Pholcus arayat Huber, 2011

Huber, Bernhard A., Nuñeza, Olga M. & Leh Moi Ung, Charles, 2016, The Philippine hair wax spiders and their relatives: revision of the Pholcus bicornutus species group (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 225, pp. 1-34 : 24-27

Pholcus arayat Huber, 2011

Figs 53–54 , 77–90

Pholcus arayat Huber, 2011a: 318 –320, figs 1514–1515, 1541–1542, 1574–1578.

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. pagbilao , P. schawalleri , P. baguio sp. nov., P. kawit sp. nov., P. mulu sp. nov.) by bifid process ventro-distally on procursus (arrows in Figs 82–84 ; cf. fig. 1575 in Huber 2011a) and by shapes of uncus and appendix (cf. fig. 1574 in Huber 2011a); from P. pagbilao also by more slender abdomen and shorter epigynum (cf. fig. 1541 in Huber 2011a); from P. baguio sp. nov. also by more slender male palpal femur (cf. fig. 1575 in Huber 2011a) and different shape of epigynum (not with two distinct dark lateral areas); from P. kawit sp. nov. and P. mulu sp. nov. also by divided median band ventrally on abdomen. 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 : 14 ♁♁, 12 ♀♀, ZFMK ( Ar 15509 ) and 1 ♁, 1 ♀, MSU-IIT, Bataan Prov., near Olangapo , along river near Pamulaklakin Forest Trail (14.798° N, 121.338° E), 80 m a.s.l., among rocks and vegetation , 28 Feb. 2014 (B.A. Huber) ; 2 ♀♀, 1 juv., in absolute ethanol, same data, ZFMK ( Phi 208 ) ; 2 ♁♁, Laguna Prov., Los Baños, Makiling Forest (14.145° N, 121.230° E), 20 Mar. 2014 (S. Huber), ZFMK ( Ar 15510 ) .

Assigned tentatively

PHILIPPINES, Bohol Isl.: 3 ♀♀, Rajah Sikatuna ( Magsaysay Park ) (9.705° N, 124.123° E), 430 m a.s.l., forest , 6 Mar. 2014 (B.A. Huber), ZFMK ( Ar 15511 ) ; 1 ♁, Valencia, Barangay Marawis , ‘site 3’ (9.723° N, 124.202° E), 440 m a.s.l., 11 Jun. 2015 (M.R.B. Dacar), ZFMK ( Ar 15512 ) .

Note

The single male specimen from “Baybay, VISCA complex”, misidentified as “ Pholcus phalangioides ” by Barrion & Litsinger (1995) was tentatively assigned to Pholcus arayat in Huber (2011a) . Recently, Yao et al. (2014) described Pholcus schawalleri from “Visca, N. of Baybay” (which should be ViSCA, Visayas State College of Agriculture, now Visayas State University, approx. 8 km N of Baybay, ~ 10°45' N, 124°49' E – not 10°39' N, 124°51' E as in Yao et al. 2014). These authors did not mention Barrion & Litsinger’s (1995) record, but the identical locality and the shape of the uncus (large and roundish) strongly suggest that Barrion & Litsinger’s dubious specimen is P. schawalleri rather than P. arayat .

Description (amendments)

As noted in Huber (2011a), the holotype is apparently artificially darkened. The new material supports this assumption: carapace in males and females light brown with darker median band (sometimes indistinct; in females medially divided) and lateral bands (sometimes barely visible); sternum light brown to orange in both males and females. Hairs on male ocular processes not ‘glued’ together ( Figs 77–78, 80 ). Tip of procursus extremely complex ( Figs 83–84 ). Male palpal tibia with small but distinct ventral cavity. Distal male cheliceral apophyses with two modified (cone-shaped) hairs each ( Fig. 85 ). Male gonopore with four epiandrous spigots ( Fig. 86 ). Tarsus 4 comb-hairs as in Fig. 87 . ALS in both sexes with one widened, one pointed, and three very small conical spigots ( Figs 88, 90 ).

Variation

Tibia 1 in 15 newly examined males: 10.1–13.5 (mean 11.9); in 12 newly examined females: 9.2–11.1 (mean: 10.3). The specimens from Bohol are overall very similar to those from Luzon but the male differs in some details of the palp: tip of trochanter apophysis not so strongly directed proximad; distal semitransparent process on procursus not clearly bifid; distance between tip of uncus and subterminal process larger. They are thus assigned tentatively.

Natural history

The spiders were found both in sheltered spaces (among rocks and logs) and among vegetation, with their domed webs sometimes directly exposed to the sun.

Distribution

Known from several localities in central Luzon ( Fig. 2 ); specimens from Bohol are assigned tentatively (see above).

Figures

Figs 50 – 53. Live specimens. 50 – 52. Pholcus baguio Huber, sp. nov., ♁, ♀, and ♀ with egg-sac and emerging juveniles, Mt. Kabuyao. 53. Pholcus arayat Huber, 2011, ♁, Pamulaklakin Forest Trail.

Figs 54 – 57. Live specimens. 54. Pholcus arayat Huber, 2011, ♀, Pamulaklakin Forest Trail. 55 – 57. Pholcus pagbilao Huber, 2011, ♁ from Loboc (55), ♁ from Mt. Banahaw (56), and ♀ with egg-sac from Loboc (57).

Figs 77 – 84. Pholcus arayat Huber, 2011, ZFMK Ar 15509. 77. Male prosoma, frontal view. 78. Male ocular horns and modiFed hairs. 79. Female prosoma, frontal view. 80. Male ocular area, dorsal view. 81. Right genital bulb, prolateral view. 82. Left male palpal trochanter and procursus, dorsal view (arrow points at biFd process). 83 – 84. Tip of right procursus, prolateral and prolatero-distal views (arrows point at biFd process). Scale lines: 77, 79 = 300 µm; 78 = 50 µm; 80 – 82 = 200 µm; 83 – 84 = 100 µm.

Figs 85 – 90. Pholcus arayat Huber, 2011, ZFMK Ar 15509. 85. Male distal cheliceral apophysis (arrows point at modiFed hairs). 86. Male gonopore. 87. Male tarsus 4 comb-hairs. 88. Male ALS. 89. Epigynum. 90. Female ALS. Scale lines: 85, 87 – 88, 90 = 20 µm; 86 = 50 µm; 89 = 200 µm.

Figs 1 – 2. Known distributions of the two subgroups of the Pholcus bicornutus species group.