Calapnita kubah, 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 : 15-17

Calapnita kubah sp. nov. Figs 7–8 , 33–44

Diagnosis. Males are easily distinguished from known congeners by morphology of male palps (heavily sclerotized appendix with three terminal tines; subdistally widened and sclerotized embolus; Figs 33 , 39 ); females are difficult to separate from similar species ( C. deelemanae , C. phasmoides , C. subphyllicola ), but seem to differ in their internal genitalia (pore plates not round; membranous ‘sac’ absent; Fig. 37 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality; noun in apposition.

Material examined. Holotype. MALAYSIA-BORNEO: ♂, ZFMK ( Ar 15969), Sarawak, Kubah National Park, along Main Trail (1.611°N, 110.191– 110.195°E), 160–200 m a.s.l., undersides of palm leaves, 13.vii.2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber).

Other material. MALAYSIA-BORNEO: 10♂ 9♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 15970–71), and 1♂ 1♀, SMK, same data as holotype ; 5♀ in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Bor 191), same data . 2♂ 1♀, ZFMK ( Ar 15972), Sarawak, Kubah National Park, near entrance to Waterfall Trail (1.606°N, 110.187°E), 300 m a.s.l., undersides of large palm leaves, 12.vii.2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber) ; 5♀ 3 juvs in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Bor 222), same data .

Description. Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 6.9, carapace width 1.1. Leg 1: 42.9 (10.1 + 0.5 + 10.3 + 20.0 + 2.0), tibia 2: 7.6, tibia 3: 4.5, tibia 4: 7.2; tibia 1 L/d: 98. Distance PME-PME 245 µm, diameter PME 115 µm, distance PME- ALE ~25 µm; no trace of AME.

COLOR. Prosoma mostly pale whitish, sternum with indistinct darker marks; legs pale ochre-yellow with dark brown patellae and tibia-metatarsus joints; abdomen monochromous pale ochre-gray.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 7 ; ocular area barely elevated ( Fig. 42 ), each triad on very low hump; carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum wider than long (0.70/0.64), unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 35 , with pair of simple scaly apophyses ( Fig. 38 ) near lamellae and pair of indistinct lateral humps proximally; without modified hairs; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 33–34 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with long retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur without processes; procursus rather straight, long, with strong prolatero-ventral ‘knee’, with prolateral process at halflength continuing towards tip of procursus as transparent lamina; bulb with small membranous (but not wormshaped) proximal process; large appendix with three heavily sclerotized distal tines ( Fig. 39 ); long embolus arising from base of appendix, with distinctive sclerotized subdistal widening ( Fig. 39 ), with semitransparent tip.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 pseudosegments not visible in dissecting microscope.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in 13 other males: 9.5–10.4 (mean 9.9).

Female. In general similar to male; eye triads slightly closer together (distance PME-PME 220 µm). Tibia 1 in 11 females: 7.6–9.2 (mean 8.4). Epigynum very simple, weakly sclerotized and folded ( Fig. 43 ), internal anterior arch visible through cuticle ( Fig. 36 ); with simple short posterior ‘knob’; internal genitalia as in Fig. 37 .

Natural history. The spiders were only found on the undersides of palm leaves. At one site (“along Main Trail”), palms were common and spiders abundant; at the other site (“near entrance to Waterfall Trail”) palms were rare and so were spiders.

Distribution. Known from type locality in western Sarawak only ( 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 33 – 37. Calapnita kubah sp. nov. (ZFMK, Ar 15970 – 71). 33 – 34. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views (asterisk marks membranous process). 35. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 36 – 37. 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 (35 – 37), 0.5 mm (33 – 34).

FIGURES 38 – 44. Calapnita kubah sp. nov., SEM micrographs (ZFMK, Ar 15970 – 71). 38. Male cheliceral apophysis. 39. Right bulbal appendix and embolus, prolateral view (arrow points at sperm duct opening). 40. Male gonopore. 41. Male ALS. 42. Male prosoma, frontal view. 43. Epigynum, ventral view. 44. Female ALS. a, appendix; b, genital bulb; e, embolus. Scale lines: 10 µm (38, 41, 44), 30 µm (40), 100 µm (39, 42, 43).