Leptopholcus gabonicus Huber

Bernhard A. Huber, Philippe Le Gall & Jacques Francois Mavoungou, 2014, Pholcid spiders from the Lower Guinean region of Central Africa: an overview, with descriptions of seven new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 81 (81), pp. 1-46 : 23-25

Leptopholcus gabonicus Huber , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3CA8906E-7688-405E-AEDE-0A365C40281A

Figs 1 , 22 , 44-52

Diagnosis

Distinguished from only other Leptopholcus species known from Gabon [ L. tipula ( Simon, 1907) ; cf. figs 82-86 in Huber 2009] by shapes of uncus ( Fig. 49 ; much wider in L. tipula , with narrower semitransparent flap), appendix ( Fig. 49 ; short and wide in L. tipula ), and procursus ( Fig. 50 ; wider tip in L. tipula ); females of these two species are not easily distinguished. Distinguished from L. obo Huber, 2011 (São Tomé and Príncipe ) by shapes of trochanter apophysis, procursus, uncus, appendix, and longer epigynum (cf. figs 324-327 in Huber 2011b); from other Central African species ( L. dschang Huber, 2011 ; L. signifer Simon, 1893 ; L. debakkeri Huber, 2011 ) by absence of clypeus modification in male ( Fig. 45 ).

Etymology

Named for the country of Gabon, where this species is endemic.

Type material

Holotype ♂, in ZFMK ( Ar 11932 ) .

Type locality

GABON, Ogooué-Ivindo, Monts de Belinga , forest near Mayebout (1°06.7’N, 13°06.6’E), 500 m a.s.l., 13-14 Aug. 2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber).

Other material examined

GABON: Ogooué-Ivindo: 3 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 11933 ), same data as holotype ; 2 ♀♀, 3 juvs in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ( Gab 160, 200 ), same data . 1 ♂ in ZFMK ( Ar 11934 ), near Mohoba Mozeye (0°16.8’N, 13°20.9’E), 510 m a.s.l., forest along road, 17 Aug. 2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber) ; 1 juv. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ( Gab 170 ), same data . Moyen-Ogooué: 1 ♂ in ZFMK ( Ar 11935 ), near Ndjolé , ‘site 2’ (0°05.9’S, 10°52.4’E), 140 m a.s.l., forest near brook, 11 Aug. 2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber) . 1 ♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 11936 ), near Ndjolé , ‘site 1’ (0°09.0’S, 10°40.0’E), 120 m a.s.l., forest near brook, 11 Aug. 2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber) ; 1 juv. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ( Gab 229 ), same data . Estuaire: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 11937 ), Monts de Cristal, near Kinguélé (0°27.8’N, 10°16.7’E), 100 m a.s.l., forest, 10 Aug. 2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber) ; 2 ♀♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ( Gab 190 ), same data .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 6.0, carapace width 0.77. Leg 1: 33.4 (8.5 + 0.4 + 7.7 + 13.3 + 3.5), tibia 2: 5.8, tibia 3: 3.8, tibia 4: 6.4; tibia 1 L/d: 116. Distance PME-PME 290 µm, diameter PME 80 µm, distance PME-ALE 25 µm, AME absent.

COLOR. Entire animal pale whitish to ochre-yellow, only patella area and tibia-metatarsus joints darker.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 44 ; ocular area not elevated, each triad on low hump; carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum wider than long (0.64/0.46), unmodified. Chelicerae as in Fig. 51 , with pair of small lateral processes barely visible in dissecting microscope; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 46-47 and 49-50 , coxa unmodified, trochanter with ventral apophysis with serrated tip, femur with large ventral hump and small retrolateral process proximally, procursus rather simple, with two membranous ventral processes, one arising from ventral ‘knee’, the other more distally; bulb with weakly sclerotized embolus, rod-shaped appendix with small scales, uncus consisting of sclerotized part with small scales and lighter dorsal flap.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 pseudosegments not seen.

VARIATION. Tibia 1 in 6 other males: 7.1-7.7 (mean 7.3).

Female

In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 6 females: 6.2-7.0 (mean 6.6). Epigynum very simple, weakly sclerotized plate, without ‘knob’, internal structures visible through cuticle ( Fig. 48 ); internal genitalia as in Fig. 52 .

Natural history

All specimens were found on the undersides of leaves.

Distribution

Known from various localities in Gabon ( Fig. 22 ).

Figures

Figs 1 - 9. Leaf-dwelling Central African pholcids. 1. Leptoholcus gabonicus sp. nov., ♂ from Mayebout, Gabon. 2 - 3. Pholcus baka Huber, 2011, ♂ from Sahoué (2) and ♀ with juveniles from Mayebout (3), Gabon. 4. Smeringopus cylindrogaster (Simon, 1907), ♀ with eggsac from Loum, Cameroon. 5 - 6. Spermophora awalai sp. nov., pair from Nyasoso (5) and a ♀ with eggsac from Attuleh (6), Cameroon. 7. Spermophora akwamu Huber & Kwapong, 2013, ♀ from NE Makokou, Gabon. 8 - 9. Quamtana oku Huber, 2003, ♀♀ with eggsacs from Mt. Oku, Cameroon. Photos BAH.

Figs 21 - 22. Known distributions of Crossopriza lyoni (Blackwall, 1867) and of the genus Leptopholcus Simon 1893 [except L. tipula (Simon, 1907); see Fig. 23] in Central Africa.

Figs 44 - 48. Leptopholcus gabonicus sp. nov. 44. ♂, dorsal view. 45. ♂ prosoma and palps, dorsal view. 46 - 47. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 48. ♀ epigynum, ventral view.

Figs 49 - 52. Leptopholcus gabonicus sp. nov. 49 - 50. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 51. ♂ chelicerae, frontal view (arrow points at lateral apophysis). 52. Cleared ♀ genitalia, dorsal view. a = appendix; b = bulb; e = embolus; pr = procursus; u = uncus. Scale lines: 49 - 50, 52 = 0.3 mm; 51 = 0.2 mm.