Buitinga ifrit Huber & Cazanove, 2023

Huber, Bernhard A., Meng, Guanliang, Clark, Huon L. & Cazanove, Gregory, 2023, First blind daddy long-legs spiders from Australia and Reunion (Araneae, Pholcidae), Subterranean Biology 46, pp. 1-19 : 1

Buitinga ifrit Huber & Cazanove sp. nov.

Figs 3 , 4

Buitinga ? sp. nov. “Reun1”: Huber 2018: 4.

Type material.

Réunion - Saint-Paul • ♂ holotype; Grotte (Caverne) de la Tortue; 21.0743°S, 55.2491°E; ~220 m a.s.l.; 9 Mar. 1997; J.-C. Ledoux leg.; ZFMK (Ar 24187).

Type locality.

Réunion, Saint-Paul, Grotte (Caverne) de la Tortue, 21.0743°S, 55.2491°E, ca 220 m a.s.l.

Type specimen.

Holotype male, in ethanol. Original label: "St. Paul, grotte de la Tortue, Pholcidae (sur toile) 9/3/1997".

Other material examined.

Réunion - Saint-Paul • 1 ♂ 6 ♀ (+ 1 juv.) paratypes; same data as for holotype; MHNR • 1 ♀ paratype (+ 1 juv.); same locality as for holotype, Salle du Muséum; 13 Jul. 1996; C. Guillermet leg.; between stones from scree which obstruct the bottom of the gallery, “2022.E.6.2”; ZFMK (Ar 24188) • 1 ♀ paratype; same locality as for holotype; Salle du Muséum; 24 Feb. 2007; S. Gasnier leg.; on the ground, “CT/070124.004” “2011.E.65.1”; MHNR .

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from known congeners (and other Pholcinae ) by strong bifid process on male palpal trochanter (Fig. 4B ), by details of procursus (Fig. 4E, F ; short main branch curved towards dorsal and with deeply bifid tip, large and mostly membranous side branch originating from ventral side of main branch, with complex tip), genital bulb (Fig. 4A ; bulbal apophysis slender and weakly curved, with small process at basis, embolus cylindrical), male chelicerae (Fig. 4C, D ; pair of light proximal processes; pair of distal frontal apophyses with four modified hairs each), epigynum (Fig. 3B ; barely protruding, without pockets, distinctive median posterior process only visible in cleared specimens), and female internal genitalia (Figs 3C, D , 4G ; oval pore plates; pair of dark lateral structures).

Description.

Male (holotype). Measurements. Total body length 2.0, carapace width 0.70. Leg 1: 18.5 (4.6 + 0.3 + 5.1 + 7.3 + 1.2); tibia 2: 3.1; tibia 3: 1.9; tibia 4: 2.8; tibia 1 L/d: 85.

Color (in ethanol). Entire specimen pale ochre to whitish (Fig. 3A ).

Body. Habitus as in Fig. 3A . Ocular area slightly raised, without any remnants of eye pigment and lenses. Without thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.50/0.40), unmodified. Abdomen oval, conical at spinnerets.

Chelicerae. As in Fig. 4C , with pair of light proximal processes and pair of distal frontal apophyses with four modified hairs each (Fig. 4D ); without stridulatory files.

Palps. As in Fig. 4A, B ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with strong bifid process, femur short, slightly widening distally, without process; tibia with two trichobothria; procursus (Fig. 4E, F ) complex, with short main branch curved towards dorsal and with deeply bifid tip, large and mostly membranous side branch originating from ventral side of main branch, with complex tip; genital bulb with slender and weakly curved bulbal apophysis with small process at basis, and cylindrical embolus with transparent fringes at tip.

Legs. Apparently without spines and curved hairs (many hairs missing); few short vertical hairs; leg trichobothria and pseudosegments not seen.

Variation (male). Second male apparently indistinguishable; legs 1 missing.

Female. In general similar to male; total body length 1.8-2.0; carapace width 0.68-0.72; tibia 1 in seven females: 3.7-4.7 (mean 4.1). Epigynum (Fig. 3B ) main anterior plate slightly protruding, barely visible in ventral view, with darker median area, without pockets, with distinctive median posterior process (Fig. 4H, I ) only visible in cleared specimens. Internal genitalia (Figs 3C, D , 4G ) with barely visible oval pore plates and pair of dark lateral structures. Each ALS apparently with only two spigots (large widened spigot and long pointed spigot; checked in cleared abdomen).

Etymology.

The species epithet refers to a demon in Islamic mythology that is often associated with the underworld; noun in apposition.

Distribution.

Known from type locality only.

Natural history.

The spiders were collected deep within the Grotte de la Tortue lava tube (Fig. 5D, E ). Some of the specimens were collected in the Salle du Muséum, a section that is about 150 m from the cave entrance (see topographic map in Hoch et al. 2003). They were found among rocks on the ground. For the other specimens, cave section and microhabitat are unknown. For a general characterization of the caves and cave fauna of Réunion, see Discussion.

Figures

Figure 3. Buitinga ifrit Huber & Cazanove, sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype, ZFMK (Ar 24187 - 88) A male habitus, dorsal view B female abdomen, ventral view (arrow: darker median area) C, D cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Abbreviations: ls, dark lateral structure; mp, median posterior process; sp, spinnerets. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A); 0.2 mm (B); 0.1 mm (C, D).

Figure 4. Buitinga ifrit Huber & Cazanove, sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype, ZFMK (Ar 24187 - 88) A, B left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views C, D male chelicerae, frontal view, and frontal male cheliceral apophyses in more detail E, F left tarsus and procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views G-I cleared female genitalia, dorsal view, and posterior median structure in two cleared specimens in more detail. Abbreviations: b, genital bulb; ba, bulbal apophysis; c, coxa; e, embolus; f, femur; pa, patella; pr, procursus; ta, tarsus; ti, tibia; tr, trochanter. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, B, G); 0.1 mm (C, E, F); 0.05 mm (D, H, I).

Figure 5. Epigean and hypogean habitats and collecting method A Hamersley Range in Western Australia; the area of the sampled boreholes B weighted net (arrow) above a borehole C weighted net used for scrape sampling D main entrance of the Grotte de La Tortue (photo T. Percheron, 2015) E gallery of the lost goat in Caverne de La Tortue (photo T. Percheron, 2022).