Leptopholcus hispaniola Huber, 2000

Huber, Bernhard A. & Wunderlich, Jörg, 2006, Fossil and extant species of the genus Leptopholcus in the Dominican Republic, with the first cases of egg-parasitism in pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae), Journal of Natural History 40 (41 - 43), pp. 2341-2360 : 2347-2350

Leptopholcus hispaniola Huber, 2000

( Figures 2c, d, j , 5 , 6 , 9b )

L. hispaniola Huber 2000, p 77 –79, Figures 300, 301 (female not conspecific, see below).

Type

Male holotype from Parque Nacional Bermudez Cienaga, La Vega Prov., Dominican Republic; tropical evergreen forest at 1100 m a.s.l., 19 July to 2 August 1995 (S. and J. Peck), in AMNH .

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known Caribbean congeners by the shapes of the apophyses on the male genital bulb ( Figures 5a , 6a–c , 9b ), by the shape of the procursus ( Figure 5b ), by the short male palpal trochanter apophysis ( Figure 5b ), and by the internal sclerotized structures in the female genitalia ( Figures 2j , 5c, d ). From L. toma and L. baoruco also distinguished by the shorter abdomen tip ( Figure 2d ).

Male (type locality)

For a detailed description of the male holotype see Huber (2000). All males from the type locality have distinct black spots in the area of the AME, lenses are either absent or not visible in the dissecting microscope; other eyes as usual: distance PME–PME 300 Mm; diameter PME 80 Mm; distance PME–ALE 20 Mm. Habitus as in Figure 2c, d ; prosoma very pale ochre-grey, with darker band between eye triads extending over dorsal half of clypeus; sternum whitish, legs pale ochre, patellae and tibia–metatarsus joints dark (almost black), abdomen ochre-grey with black spots dorsally ( Figure 2c ). Chelicerae not visibly different from those of L. baoruco (cf. Figure 3c ), with indistinguishable distal apophyses ( Figure 6i ). Palps as in Figure 5a, b ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with small retrolateral and relatively short ventral apophyses, the latter with distal modified hair ( Figure 6h ); femur with three small apophyses retrolaterally; procursus strongly bent dorsally, with distinctive distal structures ( Figure 6d ); genital bulb with distinctive uncus and appendix and slightly sclerotized embolus ( Figures 5a , 6a–c , 9b ); palpal tarsal organ capsulate ( Figure 6g ). Prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae. Gonopore with four epiandrous spigots ( Figure 6e ). Spinnerets as in L. baoruco (see above, and Figure 6f ). Serrated hairs on tarsi 4 as in L. toma (cf. Figure 8g ).

Variation

All males (and females) from the Cordillera Central (La Cienaga; near Jima) have distinct AME spots (sometimes apparently even lenses), while males (and females) from all other localities lack these spots as well as any trace of AME lenses. The genitalia (male and female) in all these specimens are indistinguishable. Tibia 1 in 36 males: 6.3–8.3 (mean: 7.2).

Female

The single female specimen available at the time of the original description was from Haiti, Damiens ( Huber 2000). The newly collected material clearly shows that this female specimen is not conspecific with the type specimen of L. hispaniola , but probably represents an undescribed species. Females of L. hispaniola have relatively short abdominal tips (similar to males), and the distinctive internal sclerotized structures in the genitalia differ markedly from those of the Haitian specimen (compare Figure 5d with Figure 308 in Huber 2000). Tibia 1 in 56 females: 4.7–6.6 (mean: 5.4). Epigynum as in Figures 5c , 6j ; internal genitalia with oval pore plates ( Figures 5d , 6m ). Palpal tarsus with short distal cone-shaped claw, pair of strong hairs, and capsulate tarsal organ ( Figure 6l ). Figure 6k shows a female from La Cienaga with distinct AME pigment but without any trace of AME lenses. Serrated hairs on tarsi 4 as in male.

Distribution

Known from several localities in central, northern, and eastern Dominican Republic ( Figure 10 )

Material examined (all collected by the first author)

