Pehrforsskalia conopyga Deeleman-Reinhold and van Harten, 2001

Huber, Bernhard A., 2009, Life on leaves: leaf-dwelling pholcids of Guinea, with emphasis on Crossopriza cylindrogaster Simon, a spider with inverted resting position, pseudo-eyes, lampshade web, and tetrahedral egg-sac (Araneae: Pholcidae), Journal of Natural History 43 (39 - 40), pp. 2491-2523 : 2516-2521

Pehrforsskalia conopyga Deeleman-Reinhold and van Harten, 2001

( Figures 13 , 41–44 , 128–147 , 151 ) Pehrforsskalia conopyga Deeleman-Reinhold and van Harten 2001, p. 204 –206, figs 30–37.

Types

Male holotype and 8 female paratypes from Hamam ‘Ali (14°41′N, 44°08′E), Yemen; 1600 m a.s.l., vegetation bordering citrus plantation, 19.viii.1998 (A. van Harten), in RMNH, not examined .

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from other pholcines by the unique palpal morphology (trochanter apophysis, procursus, bulbal apophysis; Figures 128, 129 ). Two closely related undescribed species occur in Mozambique and Tanzania (B.A. Huber, unpublished data); they differ by the shape of the procursi.

Male (Okavango)

Total body length 2.5, carapace width 0.7. Leg 1: 21.9 (5.7 + 0.3 + 5.5 + 8.9 + 1.5), tibia 2 missing, tibia 3: 1.9, tibia 4: 2.7, tibia 1 L/d: 89. Habitus as in Figures 41 and 42 ; carapace pale ochre-yellow with brown median band widening posteriorly, ocular area and clypeus not darkened, sternum whitish, legs monochromous pale ochre-yellow, abdomen grey with some poorly visible marks dorsally and laterally. Distance PME–PME 400 µm, diameter PME 80 µm, distance PME–ALE 25 µm, distance AME–AME 35 µm; diameter AME ∼20 µm (lenses apparently present). Ocular area elevated, each triad on distinct stalk with cone-shaped projection medially of PME (with possibly expansible cuticle; Figures 135, 138 ), few stronger hairs posteriorly on ocular area. No thoracic furrow, clypeus unmodified. Chelicerae as in Figure 130 , with unsclerotized lateral apophyses distally. Sternum wider than long (0.52/0.48), unmodified. Palps as in Figures 128 and 129 , coxa with indistinct retrolateral projection, trochanter with distinctive apophysis that appears fused to femur, femur otherwise not modified, tarsal organ capsulate ( Figure 137 ), procursus complex, distally with two main branches (one of them provided with two spine-like processes) and a black apophysis at their basis ( Figures 131, 132 , 139 ), bulb with simple, weakly sclerotized embolus, only one sclerotized projection with dorsal branch ( Figures 128 , 140 ; Deeleman-Reinhold and van Harten 2001 considered this to be homologous with the Pholcus uncus, but the position rather agrees with the appendix). Legs without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 5%; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, seen on tibiae 3 and 4; tarsal pseudosegments not visible in dissecting microscope. Spinnerets as in Figure 141 ; ALS with one widened, one pointed, and six cylindrically-shaped spigots; PMS with two small spigots. Gonopore with four epiandrous spigots ( Figure 136 ).

Variation

In some males, median band on carapace extends to ocular area ( Figure 41 ); patellae and tibia–metatarsus joints usually light brown; marks on abdomen variably distinct, sometimes missing. Tibia 1 in seven other males: 4.9–6.3 (mean 5.4).

Female

In general similar to male but triads closer together (distance PME–PME 170 µm) and not on stalks, ocular area only slightly elevated ( Figure 144 ). Tibia 1 in 16 females: 3.8–5.1 (mean 4.5). Epigynum simple oval plate externally ( Figures 43 , 142 ), with distinctive internal structures visible through cuticle ( Figure 133 ); internal genitalia as in Figures 44 and 134 . Tip of palpal tarsus ending in sclerotized cone accompanied be several strong bristles ( Figure 147 ). Spinnerets and spigots as in male ( Figure 145 ). Tarsus 4 with ventral row of comb-hairs ( Figure 146 ).

Distribution

Widely distributed in Africa and Yemen ( Figure 151 ). It is here newly recorded from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Uganda, Burundi, and Botswana.

Material examined

CAPE VERDE: S Tiago, São Jorge dos Orgaos [15°03′N, 23°37′W, 500 m a.s.l.], in grass in irrigation ditch, 31.i.1984 (J. Prinsen), 13 in RMNH ; São Jorge dos Orgaos, xii.1999 (A. van Harten), 13 5♀ in RMNH .

