 387) and retrolateral pointed protrusion; bulb very large, embolar division with sclerotized and unsclerotized elements; tarsal organ capsulate with small opening (examined: G. baerti : figs. 76 77). Legs very short (leg 1 about 2 2.5 × body length; tibia 1 l/d: 9 12), leg formula 4123; legs without spines, without curved and vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 very distal (at ~ 65%); tarsus 1 with only ~ 5 pseudosegments. Opisthosoma globular. Male gonopore apparently with four epiandrous spigots (examined: G. baerti : fig. 127); ALS with piriform gland spigots (examined: G. baerti ), other spinnerets typical for family.

Sexual dimorphism slight; epigynum ex- tremely simple externally; I could not find pore plates.

MONOPHYLY: The two species included share the apophyses on the male cheliceral fangs and details of the procursus (dorsal apophysis, retrolateral spine).

GENERIC RELATIONSHIPS: The genus may be close to several other genera of short-legged pholcids with globular opisthosoma and ninetine tarsal organ. Galapa shares with Guaranita the dorsal apophysis (‘‘fl ap) on the procursus, but the bulbs and chelicerae in these genera differ strongly. The extraordinary similarity of the apophyses on the male cheliceral fangs in Galapa and Blancoa (compare figs. 30, 32) is probably a result of convergent evolution.

DISTRIBUTION/COMPOSITION: Two described species, from the Galápagos Islands. Note that Anopsicus banksi (Gertsch) from the Galápagos Islands is not closely related, and is probably not even a ninetine (see appendix 3).

Galapa baerti (Gertsch and Peck, 1992) , new combination Figures 30 , 76 77 , 127 , 385 388

Pholcophora baerti Gertsch and Peck, 1992: 1190 1191 , figs. 37 40.

TYPE: Male holotype from Bucanero Cove , Santiago, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador ; 5 10 m elev., Apr. 9, 1982 (L. Baert, J. P. Maelfait), in IRBS (examined).

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from G. bella (Gertsch and Peck) by the relatively much smaller bulb (compare figs. 381, 385), and details of the procursus (in particular the position of the retrolateral spine, compare figs. 383, 387). The females of the two species are apparently indistinguishable.

MALE (holotype; see also Gertsch and Peck, 1992): Total length 1.46, carapace width 0.60; leg 1 missing, tibia 2: 0.63, tibia 3: 0.57, tibia 4: 0.85. Habitus in general as in Guaranita goloboffi , n. sp. (cf. fig. 367); distance PME-ALE about 40% of PME diameter. Entire prosoma pale ochre-yellow, sternum pale whitish, without anterior humps. Chelicerae as in G. bella (cf. fig. 384), with apophyses originating from fangs, and stridulatory ridges. Palps as in figs. 385 386, stridulatory pick proximally on femur (arrow in fig. 385), procursus with retrolateral spine and dorsal apophysis (fig. 387). Tarsal organ capsulate, elevated (fig. 77). Legs light brown; without spines, without curved and vertical hairs. Opisthosoma dorsally covered with blackish spots, heart-mark and ventral side pale greenish-gray; gonopore apparently with four epiandrous spigots (fig. 127); ALS with piriform gland spigots.

Measurements of another male (type locality): leg 1: 2.72 (0.76+0.20+0.69+0.75 +0.32), tibia 2: 0.61; tibia 1 l/d: 9, retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 66%; tarsus 1 with ~ 5 pseudosegments.

VARIATION: Tibia 1 in 9 males: 0.68 0.73 (x¯ = 0.71).

FEMALE: Tibia 1 (N = 16) 0.61 0.74 (x¯ = 0.67). In general very similar to male. Epigynum simple, light brown plate with two dark brown transverse lines posteriorly. Dorsal view as in fig. 388; I could not find pore plates.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from Santiago and possibly some other islands (see Remark below) on the Galápagos Islands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED (all in IRBS, collect- ed by L. Baert and J. P. Maelfait): GALA- PAGOS ISLANDS: Santiago: Bucanero Cove : type above, and 33 8♀ same data ; same locality, Apr. 6, 1982, 13 5♀ ; same locality, but at 30 50 m elev., Apr. 6, 1982, 43 14♀ ; Cerro Cowan, 260 m elev., Apr. 7, 1982, 13 1♀ 1 juvenile.

