Aetana Huber, 2005

Huber, Bernhard A. & Carvalho, Leonardo S., 2019, Filling the gaps: descriptions of unnamed species included in the latest molecular phylogeny of Pholcidae (Araneae), Zootaxa 4546 (1), pp. 1-96 : 71

Aetana Huber, 2005

Aetana Huber, 2005b: 72 ; type species by original designation: A. omayan Huber, 2005 .

Aetana — Huber et al. 2015a: 4 .

Notes. The genus has been revised recently, and cladistic analysis of morphological characters suggested the existence of four species groups ( Huber et al. 2015a). Molecular data have corroborated both the species groups and the monophyly of the genus ( Eberle et al. 2018; Huber et al. 2018). However, the species newly described below were not clearly assigned to any of the four species groups; there were placed as sister to the kinabalu group, but with low support. Morphological data rather suggest a close relationship with the omayan group. Three of the four synapomorphies identified for this group in Huber et al. (2015a) are present in the three new species below: male clypeus with pair of apophyses; very long male cheliceral apophyses; and presence of female stridulatory apparatus between carapace and abdomen. The fourth synapomorphy (pair of pockets in area behind epigynum) is poorly visible in most species and appears to be present in at least one of the new species ( A. ondawamei ; Fig. 287 ).

The unnamed species from Halmahera shown in the distribution map in Huber et al. (2015a: fig. 2; “ A. sp. 1”) is in fact two similar species. They are apparently closely related to the three species described below. They are represented by only one poorly preserved male specimen each (in Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii) and thus remain undescribed.

The original diagnosis and description of the genus are still largely valid. The new species A. mokwam is now the largest known representative of the genus and extends the body length range to ~2.5–5.0; male leg 1 length to ~27–50; male tibia 1 length to ~6.0–12.4; female tibia 1 length to ~4.0–10.7.

Figures

FIGURES 283–287. Aetana mokwam sp. n. (283–285, ZFMK, Ar 20653–54) and Aetana ondawamei sp. n. (286–287, ZFMK, Ar 20658–59). 283. Male prosoma and chelicerae, oblique frontal view. 284, 286. Left procursi, prolateral views (at same scale). 285, 287. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal views; arrows point at possible membranous pockets. Scale lines: 0.5.