Pholcus pagbilao Huber, 2011

Figs 55–57, 91–102

Pholcus pagbilao Huber, 2011a: 320, figs 1516–1521, 1543–1544, 1579–1584.

Diagnosis (updated)

Distinguished from most similar known relatives (species with horns between eye triads carrying brushes of unglued hairs and with simple, unhinged procursi: P. arayat, P. schawalleri, P. baguio sp. nov., P. kawit sp. nov., P. mulu sp. nov.) by slender semitransparent process distally on procursus (cf. fig. 1580 in Huber 2011a; arrow in Fig. 97) and by shapes of uncus and complex appendix (cf. fig. 1579 in Huber 2011a; see also Fig. 98); from P. arayat also by wider abdomen and longer, trapezoidal epigynum (Fig. 101; see also fig. 1543 in Huber 2011a); from P. baguio sp. nov. also by more slender male palpal femur (cf. fig. 1580 in Huber 2011a); from P. kawit sp. nov. and P. mulu sp. nov. also by divided dark median band ventrally on abdomen (Fig. 57). From other species of the P. bicornutus group ( P. bicornutus, P. olangapo sp. nov.) by unhinged procursus, presence of appendix, large epigynal plate, and by absence of curved hairs on legs.

Material examined

New material

PHILIPPINES, Luzon: 3 ♁♁, 3 ♀♀, 1 juv., Quezon Prov., between Lucban and Tayabas (14.063° N, 121.567° E), 330 m a.s.l., degraded forest along river, among rocks, 26 Feb. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 15513) ; 1 ♁, in absolute ethanol, same data, ZFMK (Phi 212); 6 ♁♁, 6 ♀♀, 1 juv., Laguna Prov., Mt. Banahaw, forest near Taytay Falls (14.110° N, 121.507° E), 560 m a.s.l., among rocks, 26 Feb. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 15514) ; 3 juvs, in absolute ethanol, same data, ZFMK (Phi 218); 17 ♁♁, 6 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 15515–16) and 1 ♂, 1 ♀, MSU-IIT, Camarines Sur Prov., Mt. Isarog, forest and (most specimens) abandoned buildings near park entrance (13.663° N, 123.335° E), 500 m a.s.l., 23 Feb. 2014 (B.A. Huber) ; 2 ♁♁, 1 ♀, 3 juvs, in absolute ethanol, same data, ZFMK (Phi 220) .

PHILIPPINES, Bohol Isl.: 1 ♁, 2 ♀♀, Rajah Sikatuna (Magsaysay Park) (9.705° N, 124.123° E), 430 m a.s.l., forest, 6 Mar. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 15517) ; 1 ♀, 1 juv., in absolute ethanol, same data, ZFMK (Phi 196); 13 ♁♁, 8 ♀♀, near Loboc, above Loboc River (~ 9.655° N, 124.015° E), ~ 250 m a.s.l., in caves near entrances, 5 Mar. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 15518) ; 5 ♁♁, 6 ♀♀, near Loboc, at Loboc River (9.651° N, 124.022° E), at rocks, 20 m a.s.l., 4 Mar. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 15519) ; 2 ♀♀, 1 juv., in absolute ethanol, same data, ZFMK (Phi 203) .

PHILIPPINES, Cebu Isl.: 1 ♁, 1 ♀, Moalboal, Busay Cave (9.916° N, 123.437° E), cave entrance, 4 Apr. 2014 (S. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 15520) .

Assigned tentatively

PHILIPPINES, Negros Isl.: 6 ♁♁, 7 ♀♀, Negros Oriental Prov., Casaroro Falls (9.281° N, 123.208° E), 550 m a.s.l., at rocks along river below waterfall, 10 Mar. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK (Ar 15521) ; 2 ♀♀, 1 juv., in absolute ethanol, same data, ZFMK (Phi 186) .

PHILIPPINES, Bohol Isl.: 2 ♀♀, 14 juvs, MSU-IIT and 1 ♀, ZFMK (Ar 15522), Bilar, Barangay Riverside (9.70° N, 124.12° E), 300–450 m a.s.l., 15 Jun. 2015 (M.R.B. Dacar) ; 1 ♀, 3 juvs, Garcia Hernandez, Barangay Datag (9.72° N, 124.26° E), 530 m a.s.l., 8 Jun. 2015 (M.R.B. Dacar), ZFMK (Ar 15523) ; 2 ♀♀, Sierra Bullones, Barangay Nan-od (9.746° N, 124.262° E), 610 m a.s.l., 5 Jun. 2015 (M.R.B. Dacar), ZFMK (Ar 15524) ; 2 ♀♀, 12 juvs, MSU-IIT and 1 ♀, ZFMK (Ar 15525), Valencia, Barangay Marawis (9.724° N, 124.201° E), 450 m a.s.l., 11 Jun. 2015 (M.R.B. Dacar) .

Description (amendments)

Hairs on male ocular processes not ‘glued’ together (Figs 91–92, 94–95). Distal male cheliceral apophyses with three modified (cone-shaped) hairs each (Fig. 96). Male palpal tibia with small and indistinct ventral cavity. Male gonopore with four epiandrous spigots (Fig. 99). ALS in both sexes with one widened, one pointed, and six cylindrically-shaped spigots of varying sizes (Figs 100, 102).

Variation

As noted in Huber (2011a), the tip of the procursus differs slightly between males from Negros Island and males from Luzon. Interestingly, males from Bohol Island resemble those from Luzon much more closely than those from neighboring Negros. In addition, there is variation among males from Negros Island: males from Mabinay (see Huber 2011a) differ slightly from the newly collected males from Casaroro Falls. However, all these specimens share the distinctive slender semitransparent process distally on the procursus and the shapes of uncus and appendix (cf. figs 1579–1580 in Huber 2011a). Tibia 1 in 46 newly examined males: 9.6–15.3 (mean 12.7) (42 of these males: 11.2–14.0); in 38 newly examined females: 9.3–12.8 (mean: 11.2). The black ventral band of the abdomen is always clearly divided into anterior and posterior parts but in some specimens (of both sexes) the tip of the posterior part has a narrow connection to the anterior part. Some of the newly collected specimens from Bohol are assigned tentatively because they are not accompanied by males and because the ventral abdominal pattern is partly intermediate between that of P. pagbilao and P. arayat . Some of these specimens may actually be conspecific with the specimens assigned tentatively to P. arayat .

Natural history

The spiders were found in sheltered spaces close to the ground, usually among rocks. In the abandoned buildings near the park entrance of Mt. Isarog, the spiders were found in high numbers in all corners at any height from the ground.

Distribution

Apparently widely distributed in the Philippines (Fig. 2).