Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869

Huber, Bernhard A., 2019, The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 1-57 : 14-16

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4550.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2F7D1EC4-D4ED-4FAE-B227-CF7B79EAE833

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4581621

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CA3B104C-FF98-FF94-FF3D-FC4BFA2FE077

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869
status

 

Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 View in CoL

Figs 47, 49–50 View FIGURES 47–52 , 53–55 View FIGURES 53–58 , 65–66 View FIGURES 65–72 , 73–75 View FIGURES 73–78 , 85 View FIGURES 85–88 , 89 View FIGURES 89–92

Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge 1869: 378 View in CoL , pl. 11, figs 13, 21–27 (♂ ♀, Sri Lanka).

Pholcus ceylonicus View in CoL — Brignoli 1972: 909, figs 1–2, 4–7. Brignoli 1975: 36, fig. 2f (copied from Brignoli 1972). Huber & Benjamin 2005: 3306 View Cited Treatment , figs 1–4. Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data). Huber et al. 2018: fig. 12.

Sihala ceylonica — Huber 2011: 31, fig. 145. Transferred back to Pholcus in Huber et al. 2018: 83 View in CoL .

Diagnosis. Males are easily distinguished from other species in ceylonicus group by shape of genital bulb ( Figs 73–75 View FIGURES 73–78 ): distinctive main bulbal process (‘appendix’), i.e. large sclerotized process with conical projection and unique membrane on retrolateral side. Females similar to P. metta sp. n. and P. puranappui sp. n. but with consistently smaller posterior excavation of pre-epigynal plate (compare Figs 85–87 View FIGURES 85–88 ).

Description (amendments; see Huber & Benjamin 2005). Dark mark on carapace variably large and either undivided or medially posteriorly divided. Dark mark on sternum usually star-shaped, sometimes rather triangular with long posterior point. Males from Minneriya with slightly smaller retrolateral conical projection on main bulbal process. Males from Gowindahela with slightly wider main bulbal process in dorsal view. Tibia 1 in 32 newly examined males: 9.5–14.8 (mean 11.9); in 24 females: 8.7–12.0 (mean 10.4). Diameter of posterior excavation of pre-epigynal plate usually 90–140 µm, in females from Gowindahela 140–150 µm.

New records. SRI LANKA: 1♂ 1♀, NMSL , 7♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 20036) and 1♀ 3 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL96 View Materials ), Western Province, Mitirigala Forest (6.997°N, 80.175°E), 70 m a.s.l., 6.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 2♂, ZFMK (Ar 20037) and 1♂ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL102 View Materials ), Sabaragamuwa Province, outside of Belilena Cave near Kitulgala (7.003°N, 80.436°E), 370 m a.s.l., 7.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 1♂ 3♀, ZFMK (Ar 20038) , Sabaragamuwa Province, near Kitulgala (6.985°N, 80.430°E), 170 m a.s.l., 7.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 3♂ 7♀, ZFMK (Ar 20039) and 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL106 View Materials ), Central Province, Kandy, Dunumadallawa Forest (7.282°N, 80.643°E), 600– 680 m a.s.l., 8.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 10♂ 2♀ 6 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 20040) and 1♂ 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL113 View Materials ), North Western Province, Kurunegala, at base of Ethagala (Athugala) Mountain (7.490°N, 80.369°E), 170 m a.s.l., 9.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 2♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 20041) and 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL119 View Materials ), Central Province, Kandalama Forest (7.859°N, 80.711°E), 220 m a.s.l., 10.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 2♂ 3♀, ZFMK (Ar 20042) , North Central Province, Minneriya Forest (8.047°N, 80.832°E), 150 m a.s.l., 10.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 3♂ 4♀, ZFMK (Ar 20043) and 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL132 View Materials ), Uva Province, near Gowindahela (7.041°N, 81.538°E), 130–180 m a.s.l., 12.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 1♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 20044) and 1♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL141 View Materials ), Uva Province, outside of cave near Ella (6.863°N, 81.050°E), 1030 m a.s.l., 13.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 1♂, ZFMK (Ar 20045) , Western Province, Poruwadanda (6.742°N, 80.132°E), 130 m a.s.l., 18.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 2♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 20046) and 1♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL162 View Materials ), Sabaragamuwa Province, Mapalena Ella (6.774°N, 80.460°E), 270 m a.s.l., forest below waterfall, 19.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 20047) and 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL166 View Materials ), Western Province, Labugama Forest (6.846°N, 80.175°E), 150 m a.s.l., 20.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps .

Natural history. This species is common and often abundant among large rocks in humid forests, sometimes also between tree buttresses. Webs are often densely connected to each other, resulting in high numbers of specimens in relatively small spaces. In a horizontal rock cleft (~ 10 m long, ~ 30 cm high,> 1 m deep) at Ethagala Mountain ( Fig. 48 View FIGURES 47–52 ), ~100 large specimens (i.e. excluding small juveniles) were counted per meter. The large domed sheet webs were often shared with numerous cecidomyiid flies. When disturbed, the spiders started swinging in high amplitude and retreated back to the rocks and to sheltered spaces.

Distribution. Widely distributed in central Sri Lanka ( Fig. 223 View FIGURES 222–223 ). The female specimens from Belihul Oya and Diyaluma Falls reported in Huber (2011) were reexamined and found to belong to Pholcus puranappui (see below).

NMSL

National Museum of Sri Lanka

ZFMK

Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Genus

Pholcus

Loc

Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869

Huber, Bernhard A. 2019
2019
Loc

Sihala ceylonica

Huber, B. A. & Eberle, J. & Dimitrov, D. 2018: 83
Huber, B. A. 2011: 31
2011
Loc

Pholcus ceylonicus

Huber, B. A. & Benjamin, S. 2005: 3306
Brignoli, P. M. 1975: 36
Brignoli, P. M. 1972: 909
1972
Loc

Pholcus ceylonicus

Pickard-Cambridge, O. 1869: 378
1869
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