Priscula paeza, 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 : 142-143

Priscula paeza , new species Figures 547 551

TYPES: Male holotype, 1♀ paratype from Central Hidroelectrica Anchicayá (Old),

Dept. del Valle , Colombia ; 400 m elev., Oct. 1975 (W. G. Eberhard), in MCZ .

ETYMOLOGY: The species name is an adjective honoring the Páez Indians who now live mostly as farmers on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central in Colombia.

DIAGNOSIS: Easily distinguished from known congeners by the shape of the procursus (extremely broad basis, complicated distal segment: figs. 547 548), and by the shape of the bulbal apophysis (fig. 549).

MALE (holotype): Total length ~ 4.1 (opisthosoma damaged), carapace width 2.0; leg 1 missing, tibia 2: 8.8, leg 3 missing, tibia 4: 8.2. Habitus similar to P. binghamae (cf. fig. 501), but ocular area slightly more elevated, and AME higher, distance PME-ALE about 60% of PME diameter. Carapace ochre, with large roundish spot medially and darker lateral margins; ocular area, clypeus and sternum brown; sternum posteriorly with single, widely curved lobe. Chelicerae as in P. annulipes (cf. fig. 523), but apophyses slightly longer. Palps in general as in P. binghamae (cf. figs. 505 506), but femur without distal protruding rim, and procursus and bulb significantly different (figs. 547 549). Legs light brown, with darker rings at patella area and on tibia subdistally; apparently without spines, without curved and vertical hairs (most hairs on legs missing). Opisthosoma gray, with blackish and white spots.

FEMALE (paratype): Tibia 1: 8.9. In general very similar to male, but opisthosoma higher, triangular in lateral view. Epigynum as in fig. 551, light brown medially, dark brown laterally; dorsal view as in fig. 550.

VARIATION: Tibia 1 in 3 other females: 7.9, 8.0, 9.6. Two of the females included tentatively (Habana, Yotoco) have curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi, and very strong legs. They are assigned to this species (rather than to P. annulipes whose epigynum is apparently indistinguishable) because of their geographic origin (Dept. del Valle), the few dark rings on the legs, the triangular opisthosoma, and the dark sternum.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from various localities in Dept. del Valle, Colombia.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: COLOMBIA: Dept. del Valle : Anchicayá: types above ; Anchicayá , 400 m elev., Oct. 26, 1969 (W. G. Eberhard), 1♀ in MCZ ; Habana , 2200 m elev., Sept. 16, 1969 (W. G. Eberhard), 1♀ in MCZ ; Yotoco , 1500 m elev., Aug. 1977 (W. G. Eberhard), 1♀ in MCZ .

Priscula tunebo , new species Figures 552 555

TYPE: Male holotype from Pregonero , Dept. Tachira, Venezuela ; Camp. Siberia, Laldea, 1200 m elev., rain forest, July 10 31, 1989 (S. & J. Peck), in AMNH .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a noun in apposition honoring the Tunebo, a seminomadic people in the northern Cordillera Oriental in Colombia, who avoided extinction during the conquest period by constantly moving to elude the Spaniards.

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from congeners by the shape of the procursus (figs. 552 553), the bulb (fig. 555), and the lateral position of the cheliceral apophyses (fig. 554; cf. P. binghamae ). Possibly close to P. lagunosa , which lacks apophyses on the male chelicerae.

MALE (holotype): Total length 3.3, carapace width 1.8; leg 1: 38.4 (9.7+0.8+9.6 +16.0+2.3), tibia 2: 6.8, tibia 3: 4.7, tibia 4: 6.3; tibia 1 l/d: 55. Habitus similar to P. binghamae (cf. fig. 501), but ocular area slightly more elevated and AME slightly higher; distance PME-ALE about 60% of PME diameter. Carapace orange to light brown, speckled with brown, ocular area and clypeus brown, sternum ochre-brown, posteriorly with pair of indistinct lobes; chelicerae brown, with pair of blackish frontal apophyses in very lateral position (fig. 554). Palps in general as in P. binghamae (cf. figs. 505 506), femur distally with ventral rim protruding into distinct apophysis, procursus and bulb as in figs. 552 553, 555. Legs yellowish, with very faint darker rings on femora (distally) and tibiae (proximally, subdistally); most hairs missing; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 6%. Opisthosoma high- er than long (2.3 versus 1.9), slightly angular; gray, covered with blackish spots dorsally; genital plate light brown, large.

FEMALE: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from type locality.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: VENEZUELA: Tachira: Pregonero: type above.

Figures

Figs. 547 555. Priscula spp. 547 551. P. paeza, n. sp. 547. Left procursus, prolateral view. 548. Left procursus, retrolateral view. 549. Left genital bulb, ~ dorsal view. 550. Epigynum, dorsal view. 551. Epigynum, ventral view. 552 555. P. tunebo, n. sp., male holotype. 552. Left procursus, prolateral view. 553. Left procursus, retrolateral view. 554. Chelicerae, frontal view. 555. Left genital bulb, ~ dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.