Dominican Republic: La Vega Prov.: near La Cienaga, path to Los Tablones (19 ° 03.59N, 70 ° 53.09W),, 1200 m a.s.l., 3 „, 3♀ (8 November 2005); near La Cienaga, path along river (, 19 ° 039N, 70 ° 539W),, 1100 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 2 „, 5♀ (9 November 2005) . Monseñor Nouel Prov.: forest at brook through plantation near Jima (19 ° 01.49N, 70 ° 28.89W),, 700 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 4 „, 8♀ (8 November 2005). Samaná Prov.: forests near Saltos de Limón (, 19 ° 16.69N, 69 ° 26.59W),, 120 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 4 „, 13♀ (11 November 2005) . Puerto Plata Prov.: N of La Cumbre (19 ° 34.39N, 70 ° 38.09W), forest near plantations, 600 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 2 „, 10♀ (13 November 2005). Espaillat Prov.: near Jamao al Norte (19 ° 38.69N, 70 ° 26.99W), forest along river, 40 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 5 „, 2♀ (13 November 2005) . Monte Plata Prov.: near Monte Plata (18 ° 48.79N, 69 ° 47.19W), forest along river, 60 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 2 „, 2♀ (21 November 2005); near Yamasá (18 ° 45.99N, 70 ° 01.29W), forest along river, 70 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 10 „, 6♀ (20 November 2005) . Hato Mayor Prov.: N of Manchado (18 ° 50.29N, 69 ° 18.59W), forest near river, 150 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 2 „, 10♀ (21 November 2005) . El Seíbo Prov.: near Miches (18 ° 56.89N, 69 ° 05.29W), forest with plantations,, 300 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 2 „, 3♀ (22 November 2005). La Romana Prov.: near Batey El Gato (18 ° 27.79N, 69 ° 04.79W), near entrance to cave, 80 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 1 „, 1♀ (24 November 2005) . Distrito Nacional: Santo Domingo, Jardin Botanico (18 ° 29.79N, 69 ° 57.29W), forest along brook, 50 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 3 „, 1♀ (27 November 2005) .

Assigned tentatively: Puerto Plata Prov.: S of Puerto Plata, forest along path towards Isabel Torres National Park (19 ° 46.49N, 70 ° 42.39W),, 400 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 1♀ (14 November 2005). Duarte Prov.: Reserva Scientifica Loma Quita Espuela,, 300 m a.s.l. (19 ° 419N, 70 ° 089W), one juvenile (10 November 2005) .

Figures

Figure 2. (a–f) Males in dorsal and lateral views: Leptopholcus baoruco (a, b); L. hispaniola (c, d); L. toma (e, f); (g, h) L. baoruco females, lateral views; (i–k) untreated female genitalia in ventral views: L. baoruco (i); L. hispaniola (j); L. toma (k).

Figure 3. Leptopholcus baoruco. (a, b) Male palp in prolateral and retrolateral views; (c) male chelicerae, frontal view; (d, e) cleared epigynum in ventral and dorsal views. a, appendix; b, bulb; f, femur; p, procursus; pp, pore plate; tr, trochanter; u, uncus. Scale bars: 0.3 mm (a, b); 0.2 mm (c–e).

Figure 5. Leptopholcus hispaniola. (a, b) Male palp in prolateral and retrolateral views; (c, d) cleared epigynum in ventral and dorsal views. a, appendix; b, bulb; f, femur; p, procursus; pp, pore plate; tr, trochanter; u, uncus. Scale bars: 0.3 mm (a, b), 0.2 mm (c, d).

Figure 6. Leptopholcus hispaniola, SEM images. (a–c) Male bulbal projections; (d) tip of procursus, prolateral view; (e) male gonopore; (f) male ALS and PMS; (g) male palpal tarsal organ; (h) tip of male palpal trochanter apophysis with modified hair at tip; (i) male distal cheliceral apophysis (arrows point to modified hairs); (j) epigynum, ventral view; (k) ocular area of a female with distinct AME pigment but without AME lenses; (l) tip of female pedipalp; (m) female internal genitalia, dorsal view of cleared genitalia. a, appendix; e, embolus; u, uncus. Scale bars: 100 Mm (a–c, k, m); 60 Mm (d); 40 Mm (e); 10 Mm (f–i); 200 Mm (j); 30 Mm (l).

Figure 8. Leptopholcus toma, SEM images. (a) Left procursus and palpal trochanter, retrolateral view; (b, c) male bulbal projections; (d) tip of male palpal trochanter apophysis with modified hair; (e) tip of procursus, retrolateral view; (f) female ocular area (arrows point to AME lenses); (g) female tarsus 4 with row of serrated hairs; (h) tip of female pedipalp; (i) female spinnerets and anal cone; (j) female ALS and PMS; (k) epigynum, ventral view; (l) female internal genitalia, dorsal view of cleared genitalia; (m) pore plate, dorsal view. a, appendix; e, embolus; p, procursus; tr, trochanter; u, uncus. Scale bars: 100 Mm (a, c, f, l); 70 Mm (b, i); 10 Mm (d, g, j); 50 Mm (e); 30 Mm (h); 200 Mm (k); 20 Mm (m).

Figure 9. Distinctive bulbal projections (left bulbs in retrolateral views). (a) Leptopholcus baoruco; (b) L. hispaniola; (c) L. toma from type locality; (d) L. toma from near Cabral. a, appendix; e, embolus; u, uncus. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 10. Known distribution of Leptopholcus in Hispaniola. Unidentified females and juveniles were collected at two localities in the Dominican Republic: near El Pino (19°24.79N, 71°29.99W), E of San Juan de la Maguana (18°47.69N, 71°12.29W). All other localities are detailed in the text.