GUINEA: Moyenne-Guinée : near Sêbori, forest outside of cave (10°46.6′N, 12°17.4′W), 1010 m a.s.l., 22.xi.2008 (B.A. Huber), 13 in ZFMK ; same data, 5♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ; near Doucki (10°59.0′N, 12°37.9′W), gallery forest, 990 m a.s.l., 23.xi.2008 (B.A. Huber), 13 in pure ethanol, in ZFMK . Basse-Guinée : near Koumbaya (10°09.9′N, 12°53.2′W), forest, 230 m a.s.l., 19.xi.2008 (B.A. Huber), 43 2♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK .

SIERRA LEONE: “Mcy”, E. Simon collection no. 15371, no further data, 1♀ in MNHN .

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Bouaké [∼ 7°41′N, 5°02′W], Expt. Warda, 29.vii.1994 (A. Russell-Smith), 13 in ZFMK ; same locality, viii.1994 (A. Russell-Smith), 13 7♀ in ZFMK .

NIGERIA: north of Ibadan , IITA (International Institute for Tropical Agriculture) [7°29.6′N, 3°53.4′E], fallow bush, 22.iv.1994 (A. Russell-Smith), 33 2♀ in ZFMK ; same locality, “RD verges”, 15.v.1974 (A. Russell-Smith), 13 in BMNH .

CAMEROON: South Region: near Ebolowa (2°54.9′N, 11°08.3′E), 620 m a.s.l., underside of banana leaf, 12.iv.2009 (B.A. Huber), 13 in ZFMK . Northwest Region: near Bamenda , under trash and logs at roadside (6°00.5′N, 10°18.1′E), 1750 m a.s.l., 16./ 18.iv.2009 (B.A. Huber), 2♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK . Near Oku (6°14.2′N, 10°31.5′E), ∼ 2200 m a.s.l., in pile of dead leaves on ground, 17.iv.2009 (B.A. and J.C. Huber), 2♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK .

GABON: Cap Santa Clara [0°31.6′N, 9°19.2′E], forest, 29.ix.1985 (A. Pauly), 13 in MRAC (172943).

UGANDA: Ruwenzori [∼ 0.2°N, 30°E], 1952 (G.O. Evans), 33 4♀ in BMNH .

BURUNDI: Cabara [4°06.8’S, 29°31.7′E], Miombo woodland, with Brachystegia , by hand, 850 m a.s.l., 23.iv.2002 (B. Nzigidahera), 13 (with one teratological palp) in MRAC (213920).

BOTSWANA: Okavango Delta , grassland on Boro River [∼ 19°34’S, 23°03′E], “at KB 347”, 23.xii.1977 (A. Russell-Smith), 13 in ZFMK .

Figures

Figures 7–14. Further Guinean leaf-dwelling pholcids. (7) Leptopholcus guineensis, male, as seen against the light, without flash; (8–9) Leptopholcus tipula, females with newly hatched spiderlings and with egg-sac; (10–11) Pholcus kakum, n. sp., male and female with egg-sac; (12) Spermophora dieke n. sp., female; (13) Pehrforsskalia conopyga, male; (14) Nyikoa limbe, female with egg-sac.

Figures 32–44. Pholcus, Spermophora, and Pehrforsskalia. (32–33) Pholcus kakum, male in dorsal and lateral views; (34, 35) P. kakum, epigynum ventral and cleared dorsal views; (36–37) Spermophora dieke, male in dorsal and lateral views; (38) S. dieke, female abdomen, ventral view; (39) S. dieke, female, dorsal view; (40) S. dieke, cleared epigynum, dorsal view; (41–42) Pehrforsskalia conopyga, male in dorsal and lateral views; (43, 44) P. conopyga, epigynum in ventral and cleared dorsal views.

Figures 128–134. Pehrforsskalia conopyga. (128, 129) Left palp, prolateral and retrolateral views; (130) male chelicerae, frontal view; (131, 132) left procursus, ventral (131) and prolatero-dorsal (132) views; (133, 134) cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Notes: a, appendix; b, bulb; e, embolus; pp, pore plate; pr, procursus; ta, trochanter apophysis. Scale lines: 0.2 mm (130–134), 0.3 mm (128, 129).

Figures 135–147. Pehrforsskalia conopyga. (135) Male ocular area, frontal view; (136) male gonopore with epiandrous spigots; (137) left male palpal tarsal organ; (138) left male eye stalk, frontal view (arrow points to possibly extensible area); (139) right procursus, distal view; (140) right appendix, prolateral view; (141) male spinnerets; (142) epigynum; (143) cuticular sculpturing on female abdomen, showing difference in ventral (left) and lateral (right) pattern (frontal side on top); (144) female prosoma, frontal (slightly dorsal) view; (145) female ALS and PMS; (146) comb hair on female left tarsus 4, prolateral view; (147) female palpal tarsus. Notes: a, appendix; b, bulb; e, embolus. Scale lines: 10 µm (137, 145, 146), 20 µm (147), 60 µm (136, 138–141), 100 µm (135, 142–144).

Figures 150–151. Known distributions of Spermophora dieke, Pholcus kakum, and Pehrforsskalia conopyga. For Nyikoa limbe, see Huber (2007).