Priscula paila Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 261-264

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2020.718.1101

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F9E9A91E-488C-4DB1-9361-E788E9AC5BC1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4343823

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6A90714E-64BE-4B7E-AF3F-449F6DA2D45D

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:6A90714E-64BE-4B7E-AF3F-449F6DA2D45D

treatment provided by

Valdenar

scientific name

Priscula paila Huber
status

sp. nov.

Priscula paila Huber View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6A90714E-64BE-4B7E-AF3F-449F6DA2D45D

Figs 924–938 View Figs 924–930 View Figs 931–938 , 1062

Priscula View in CoL sp. – Astrin et al. 2006: 445 (molecular data).

Priscula View in CoL sp.1 – Astrin et al. 2007: 21 (molecular data).

Priscula Ven View in CoL 02/80-85 – Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data). — Huber et al. 2018: 59.

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by shapes of procursus ( Figs 931–933 View Figs 931–938 ; distally in lateral view slender and curved towards ventral, with distinctive prolateral pointed process), genital bulb ( Figs 934– 936 View Figs 931–938 ; distinctive shape of main process, slightly spiraling and pointed), and by large epigynum with distinct transversal dark band separating anterior third from rest of plate ( Fig. 927 View Figs 924–930 ).

Etymology

The species name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Monagas • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 22115), along trail from Cueva del Guácharo to Salto la Paila (10.175° N, 63.558° W), ~ 1100 m a.s.l., 30 Nov. 2002 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Monagas • 5 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, 2 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 22116–17), and 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven02/100-24), same collection data as for holotype. – Sucre GoogleMaps 1 ♂, ZFMK (Ar 22118), Cascada el Chorro (10.392° N, 63.633° W), ~ 160 m a.s.l., near ground at river, 30 Nov. 2002 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 4.1, carapace width 1.9. Distance PME–PME 160 µm; diameter PME 150 µm; distance PME–ALE 160 µm; diameter AME 30 µm; distance AME–AME 30 µm. ALE and PLE larger than PME (diameter ALE 220 µm). Leg 1: 33.4 (8.7 +0.8+ 8.6+13.5 +1.8), tibia 2: 6.3, tibia 3: 4.3, tibia 4: 5.7; tibia 1 L/d: 48.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre-yellow with brown lateral marginal bands and wide median mark including ocular area, clypeus with large brown mark narrowing towards chelicerae; sternum light brown with slightly lighter and darker marks near bases of anterior coxae; legs ochre-yellow to light brown, with darker rings on femora subdistally and on tibiae proximally and subdistally; abdomen ochre-gray, dorsally and laterally densely covered with small black marks, with small white marks arranged in lines and small groups; ventrally grey with large brown marks in gonopore area and in front of spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus similar to P. lagunosa González-Sponga, 1999 (cf. Fig. 874 View Figs 871–876 ). Ocular area moderately raised, with small hump on posterior side. Deep thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (1.15/0.90), unmodified. Abdomen higher than long, dorso-posteriorly pointed.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 937 View Figs 931–938 , with short entapophyses, strong lateral projections, and pair of small frontal apophyses; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 924–925 View Figs 924–930 ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with short ventral process, femur very long, with small unsclerotized retrolateral process proximally, distally on ventral side strongly sclerotized and slightly protruding; patella ventrally reduced to narrow rim; tibia short relative to femur; procursus ( Figs 931–933 View Figs 931–938 ) with distinctive distal elements: flat ventral process, heavily sclerotized prolateral pointed process, and extensive fringed membranous structures; genital bulb ( Figs 934–936 View Figs 931–938 ) with small proximal sclerite connecting to tarsus, main apophysis slightly spiraling, flat and pointed, with sperm duct opening on retrolateral-dorsal side (arrow in Fig. 935 View Figs 931–938 ), with strongly sclerotized transversal ridge on ventral side and whitish area between transversal ridge and main apophysis.

LEGS. Without spines, with curved hairs mainly on tibiae and metatarsi 1–3, few distally on femora 1–3 and on tibiae 4; with more than usual short vertical hairs (but not in high density); retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 6%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all leg tibiae; tarsi without distinct pseudosegments but rather with many small platelets.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in seven males (incl. holotype): 7.0–8.6 (mean 8.1). Some males with additional indistinct dark rings at about half length of femora and tibiae.

Female

In general similar to male. Tibia 1 in 11 females: 4.6–5.4 (mean 5.0). Epigynum ( Figs 927–928 View Figs 924–930 ) very large relative to abdomen, with distinct transversal dark band separating anterior third from rest of plate; lateral posterior corners whitish and slightly protruding. Without posterior epigynal plate. Internal genitalia ( Figs 929–930 View Figs 924–930 , 938 View Figs 931–938 ) simple, with pair of oval pore plates converging anteriorly.

Distribution

Known from two localities in the Venezuelan states Monagas and Sucre (Fig. 1062).

Natural history

The spiders were found in a humid forest, where they built their small webs in cavities of the ground and in rock crevices. At Cascada el Chorro the male was found close to the stream, in a small cavity. Three egg-sacs contained about 30– 50 eggs each. In one of them, 48 of the 49 eggs were parasitized (presumably by a wasp; Fig. 926 View Figs 924–930 ); the only non-parasitized egg was one in the center of the egg-sac.

ZFMK

Germany, Bonn, Zoologische Forschungsinstitut und Museum "Alexander Koenig"

ZFMK

Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Genus

Priscula

Loc

Priscula paila Huber

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo 2020
2020
Loc

Priscula

Huber B. A. & Eberle J. & Dimitrov D. 2018: 59
2018
Loc

Priscula

Astrin J. J. & Misof B. & Huber B. A. 2007: 21
2007
Loc

Priscula

Astrin J. J. & Huber B. A. & Misof B. 2006: 445
2006
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