Panjange kubah Huber

Bernhard A. Huber & Charles Leh Moi Ung, 2016, The Panjange nigrifrons group in Borneo (Araneae: Pholcidae): high diversity in Sarawak, apparent absence in Sabah, European Journal of Taxonomy 184 (184), pp. 1-32 : 22-25

Panjange kubah Huber , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CF978A33-4706-4705-8245-86776DB7E34C

Figs 6 , 63–64 , 69–81 , 89–91

Panjange Bor 109: Huber & Nuñeza 2015: 5, 43–44.

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from most congeners by distinctive transversal sclerite on procursus ( Fig. 70 ); from very similar Pa. seowi sp. nov. by other details of procursus (unique prolateral process, Figs 69 , 77–78 ; distal element longer, Fig. 70 ; absence of prolateral ridges on procursus, Fig. 69 ). Females are easily distinguished from Pa. nigrifrons by short scape but difficult to distinguish externally from other congeners in Sarawak (distinctive shape of pore plates and pair of median sclerites; similar only in Pa. seowi sp. nov.).

Etymology

Named for the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

MALAYSIA-BORNEO: holotype, Ƌ, Sarawak, National Park, along Waterfall Trail (1.596– 1.606° N, 110.180– 110.187° E), 200–300 m a.s.l., 12 Jul. 2014 (B.A. Huber, S.B. Huber), ZFMK ( Ar 14586 ) .

Other material examined

MALAYSIA-BORNEO, Sarawak: 2 ƋƋ, 7 ♀♀, same data as holotype, ZFMK ( Ar 14587-88 ) ; 2 ♀♀, 2 juvs, same data, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK ( Bor 189 ) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 4.5, carapace width 1.2. Leg 1: 42.0 (9.3 + 0.5 + 9.6 + 20.1 + 2.5), tibia 2: 6.1, tibia 3: 3.6, tibia 4: 5.6; tibia 1 L/d: 99. Distance PME-PME 445 µm, diameter PME 105 µm, distance PME–ALE ~45 µm; AME absent.

COLOR. Carapace pale ochre yellow to whitish, posterior mark ( Fig. 63 ) lost in ethanol, ocular area and clypeus dark brown (black in life), without black marks in AME area; sternum whitish; legs ochreorange with dark brown patellae and tibia-metatarsus joints; abdomen ochre-gray, with black marks dorsally, monochromous ventrally.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 63–64 ; ocular area raised, each triad on medium long stalk, without pointed process (cf. Fig. 6 ); carapace without median furrow; clypeus unmodified; sternum wider than long (0.75/0.60), unmodified.

CHELICERAE. Similar to close relatives, with proximal pair of processes and distinctively bipartite distal apophyses ( Fig. 71 ); without modified hairs; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 69–70 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with slightly curved pointed retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur with curved finger-shaped ventral apophysis; procursus with row of about 17 ventral ridges, with distinctive transversal sclerite and long prolateral process close to large flat distal element ( Figs 77–78 ), with two distinct spiny processes in distal pit ( Fig. 80 ); bulb with strong proximal sclerite, slightly curved appendix, and long partly sclerotized embolus with distinct distal fringes ( Figs 74–75 ).

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with many pseudosegments but only ~10 distally visible in dissecting microscope.

Variation

Tibia 1 in 2 other males: 9.1, 9.3. One male with irregular black marks in AME area ( Fig. 6 ).

Female

In general similar to male but eye triads on low humps, much closer together (distance PME–PME 230 µm). Tibia 1 in 6 females: 6.9–7.9 (mean 7.4). Epigynum weakly sclerotized plate with variably large and variably sclerotized posterior ‘knob’ ( Figs 72 , 76 , 89 ), internal arch and complex transversal folds visible through cuticle; internal genitalia as in Figs 73 , 90–91 .

Natural history

Most specimens were found in a very limited area close to a waterfall. The domed webs had a diameter of about 15–20 cm and in each case the apex of the dome was attached to the underside of a leaf where the spider rested.

Distribution

Known from type locality in Sarawak only ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Known distribution of the Panjange nigrifrons group.

Figs 2 – 7. Male prosomata, oblique frontal views. 2. Panjange pueh Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14576). 3. Pa. niah Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14579). 4. Pa. kapit Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14583). 5. Pa. nigrifrons Deeleman-Reinhold & Deeleman, 1983 (RMNH, Sepaku). 6. Pa. kubah Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14587). 7. Pa. seowi Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14590).

Figs 61 – 68. Live specimens. 61 – 62. Pa. iban Huber, 2011, Ƌ and ♀ with egg-sac from Semengoh. 63 – 64. Pa. kubah Huber, sp. nov., Ƌ from Kubah. 65 – 68. Pa. seowi Huber, sp. nov., Ƌ, ♀, and ♀ with egg-sac from Penrissen.

Figs 69 – 73. Panjange kubah Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14587 – 88). 69 – 70. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views (arrows point at distinctive processes). 71. Male ocular area, clypeus, and chelicerae, oblique frontal view. 72 – 73. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

Figs 74 – 81. Panjange kubah Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14587 – 88). 74. Left bulb, prolateral (slightly distal) view. 75. Tip of left embolus. 76. Epigynum, ventral view. 77 – 78. Left procursus, dorso-distal and prolateral views (arrows point at distinctive membranous process). 79. Membranous process of left procursus. 80. Tip of left procursus, distal view. 81. Female ALS. Abbreviations: a = appendix; b = genital bulb; e = embolus. Scale lines: 10 µm (81); 20 µm (80); 40 µm (79); 80 µm (75); 100 µm (77 – 78); 200 µm (74, 76).

Figs 86 – 94. Female genitalia, untreated in ventral view, cleared in ventral and dorsal views. 86 – 88. Panjange nigrifrons Deeleman-Reinhold & Deeleman, 1983 (RMNH, Sepaku). 89 – 91. Pa. kubah Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14588). 92 – 94. Pa. seowi Huber, sp. nov. (ZFMK Ar 14591).