Modisimus mango, 2010

Huber, Bernhard A., Fischer, Nadine & Astrin, Jonas J., 2010, High level of endemism in Haiti’s last remaining forests: a revision of Modisimus (Araneae: Pholcidae) on Hispaniola, using morphology and molecules, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158 (2), pp. 244-299 : 285-286

MODISIMUS MANGO HUBER SP. NOV.

( Figs 7, 8 , 25 , 58 , 80 , 179–181 , 200 )

Type: Male holotype from Le Prete (18°15.9 ′ N, 73°56.7 ′ W; ~ 170 m a.s.l.), Dept Sud , Haiti , in small web under dead mango leaves on the ground, near river, 2 December 2007 (B.A. Huber), in ZFMK ( Haiti 16a) .

Etymology: The name refers to the fact that all specimens were collected under dry mango leaves on the ground; it is used as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis: Small, long-legged species, with pair of small marks on carapace ( Fig. 25 ), distinctive pattern of modified hairs on chelicerae ( Fig. 180 ), and distinctive shapes of epigynum ( Fig. 58 ) and procursus ( Fig. 179 ).

Male (holotype): Total length, 1.1; carapace width, 0.63. Leg 1: 15.5 (3.9 + 0.3 + 4.0 + 6.0 + 1.3); tibia 2, 2.2; tibia 3, 1.5; tibia 4, 1.9. Tibia 1 L/d: 55. Habitus as in Figures 7, 8 , 25 , carapace pale ochre-yellow, with dark mark medially, and a pair of small marks laterally between legs 2 and 3, clypeus also darkened, sternum whitish with pair of darker lateral areas frontally; legs ochre-yellow, with indistinct darker rings on femora and tibiae subdistally, patellae also slightly darker; abdomen bluish grey, with large black and small white spots dorsally and laterally; genital area and plate in front of spinnerets also slightly darker. Ocular area elevated; thoracic furrow distinct. PME–PME, 60 Mm; PME diameter, 70 Mm; PME– ALE, 70 Mm; small median pigment spot in place of AME, no lenses. Sternum wider than long (0.45/0.35), unmodified. Chelicerae with ~15 modified hairs on each side, six of them on low elevation ( Fig. 180 ). Palps as in Figure 179 , coxa with light retrolateral apophysis, femur with large proximal flap and long distal ventral apophysis, procursus simple, tapering distally, with membranous structures distally, barely visible in dissecting microscope, and bulbal apophysis with transparent lateral flap. Legs without spines; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 16%; all femora with many short vertical hairs; curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1 and 2; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, present on all other tibiae; tarsus 1 with more than 15 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct.

Variation: The second male has a lighter abdomen and fewer white spots. Tibia 1: 4.1.

Female: In general, similar to male, but dark rings on legs clearly more distinct. Tibia 1: 2.2 and 2.3. Epigynum, simple plate, with lateral sclerites converging posteriorly, and median transverse sclerite ( Fig. 58 ); dorsal view as in Figures 80 , 181 .

Distribution: Known from type locality only ( Fig. 200 ).

Material examined: Haiti: Dept Sud, Le Prete, 1♂, holotype above; same data, 1♂ and 2♀ ( ZFMK, Haiti

16); same data, 1♂ and 2♀, in pure ethanol ( ZFMK, Haiti 89) .

Figures

Figure 200. Known distributions of Modisimus cienaga sp. nov. and species that are not yet assigned to any species group.

Figures 5–16. Photos of spiders and their webs. 5. M. vittatus. 6. M. macaya sp. nov. 7–8. M. mango sp. nov. 9. M. palvet sp. nov. 10. M. paraiso sp. nov. Webs of M. makandal sp. nov. (11, 12), M. vittatus (13), M. macaya sp. nov. (14), M. berac sp. nov. (15), M. palvet sp. nov. (16).

Figures 17–37. Habitus photos of males (except 33), showing typical and distinctive characters. 17, 18. M. femoratus. 19. M. jima sp. nov. 20. M. kiskeya sp. nov. 21, 22. M. angulatus sp. nov. 23, 24. M. epepye sp. nov. 25. M. mango sp. nov. 26. M. cienaga sp. nov. 27–29. M. seguin sp. nov. (arrows point to callus-like area). 30–34. M. vittatus. 35. M. palvet sp. nov. 36. M. berac sp. nov. 37. M. paraiso sp. nov.

Figures 38–62. Epigyna in ventral view. 38. M. femoratus (arrow points to frontal sclerite). 39. M. jima sp. nov. 40. M. angulatus sp. nov. 41. M. kiskeya sp. nov. 42. M. toma sp. nov. 43. M. vittatus (arrow points to distinctive posterior sclerite). 44. M. makandal sp. nov. 45. M. fuscus. 46. M. epepye sp. nov. 47. M. seguin sp. nov. 48. M. roumaini sp. nov. 49, 50. M. enriquillo sp. nov. from near Polo (49) and from south of Barahona (50) (arrows point to sternum apophyses). 51, 52. M. tiburon sp. nov. 53. M. leprete sp. nov. 54. M. macaya sp. nov. 55. M. bachata sp. nov. 56. M. cuadro sp. nov. 57. M. pelejil sp. nov. 58. M. mango sp. nov. 59. M. berac sp. nov. 60. M. palvet sp. nov. 61. M. miri sp. nov. 62. M. paraiso sp. nov.

Figures 63–82. Cleared and stained epigyna in dorsal view. 63. M. femoratus. 64. M. jima sp. nov. 65. M. toma sp. nov. 66. M. vittatus. 67. M. makandal sp. nov. 68. M. fuscus. 69. M. epepye sp. nov. 70. M. seguin sp. nov. 71. M. roumaini sp. nov. 72. M. enriquillo sp. nov. 73. M. tiburon sp. nov. 74. M. leprete sp. nov. 75. M. macaya sp. nov. 76. M. mariposas sp. nov. 77. M. bachata sp. nov. 78. M. cuadro sp. nov. 79. M. pelejil sp. nov. 80. M. mango sp. nov. 81. M. berac sp. nov. 82. M. miri sp. nov.

Figures 179–184. Diagnostic characters. 179–181. Modisimus mango sp. nov. 179. Left palp, retrolateral view. 180. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 181. Cleared epigynum, dorsal view. 182–184. Modisimus cienaga sp. nov. 182. Left palp, retrolateral view. 183. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 184. Cleared epigynum, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.