Hoplopholcus gazipasa, Huber, 2020

Huber, Bernhard A., 2020, Revision of the spider genus Hoplopholcus Kulczyński (Araneae, Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4726 (1), pp. 1-94 : 37-38

Hoplopholcus gazipasa sp. n.

Figs 121 , 152–167 , 174–179

Hoplopholcus Del 5— Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data). Huber et al. 2018: fig. 6.

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from known congeners by subdistal process on embolar sclerite (arrows in Figs 153 , 162 ); also by combination of: procursus ( Figs 158–159 ) ventral ‘knee’ very indistinct, ventral spine of procursus not strongly curved at half length (in contrast to H. dim ), tip of procursus with pointed prolateral process (arrow in Fig. 158 ) and prolateral ridge (very similar to H. dim ); ventral sclerite of genital bulb ( Figs 162–165 ) slender, embolar sclerite with small cone-shaped processes. Females are difficult to distinguish externally from congeners, especially from H. dim (females of these two species possibly not distinguishable); posterior light median area of epigynal plate usually clearly separated from rest of dark plate; sclerotized external margins of lateral pouches of uterus externus usually visible in uncleared specimens ( Figs 155 , 166 ).

Type material. TURKEY, Antalya: ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 20922), Gazipaşa District, Yalan Dünya Mağarası (36.221°N, 32.402°E, 270 m a.s.l.), in cave near entrance, 30.vii.2016 (H. Öztürk) .

Other material examined. TURKEY, Antalya: 1♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 20923), and 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Tur 56), same data as holotype . 1♂ 4♀ 9 juvs, NMNHS, same locality , “clay, guano, under stones and on walls”, 15.vii.2006 (P. Stoev, S. Lazarov). 1♀ 3 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 20924), same locality , 5.i.2013 (Y.M. Marusik).

Bursa: 1♂ 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 20925), Mudanya District, Yaliçiftlik (40.3763°N, 28.7072°E), 1 m a.s.l., sea shore, grass vegetation and small clay cliff near sea, 12.i.2013 (Y.M. Marusik) .

GREECE, Central Macedonia: 1♂ ZFMK (Ar 20926), “Th 383”, Chalkidiki , Ouranopoli-S [~ 40.324°N, 23.990°E], pine forest, 50–200 m a.s.l., meadow, 29.iv.2000 (K. Thaler, B. Knoflach) . 4♂ 2♀, SMF, Chalkidiki, Sithonia , 1 km W Zografou (40.170°N, 23.855°E), 20 m a.s.l., humid stream valley with Osmunda , under logs and stones, 22.viii.2009 (S. Huber, A. Schönhofer) . 2♀ 2 juvs, MHNG, Thessalia, Olympus [~ 40.10°N, 22.45°E], no further data .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality; noun in apposition.

Description. Male (holotype). MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.0, carapace width 1.8. Distance PME-PME 120 µm; diameter PME 120 µm; distance PME-ALE 40 µm; diameter AME 70 µm; distance AME-AME 60 µm. Leg 1: 34.1 (9.2 + 0.8 + 9.7 + 12.3 + 2.1), tibia 2: 6.5, tibia 3: 4.7, tibia 4: 5.9; tibia 1 L/d: 61.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre-yellow, ocular area and posterior median triangle light brown, clypeus barely darker; sternum dark brown; legs ochre-yellow to light brown, with darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area; abdomen gray, with pairs of large black marks dorsally, oblique marks in posterior third; ventrally with large light brown mark anteriorly, black mark at spinnerets and smaller diffuse brown mark in-between.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 121 . Ocular area slightly elevated. Deep thoracic pit and pair of furrows diverging from pit toward posterior margin. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (1.2/0.8), unmodified. Abdomen oval, dorso-posteriorly rounded.

CHELICERAE. As in Figs 160–161 , with pair of latero-distal apophyses provided with one and two modified cone-shaped hairs respectively (the illustrated chelicerae are not from the holotype); stridulatory ridges fine, barely visible in dissecting microscope.