The following material is assigned tentatively (see Remark below): Santa Fé: 50 100 m, Apr. 1 2, 1982, 1♀ ; Venezia : 2 m elev., Apr. 18, 1982, 1♀ ; Pinta : littoral zone, Mar. 21, 1986, 4♀ and 1♀ (?) prosoma.

REMARK: Since the females of G. baerti and G. bella appear indistinguishable, the three vials above containing only females cannot be assigned unambiguously to one of the two species.

Galapa bella (Gertsch and Peck, 1992) , new combination Figures 381 384, 389

Pholcophora bella Gertsch and Peck, 1992: 1190 , figs. 32 36.

TYPES: Male holotype, 2♀ and one juvenile from Darwin Research Station, Academy Bay , Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands, Ec- uador ; Feb. 12, 1964 (D. Q. Cavagnora, R. O. Schuster), in CAS (examined) .

DIAGNOSIS: Closely related to G. baerti , distinguished by the relatively much larger bulb (compare figs. 381, 385), and details of the procursus (in particular the position of the retrolateral spine, compare figs. 383, 387). The females of the two species are apparently indistinguishable.

MALE (holotype; see also Gertsch and Peck, 1992): Total length 1.05, carapace width 0.53; leg 1: 2.76 (0.74+0.19+0.74 +0.77+0.32), tibia 2: 0.65, tibia 3: 0.61, tibia 4: 0.84; tibia 1 l/d: 12. Habitus in general as in Guaranita goloboffi , n. sp. (cf. fig. 367); distance PME-ALE about 40% of PME diameter. Entire prosoma and legs ochre-yellow; carapace without thoracic groove, sternum without humps. Chelicerae with apophyses originating from fangs, and stridulatory ridges laterally (fig. 384). Palps as in figs. 381 382, stridulatory pick proximally on femur as in G. baerti , procursus with retrolateral spine and dorsal apophysis (fig. 383). Legs without rings; without spines, without curved and vertical hairs; tarsus 1 with ~ 5 pseudosegments. Opisthosoma ochre-gray, slightly darker dorsally.

FEMALE (N = 2): Total length 1.1; tibia 1: 0.65, 0.68. In general very similar to male. Epigynum simple, light brown plate; dorsal view as in fig. 389; I could not find pore plates.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from type locality (see Remark below).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: GALAPAGOS IS- LANDS: Santa Cruz: male holotype, and 2♀ 1 juvenile above.

REMARK: Three vials containing females only were tentatively assigned to G. baerti , but might as well be females of the present species.

Figures

Figs. 30–35. Sexual modifications on male chelicerae. 30. Galapa baerti (Gertsch), cheliceral fang with basal apophysis (arrow). 31. Chibchea araona, n. gen., n. sp., cheliceral fang with tiny projections (arrow; cf. fig. 666). 32. Blancoa piacoa, n. gen., n. sp., cheliceral fang with basal apophysis (arrow). 33. Canaima arima (Gertsch), cheliceral apophysis and projections. 34. Calapnita vermiformis Simon, scales on distal cheliceral apophysis. 35. Coryssocnemis simla, n. sp., upward-bent apophysis. Scale lines: 20 µm (30–33, 35), 3 µm (34).

Figs. 73–78. Tarsal organs in ninetines: 73. Ninetis minuta (Berland), male leg 3. 74. Ninetis minuta (Berland), male leg 1. 75. Tolteca hesperia (Gertsch), male palp. 76. Galapa baerti (Gertsch), female palp. 77. Galapa baerti (Gertsch), male palp. 78. Ibotyporanga naideae Mello-Leitão, male palp. Scale lines: 3 µm.

Figs. 125–129. Male gonopore with epiandrous spigots in ninetines. 125. Ninetis namibiae, n. sp. 126. Tolteca hesperia (Gertsch). 127. Galapa baerti (Gertsch). 128. Ibotyporanga naideae Mello-Leitão. 129. Pholcophora americana Banks. Scale lines: 30 µm.

Figs. 381 387. Galapa spp. 381 384. G. bella (Gertsch), male holotype. 381. Left palp, prolateral view. 382. Left palp, retrolateral view. 383. Left procursus, retrolateral view. 384. Chelicerae, frontal view. 385 387. G. baerti (Gertsch). 385. Left palp, prolateral view. 386. Left palp, retrolateral view. 387. Left procursus, retrolateral view. Arrows point to stridulatory pick (385), and to dorsal apophyses (383, 387). Scale lines: 0.2 mm (381 382, 385 386), 0.1 mm (383 384, 387).