Galapa spiniphila Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A. & Villarreal, Osvaldo, 2020, On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 718, pp. 1-317 : 58-62

Galapa spiniphila Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:43841C1C-F973-4B31-8DC0-63958E477005

Figs 174–175 , 178–188 , 1040

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from most described Ninetinae (except congeners) by processes on male cheliceral fangs but otherwise unmodified male chelicerae ( Fig. 181 ); from other Galapa species by distinctive shape of procursus ( Figs 179–180 ; distal apophysis curved toward retrolateral, large dorsal branch curved toward prolateral and lodged in pocket of genital bulb), by large genital bulb with three distal pointed apophyses ( Figs 178, 180 ), and by membranous elements posteriorly in internal female genitalia ( Figs 182 , 185, 188 ); a very similar undescribed species from Costa Rica (see Notes above) differs by pair of pointed processes distally on procursus pointing toward retrolateral.

Etymology

The species name (Latin: the one who likes spines) refers to one microhabitat of this species, among the spiny leaves of ground-dwelling bromeliads; adjective.

Type material

VENEZUELA – Falcón • ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 21860), Península de Paraguaná, near Cueva del Guano (11.9026° N, 69.9456° W), 140 m a.s.l., 16 Nov. 2018 (B.A. Huber, O. Villarreal M.) .

Other material examined

VENEZUELA – Falcón • 2 ♀♀ (and two female abdomens transferred from ZFMK, Ven18-183), together with male holotype, and 4 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18-183), same collection data as for holotype .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 0.95, carapace width 0.42. Distance PME–PME 40 µm; diameter PME 40 µm; distance PME–ALE 15 µm; distance AME–AME 10 µm; diameter AME 20 µm. Leg 1: 1.84 (0.52+ 0.12 +0.48 +0.44 +0.28), tibia 2: 0.40, tibia 3: 0.36, tibia 4: 0.58; tibia 1 L/d: 9.

COLOR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs monochromous ochre-yellow; abdomen monochromous pale gray. BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 174 . Ocular area barely raised. Carapace without thoracic groove. Clypeus barely modified (slightly bulging). Sternum slightly wider than long (0.30/0.26), with pair of indistinct anterior humps. Abdomen globular.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 181 , main segments unmodified except for low lateral elevations with fine stridulatory ridges; fangs with distinctive proximal processes.

PALPS. As in Figs 178–179 ; coxa ( not shown) unmodified; trochanter barely modified; femur slender, with proximal prolateral stridulatory pick; tibia large; procursus wide in lateral view, main branch distally curved toward retrolateral, large dorsal branch curved toward prolateral and lodged in pocket of genital bulb ( Fig. 180 ); genital bulb very large, with fine hair-like processes on prolateral side, with three distal pointed apophyses.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 52%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with 5 pseudosegments.

Female

In general similar to male ( Fig. 175 ) but without humps on sternum. Tibia 1 in four females: 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46. Epigynum ( Figs 183, 186 ) light brown semicircular plate, weakly protruding. Internal genitalia ( Figs 182 , 185, 188 ) apparently with thin membranous anterior chamber and thick membranous posterior elements of unknown significance; apparently with pore plates (few pores, very indistinct).

Distribution

Known from type locality only, in Venezuela , Falcón (Fig. 1040).

Natural history

The spiders were found on the ground in xerophytic thorn forest. They were hiding among the extremely spiny hard leaves of a terrestrial bromeliad and ran rapidly when disturbed.

Figures

Figs 172–177. Live specimens. 172–173. Chisosa caquetio Huber, 2019; male and female with egg sac from Falcón, Cueva del Guano. 174–175. Galapa spiniphila Huber sp. nov.; male and female with egg sac from Falcón, near Cueva del Guano. 176–177. Ibotyporanga bariro Huber sp. nov.; male and female from Falcón, SE Bariro.

Figs 178–182. Galapa spiniphila Huber sp. nov.; from Falcón, near Cueva del Guano (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21860). 178–179. Left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 180. Left procursus and genital bulb, dorsal view. 181. Male ocular area, clypeus, and chelicerae, frontal view (arrow: process on male cheliceral fang). 182. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: b= genital bulb; p=procursus. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

Figs 183–188. Galapa spiniphila Huber sp. nov.; female abdomens, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views, two females from Falcón, near Cueva del Guano (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21860).