High level of endemism in Haiti’s last remaining forests: a revision of Modisimus (Araneae: Pholcidae) on Hispaniola, using morphology and molecules
Author
Huber, Bernhard A.
Author
Fischer, Nadine
Author
Astrin, Jonas J.
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2010
2010-01-25
158
2
244
299
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00559.x
journal article
10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00559.x
0024-4082
5438272
MODISIMUS PARAISO
HUBER
SP. NOV.
(
Figs 10
,
37
,
62
,
192–194
,
201
)
Type:
Male
holotype
from ~
7 km
north-west of Paraíso (
18°02.4
′
N
,
71°11.6
′
W
; ~
180 m
a.s.l.
),
Barahona Prov.
,
Dominican Republic
;
forest near river, in vegetation about
0.5–2 m
above the ground, from sheet webs connected to undersides of leaves,
7 December 2007
(
B.A. Huber
), in
ZFMK
(
Haiti
53a)
.
Figure 199.
Known distributions of representatives of the southern paleoisland group.
Figure 200.
Known distributions of
Modisimus cienaga
sp. nov.
and species that are not yet assigned to any species group.
Etymology:
The species name refers to the
type
locality; it is used as a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis:
Medium-sized, pale-greenish, long-legged species, with six eyes, easily distinguished from close relatives (
M. palvet
sp. nov.
,
M. miri
sp. nov.
, and
M. berac
sp. nov.
) and other congeners by long male cheliceral apophyses (
Fig. 193
), simple rod-shaped procursus (
Fig. 192
), and distinctive dorsal projection on bulb (
Fig. 192
).
Male (
holotype
):
Total length, 2.1; carapace width, 0.80. Leg 1: 24.4 (5.7 + 0.3 + 5.9 + 10.2 + 2.3); tibia 2, 3.8; tibia 3, 2.7; tibia 4, 3.1. Tibia 1 L/d: 74. Habitus as in
Figures 10
,
37
, carapace pale ochre-yellow, clypeus light brown with darker lateral bands, sternum whitish with pair of darker lateral areas frontally; legs pale ochre-yellow with darker patella area and tibia–metatarsus joints; abdomen ochre-grey with several large white spots dorsally. Ocular area elevated; thoracic furrow distinct, but shallow. PME– PME, 105 Mm; PME diameter, 80 Mm; PME–ALE, 95 Mm; no AME. Sternum wider than long (0.55/0.45), unmodified. Chelicerae with pair of long apophyses (
Fig. 193
). Palps as in
Figure 192
, coxa with retrolateral apophysis, trochanter with small ventral projection, femur strongly widened distally, with proximal flap retrolaterally and distal apophysis ventrally; procursus very simple, without dorsal membranous structures, bulb with distinctive dorsal projection, prominent curved apophysis, and membranous embolus area. Legs with three or four long, and more than 30 short, spines on femur 1, many short vertical hairs on all femora; without curved hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 9%; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, present on all other tibiae; tarsus 1 with more than 30 pseudosegments, distally fairly distinct.
Variation:
Some males with distinct purple mark on abdomen medially; some males without white spots on abdomen. Tibia
1 in
five other males: 5.8–6.9 (mean 6.3).
Female:
In general similar to male, but paler, and clypeus with dark V-shaped mark. Tibia
1 in
eight females
: 3.6–4.8 (mean 4.1). Epigynum, very simple externally (
Fig. 62
); dorsal view as in
Figure 194
.
Figure 201.
Known distributions of representatives of the leaf-dwelling species group.
Distribution:
Known from
type
locality only (
Fig. 201
).
Material examined:
Dominican Republic
:
Barahona Prov.
, ~
7 km
north-west of
Paraiso
,
1♂
,
holotype
above; same data,
8♂
and
11♀
(
ZFMK
,
Haiti
53); same data,
4♂
and
1♀
, in pure ethanol (
ZFMK
,
Haiti
98); same locality (
7 km
north-west of
Paraiso
),
200 m
a.s.l.
, rainforest remnant, sweeping,
27 November 1991
(
Masner
&
Peck
),
1♂
and
2♀
(
AMNH
)
.