Leptopholcus podophthalmus ( Simon, 1893 )

Huber, Bernhard A., 2019, The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 1-57 : 12-13

Leptopholcus podophthalmus ( Simon, 1893)

Figs 45–46

Pholcus podophthalmus Simon, 1893: 468 , fig. 456 (♂ ♀, Sri Lanka).

Pholcus podophthalmus — Song et al. 1999: 58, figs 24P–T (♂ only; ♀ misidentified). Zhang & Zhu 2009: 71 , figs 39A–D. Tong 2013: 67.

Leptopholcus podophthalmus — Huber 2011: 99, figs 232–235, 275–276, 402–417. Dimitrov et al. 2013 (molecular data). Yao et al. 2015: 19. Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data).

Description (amendments; see Huber 2011). Female carapace with pair of indistinct small marks posteriorly on carapace. Tibia 1 length (including measures in Huber 2011) in 20 males: 8.2–11.3 (mean 9.4); in 8 females: 6.8– 8.7 (mean 7.9).

New records. SRI LANKA: 1♂ 1♀, NMSL , 9♂ 2♀ 2 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 20030) , and 1♂ 1♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL107 ), Central Province, Kandy, Dunumadallawa Forest (7.282°N, 80.643°E), 600–680 m a.s.l., 8.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 2♂, ZFMK (Ar 20031) , Sabaragamuwa Province, Mapalena Ella (6.774°N, 80.460°E), 270 m a.s.l., forest below waterfall, 19.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 1♂ in pure ethanol, NIFS (Pho-068) , Central Province, Matale District, Bowatenna Reservoir area (7.660°N, 80.688°E), 250 m a.s.l., 10.ii.2016 (S.P. Benjamin et al.) . 1♂ in pure ethanol, NIFS (Pho-053) , Central Province, Matale District, IFS, Arboretum (7.859°N, 80.674°E), 180 m a.s.l., 20.i.2016 (N. Atukorala et al.) . 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Benj 41) , Badulla District, between Diyaluma Falls and Wellawaya (6.725°N, 81.029°E), 480 m a.s.l., hand collecting, 4.viii.2011 (S.P. Benjamin, S. Batuwita) .

SINGAPORE: 1♂, ZFMK ( Ar 20033), Dairy Farm Nature Park (1.360°N, 103.778°E), 50 m a.s.l., on leaf, 15.ii.2015 (B.A. Huber, J. Koh) .

MALAYSIA: 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 284), Pahang, Cameron Highlands (4.460°N, 101.392°E), 1200 m a.s.l., forest along ‘trail 9’, on banana leaf in forest (near forest edge), 25.ii.2015 (B.A. Huber) .

THAILAND: 1♂, ZFMK (Ar 20035), Kanchanaburi, Erawan National Park (14.370°N, 99.146°E), 85 m a.s.l., forest along stream, 15.iii.2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad) .

Natural history. Leaf-dwelling species with very indistinct web restricted to the leaf-surface. The webs were sometimes shared with many cecidomyiid flies ( Fig. 46 ). The species appears to be more common in disturbed and marginal forest parts than within well preserved forest (see also label data in Material examined section in Huber 2011: 100-102).

Distribution. Widely distributed in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka ( Fig. 222 ; Huber 2011: fig. 282).

Figures

FIGURES 42–46. Leptopholcus, live specimens. 42–44. L. kandy Huber, 2011, male from Ethagala, female from near Belilena Cave, and male from Kitulgala. 45–46. L. podophthalmus (Simon, 1893), male from Kandy, and male from Mapalena Ella sharing web with cecidomyiid flies.

FIGURES 222–223. Known distributions of Leptopholcus (222) and of the Pholcus ceylonicus species group (223) in Sri Lanka.