Pholcus krabi

Berhard A. Huber, Booppa Petchard, Charles Leh Moi Ung, Joseph K. H. Koh & Amir R. M. Ghazali, 2016, The Southeast Asian Pholcus halabala species group (Araneae, Pholcidae): new data from field observations and ultrastructure, European Journal of Taxonomy 190, pp. 1-55 : 27

Pholcus krabi species group

This species group is newly proposed to include three species previously part of the Ph. halabala group ( Ph. chiangdao Huber, 2011 ; Ph. khene Huber, 2011 ; Ph. kinabalu Huber, 2011 ) as well as three newly described species ( Ph. krabi Huber , sp. nov.; Ph. narathiwat Huber , sp. nov.; Ph. kipungit Huber , sp. nov.). They share three putative synapomorphies: (1) absence of AME ( Figs 116–117); (2) absence of modified hairs on distal male cheliceral apophyses ( Fig. 118); and (3) reduction of ALS spigots to two (one widened, one pointed; Fig. 122; confirmed in Ph. kinabalu and Ph. krabi sp. nov. only). In addition, live males of the three newly described species share highly distinctive reddish to orange palps ( Figs 102, 106, 108), and females of at least Ph. chiangdao , Ph. kinabalu , and Ph. narathiwat sp. nov. share dimorphic color patterns on the prosoma. Species newly observed in the field ( Ph. kipungit sp. nov.; Ph. narathiwat sp. nov.; Ph. krabi sp. nov.) built very similar domed webs among the vegetation (0.5–2 m above the ground), usually with the apex of the dome attached to the underside of a leaf. They are also very similar in general appearance (the three species are indistinguishable in the field; Figs 102–109). Very low abundances and/or patchy distributions were observed in all three species. However, most specimens known of Ph. kinabalu were collected by canopy fogging ( Huber 2011), suggesting that abundances of at least this species may be different in higher forest strata. Egg-sacs are carried in front of the body ( Figs 105, 109) as in typical pholcids. This species group is known from mainland Southeast Asia and Borneo ( Fig. 110). The RMNH has an additional species from East Kalimantan ( Fig. 110) that is not described here because only a single poorly preserved male specimen is available.