Systenita prasina Simon, 1893

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 281-282

Systenita prasina Simon, 1893

Figs 1008–1020, 1021–1022, 1065

Systenita prasina Simon, 1893a: 318 .

Systenita prasina – Simon 1893b: 479–483. — Brignoli 1975: 36, fig. 2g. — Huber 1997d: 608, figs 28a–d, 29a–f. — González-Sponga 2010: 23, pl. 6, figs 1–9.

Misidentification

Systenita prasina – Caporiacco 1955: 299, fig. 8 (see Huber 1997d).

Notes

Brignoli’s (1975) drawing of the palp of this species was probably prepared from a type specimen in MNHN. He did not specify the origin of his specimen(s).

González-Sponga’s (2010) material was reexamined and is correctly identified: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, MIZA 105656 (MAGS 1347), La Guaira, “carretera El Junquito – Carayaca” (file card), “El Junquito – vía Carayaca” (publication) [approximately 10.445° N, 67.147° W], 11 Jan. 1992 (A.R. Delgado, M.A. González S.).

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from similar pale six-eyed pholcids ( Mecolaesthus fallax Huber sp. nov., Metagonia spp.) by distinctive armature of male chelicerae ( Huber 1997d: figs 29e–f; two large clubshaped hairs on each side), by very slender procursus partly lodged in groove of large bulbal process ( Huber 1997d: fig. 29b), and by epigynum and female internal genitalia (Figs 1012–1020; small light brown sclerite, tiny globular pore plates attached to median sclerite).

Type material

VENEZUELA – Aragua • ♂ lectotype (designated in Huber 1997d), 8 ♂♂, 16 ♀♀ paralectotypes and 7 juvs, MNHN (Ar 10527), Eugène Simon collection number 11023, Colonia Tovar [approximately 10.41° N, 67.29° W], Jan.–Feb. 1888 (E. Simon); examined (see Huber 1997d).

New records

VENEZUELA – Aragua • 9 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22137–38), and 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 3 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven02/100-11), forest above Colonia Tovar (10.414° N, 67.301° W), ~ 2100 m a.s.l., 26 Nov. 2002 (B.A. Huber) • 9 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22139–40), and 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18-152), same locality, 2140 m a.s.l., 8 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) • 9 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22141–43), and 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven02/100-45), near Colonia Tovar, forest at Cerro Picacho (= Pico Codazzi) (10.408° N, 67.308° W), ~ 2200 m a.s.l., 27 Nov. 2002 (B.A. Huber). – La Guaira • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22144), between Colonia Tovar and El Junquito (10.4230° N, 67.2381° W), 1960 m a.s.l., 10 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.). – Miranda • 15 ♂♂, 14 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 22145–46), El Ávila National Park , between Sabas Nieves and La Silla (10.529° N, 66.854° W), ~ 2100 m a.s.l., 25 Nov. 2002 (B.A. Huber) • 21 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, 2 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 22147–48), and 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18-143), same locality (10.5288° N, 66.8546° W), 1850 m a.s.l., 7 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) • 2 ♀♀, 1 juv., MIZA 105805 ( MAGS 561 ), El Ávila National Park, El Paraíso [10.530° N, 66.819° W], ~ 1500 m a.s.l., 16 Aug. 1981 (J.A. González D.) .

Redescription (amendments, see Huber 1997d)

Male

Habitus as in Figs 1008–1009. Eye measurements (male from Colonia Tovar): distance PME–PME 210 µm; diameter PME 80 µm; distance PME–ALE 70 µm. Carapace monochromous whitish, clypeus variable, from pale grey to light brown to black; legs pale ochre yellow, femora 2 and 3 dorsally proximally with long dark mark, coxae 2 and 3 ventrally with dark mark; patellae and tibia-metatarsus joints dark; abdomen monochromous pale gray to pale bluish. Legs without curved hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Tibia 1 in 56 newly examined males: 6.5–8.1 (mean 7.3).

Female

Colors as in male (Figs 1010–1011), but femora 2 and 3 dorsally without dark mark and coxae 2 and 3 ventrally without dark mark; color of clypeus variable as in male. Tibia 1 in 50 newly examined females: 4.9–6.1 (mean 5.4). Epigynum (Figs 1012–1015) very simple, ventral view variable depending on visibility of internal (often greenish or bluish) structures. Internal genitalia (Figs 1016–1020) with tiny globular pore plates attached to median sclerite.

Distribution

Known from several localities in the Coastal Ranges (between 1850 and 2200 m a.s.l.) in the Venezuelan states Aragua, La Guaira, and Miranda (Fig. 1065).

Natural history

The spiders were collected from their relatively large webs attached to the undersides of leaves at ~ 1–2 m above the ground. They rested in an inverted position (dorsal side of the abdomen facing the underside of the leaf, frontal side of prosoma facing the forest floor; Figs 1008, 1010) at the apex of the domed web where it was closely attached to the leaf. When disturbed, the spiders moved away and bobbed or vibrated but were easy to catch. Egg sacs were often greenish (Figs 1010–1011).