Pholcus narathiwat Huber

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 : 33-35

Pholcus narathiwat Huber , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0127E1C4-BABC-4C33-A92E-65744D43D8E2

Figs 106–107 , 124–128 , 137–139

Diagnosis

Distinguished from similar species (other species in the Ph. krabi group) by morphology of male palps ( Figs 124–125 ; unique shape of bifid appendix; shape of uncus; procursus with strong distal ventral sclerite, similar only in Ph. chiangdao ) and by distinctive rounded sclerites in internal female genitalia ( Fig. 127 ).

Etymology

The species name is derived from the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

THAILAND: holotype, ♂, ZFMK ( Ar 15041 ), Narathiwat , Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, ‘site 3’ (5°48.4' N, 101°49.4' E), 180 m a.s.l., forest near road, domed webs among vegetation, 2 Mar. 2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad) .

Other material examined

THAILAND: 1 ♀, together with holotype; 1 ♀, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Mal 312 ), same data but at 220 m a.s.l .; 1 ♀, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Mal 316 ), same locality but ‘site 1’, forest at river near headquarters (5°47.8' N, 101°49.9' E), 90 m a.s.l., 2 Mar. 2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad), night collecting .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.9, carapace width 1.0. Leg 1: 30.6 (7.2 + 0.4 + 7.3 + 13.5 + 2.2), tibia 2: 4.4, tibia 3: 2.4, tibia 4: 4.1; tibia 1 L/d: 76. Distance PME-PME 350 µm, diameter PME 95 µm, distance PME-ALE ~35 µm; AME absent.

COLOR. Carapace pale ochre-yellow with light brown median line and V-mark, ocular area and clypeus light brown; sternum whitish; palps orange; legs pale ochre-yellow with darker brown patellae and tibiametatarsus joints; abdomen pale gray with some indistinct marks dorsally.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 106 ; ocular area slightly raised and each triad on short stalk directed laterad; carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum wider than long (0.60/0.52), unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 126 , with large proximal lateral processes and pair of rounded distal apophyses without modified hairs.

PALPS. As in Figs 124–125 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with retrolatero-ventral apophysis directed first laterad then bending sharply ventrad; femur with small retrolatero-dorsal process proximally; tibia large; procursus distally complex, with distinctive strong ventral apophysis; bulb with strong proximal sclerite, with uncus, with distinctive bifid appendix (prolateral part with large scales), short weakly sclerotized embolus.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 4%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with> 20 pseudosegments, only distally fairly distinct.

Female

In general similar to male ( Fig. 107 ) but eye triads on low humps and closer together (PME-PME distance: 235 µm), ocular area and clypeus either with one large black mark (1 ♀) or with two transversal black bands (2 ♀♀). Tibia 1: 5.9, 6.3, 6.6. Epigynum weakly sclerotized slightly bulging plate with posterior ‘knob’, internal anterior arch and distinctive rounded sclerites poorly visible through cuticle ( Figs 127 , 137–138 ); internal genitalia as in Figs 128 and 139 .

Natural history

Three of the four specimens were collected from a single bush. Three days of intensive collecting at the type locality resulted in only one further specimen. The ATOL Expedition in 2003 did not collect this species. The domed webs were easily visible among the vegetation, about 1–1.5 m above the ground.

Distribution

Known from type locality in southern Thailand only ( Fig. 110 ).

Figures

Fig. 110. Known distribution of the Pholcus krabi species group.

Figs 102 – 109. Live specimens, Pholcus krabi Huber, sp. nov. (102 – 105), Ph. narathiwat Huber, sp. nov. (106 – 107), and Ph. kipungit Huber, sp. nov. (108 – 109). 102 – 104. ♂ and ♀ from Khao Sok, Thailand. 105. ♀ with egg-sac from Phanom Bencha, Thailand. 106 – 107. ♂ and ♀ from Hala Bala, Thailand. 108 – 109. ♂ and ♀ from Poring, Sabah.

Figs 124 – 128. Pholcus narathiwat Huber, sp. nov., ZFMK Ar 15041. 124 – 125. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 126. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 127 – 128. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Abbreviations: a = appendix; b = genital bulb; e = embolus; p = procursus; u = uncus. Scale lines: 0.3 mm (126), 0.5 mm (124 – 125, 127 – 128).

Figs 134 – 142. Female genitalia, untreated in ventral view, cleared in ventral and dorsal views. 134 – 136. Pholcus krabi Huber, sp. nov. 137 – 139. Ph. narathiwat Huber, sp. nov. 140 – 142. Ph. kipungit Huber, sp. nov.