PALPS. As in Figs 152–154 ; coxa with very low retrolateral bulge, trochanter barely protruding ventrally, femur with distinct dark line retrolaterally, with prolateral stridulatory pick; procursus ( Figs 158–159 ) with very indistinct ventral ‘knee’, ventral spine weakly indented at half length, tip curved toward dorsally, slender pointed prolateral process, prolateral ridge with small pointed process; genital bulb ( Figs 162–165 ) with distinctive process subdistally on embolar sclerite (arrows in Figs 162, 164 ), embolar sclerite with several additional small cone-shaped processes, ventral sclerite slender.

LEGS. Femur 1 with single row of ~22 ventral spines; without curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all leg tibiae; tarsi without distinct pseudosegments but with many small platelets.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in two other males from type locality: 9.0, 9.1. Modified hairs on cheliceral apophyses in other males symmetric (2+2). Number of spines on femur 1 slightly variable. The males from Bursa Province and from Greece are apparently identical to the holotype in all relevant aspects; tibia 1 in male from Bursa Province: 9.2; in males from Greece: 8.1, 10.3, 10.3, 10.9.

Female. In general similar to male but without spines on legs; several females with curved hairs on metatarsus 1. Tibia 1 in seven females from type locality: 8.0–10.2 (mean 9.2).

FEMALE GENITALIA. Epigynum as in Fig. 155 , light median area of epigynal plate usually clearly separated from rest of dark plate, pair of internal lateral pouches and sclerotized arcs visible in uncleared specimens; with pair of light brown weakly bulging areas in front of epigynum; posterior plate simple, short but wide. Internal genitalia with large medially narrowing pore plates ( Figs 157 , 167 ), pair of lateral pouches of uterus externus with sclerotized external margins ( Figs 156 , 166 ), median pouch of uterus externus shallow and membranous, only visible in lateral view of cleared specimen. Females from Bursa Province and from Greece in general very similar to females from type locality, including pair of lateral pouches of uterus externus with sclerotized external margins ( Figs 174–175, 177–178 ); however, pore plates much larger in female from Bursa Province and intermediate in single cleared female from Greece ( Figs 176, 179 ).

Distribution. Apparently widespread in Turkey and Greece ( Fig. 440 ).

Natural history. In Yalan Dünya Cave the spiders occupied a limited area in the twilight zone and did neither occur in the entrance area nor in deeper parts. Most specimens were found hanging in their domed sheet webs close to the ground.

Figures

FIGURE 440. Known distributions of Hoplopholcus gazipasa and H. suluin. TL = type locality.

FIGURES 118–123. Hoplopholcus spp., live specimens. 118–120. H. asiaeminoris Brignoli, 1978, female before egg-laying (from Cennet Çöküğü), female after egg-laying (from Ermenek), and male (from Akhayat sinkhole). 121. H. gazipasa sp. n., male from Yalan Dünya Mağarası. 122–123. H. dim sp. n., male from Dim Mağarası and female with egg-sac from unnamed small cave in Derebucak District.

FIGURES 152–157. Hoplopholcus gazipasa sp. n. from Yalan Dünya Mağarası. 152–154. Left male palp in prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (ZFMK Ar 20923; arrow points at distinctive subdistal process on embolar sclerite). 155–157. Epigynum, ventral view (ZFMK, Ar 20923), and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views (NMNHS).

FIGURES 158–167. Hoplopholcus gazipasa sp. n. from Yalan Dünya Mağarası (♂: ZFMK Ar 20923; ♀: NMNHS). 158–159. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrow points at pointed prolateral process). 160–161. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 162–165. Left genital bulb, dorsal, prolateral, ventral, and retrolateral views (arrows point at distinctive subdistal process on embolar sclerite). 166–167. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. lp, lateral pouch. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 174–185. Hoplopholcus gazipasa sp. n. (174–179) and H. dim sp. n. (180–185), epigyna, ventral views, and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 174–176. Bursa Province (ZFMK, Ar 20925). 177–179. Chalkidiki (SMF). 180–182. Ferzene Mağarası (MCVR). 183–185. Cyprus, Pomos Dam (CMH).