Calapnita lehi, Bernhard A. Huber, 2017

Bernhard A. Huber, 2017, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Southeast Asian leaf-dwelling spider genus Calapnita Simon (Araneae, Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4219 (1), pp. 1-63 : 12-14

Calapnita lehi sp. nov. Figs 3–6 , 20–32

Diagnosis. Males are easily distinguished from congeners by modified male palpal femur (distinctive ventral process; Fig. 21 ), by shape of appendix (bifid, i.e. with long subdistal branch; Figs 20 , 29 ) and by shape of procursus tip (with seemingly hinged prolatero-ventral process; Figs 20–22 ); females are difficult to distinguish externally from other representatives of the phyllicola group; internally they can be distinguished by almost round pore plates and absence of membranous ‘sac’ ( Fig. 25 ).

Etymology. The species is named for Dr. Charles Leh Moi Ung from Sarawak Museum Kuching, in recognition of his help before and during the Borneo expedition 2014.

Material examined. Holotype. MALAYSIA-BORNEO: ♂, ZFMK ( Ar 15964), Sarawak, Lambir Hills National Park (4.198– 4.207°N, 114.034– 114.045°E), 60–150 m a.s.l., underside of leaves, 22.vii.2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber).

Other material. MALAYSIA-BORNEO: 4♂ 9♀, ZFMK (Ar 15965–66), and 1♂ 1♀, SMK, same data as holotype ; 2♀ 1 juv. in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Bor 199), same data . 8♂ 5♀ 1 juv., ZFMK ( Ar 15967–68), Sarawak, Gunung Mulu National Park, forest near Lagang Cave (4.051°N, 114.822°E), 60 m a.s.l., undersides of leaves, 24.vii.2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber) ; 1♂ 1♀ 7 juvs in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Bor 236), same data .

Description. Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 5.0, carapace width 0.9. Leg 1: 41.7 (9.6 + 0.4 + 9.8 + 19.9 + 2.0), tibia 2: 6.9, tibia 3: 3.9, tibia 4: 5.9; tibia 1 L/d: 122. Distance PME-PME 240 µm, diameter PME 120 µm, distance PME- ALE ~30 µm; no trace of AME.

COLOR. Entire animal mostly whitish to pale ochre-yellow, patellae and tibia-metatarsus joints slightly darker brown, abdomen monochromous whitish.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 3 ; ocular area barely elevated, each triad on very low hump; carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum as wide as long (0.56), unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 23 , with pair of simple scaly apophyses near lamellae ( Figs 26, 27 ) and pair of distinct but whitish proximal humps; without modified hairs; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 20–21 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with simple retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur with distinctive ventral process proximally; tarsus with short conical whitish process, procursus with small transparent rounded process from ‘knee’, with apparently hinged distal element; bulb with long weakly sclerotized embolus, large appendix with distinctive bifid tip ( Fig. 29 ), small membranous basal process.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 pseudosegments not visible in dissecting microscope.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in 12 other males: 8.4–10.0 (mean 9.2). Males from Gunung Mulu tend to be smaller than males from Lambir Hills (tibia 1 lengths: 8.4–9.2 vs. 9.4–10.0).

Female. In general similar to male; eye triads slightly closer together (distance PME-PME 200 µm). Tibia 1 in 14 females: 7.0–8.0 (mean 7.5). Females from Gunung Mulu tend to be smaller than females from Lambir Hills (tibia 1 lengths: 7.0–7.4 vs. 7.3–8.0). Epigynum weakly sclerotized, internal anterior arch visible through cuticle ( Fig. 24 ); with simple short posterior ‘knob’ on extensible wide scape ( Fig. 32 ); internal genitalia as in Fig. 25 .

Natural history. At Lambir, most specimens were collected from palm leaves; at Gunung Mulu, they were found on large leaves of various monocot and dicot species. Two egg-sacs contained 8 and 16 eggs respectively. Distribution. Known from two localities in eastern Sarawak ( Fig. 281 ).

Figures

FIGURE 281. Known distribution of the Calapnita phyllicola group, part 1 (cf. Fig. 282). The western Java record is based on a single female of uncertain identity. For details on the undescribed species in RMNH see C. phasmoides.

FIGURES 3 – 12. Live specimens, Calapnita phyllicola group. 3 – 6. C. lehi sp. nov., ♂ and ♀ with egg-sac from Lambir (3 – 4); ♂ and penultimate instar ♂ from Gunung Mulu (5 – 6). 7 – 8. C. kubah sp. nov., ♂ and ♀ with egg-sac from Kubah. 9. C. deelemanae Huber, ♀ with egg-sac from Poring. 10. C. subphyllicola Deeleman-Reinhold, ♀ with egg-sac from Malagos. 11 – 12. C. anai sp. nov., ♂ from MacRitchie, ♀ with egg-sac from Lembah Anai.

FIGURES 20 – 25. Calapnita lehi sp. nov. (ZFMK, Ar 15965 – 66). 20 – 21. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views (asterisk: membranous bulbal process; arrow points at short membranous process from ‘ knee’). 22. Procursus, dorsal view. 23. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 24 – 25. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. a, appendix; b, genital bulb; e, embolus; f, femur; p, procursus; tr, trochanter. Scale lines: 0.3 mm (23 – 25), 0.5 mm (20 – 22).

FIGURES 26 – 32. Calapnita lehi sp. nov., SEM micrographs (ZFMK, Ar 15965 – 66). 26 – 27. Male cheliceral apophyses. 28. Right procursus, prolateral view. 29. Tip of bulbal appendix. 30. Comb-hair on male tarsus 4. 31. Male ALS. 32. Epigynum, ventral view. Scale lines: 10 µm (26, 27, 30, 31), 50 µm (28, 29, 32).