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 SEGUIN
HUBER & FISCHER
SP. NOV.
(
Figs 27–29
,
47
,
70
,
88
,
98
,
148–151
,
199
)
Type:
Male
holotype
from near Seguin, at
18°18.2
′
N
,
72°17.5
′
W
,
Dept
Sud-Est
,
Haiti
;
990 m
a.s.l.
, leaf litter in forest over coffee and banana plantations,
28 November 2007
(
B.A. Huber
), in
ZFMK
(
Haiti
4a)
.
Etymology:
The species name refers to the
type
locality; it is used as a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis:
Medium-sized species with pale callus-like area posteriorly on male abdomen (
Figs 27, 28
; similar to
M. roumaini
sp. nov.
), modified hairs of various lengths on male chelicerae (
Figs 88
,
149
; similar to
M. roumaini
sp. nov.
); distinguished from
M. roumaini
sp. nov.
by shape of epigynum (
Figs 47
,
150
; wider scape), internal sclerites in female genitalia (
Figs 70
,
151
), and numerous spines on male femora.
Male (
holotype
):
Total length, 3.1; carapace width, 1.35. Leg 1: 33.2 (8.3 + 0.6 + 8.3 + 13.6 + 2.4); tibia 2, 5.5; tibia 3, 4.4; tibia 4, 5.9. Tibia 1 L/d: 67. Habitus as in
Figures 27–29
, carapace pale ochre-white, with wide brown lateral margins posteriorly, thoracic furrow also dark brown; ocular area light brown, clypeus with pair of lateral brown bands; sternum medially brown with light spot behind labium, and pale ochre-yellow to whitish laterally; legs light brown, tips of femora and tibiae whitish, darker rings subdistally on femora (indistinct on tibiae); abdomen bluish grey, dorsally (except heart area) and laterally densely covered with black spots, with some small light-bluish spots forming disrupted lines, with distinctive pale area posteriorly; genital area and area in front of spinnerets light brown, bluish spot in-between. Ocular area strongly elevated; thoracic furrow distinct. PME–PME, 150 Mm; PME diameter, 135 Mm; PME–ALE, 175 Mm; AME–AME, 20 Mm; AME diameter, 25 Mm. Sternum wider than long (0.9/ 0.7), unmodified. Chelicerae with ~30 modified hairs on each side, mediodistal hairs clearly longer than the others (
Figs 88
,
149
). Palps as in
Figure 148
, coxa with retrolateral apophysis, femur with rounded proximal and pointed distal ventral apophyses; procursus without dorsal spine-like process (
Fig. 98
), curved towards femur distally, bulb with large, curved apophysis, and complex membranous subdistal projections. Legs with spines on femora 1 and 2; femur 1 with prolateral row (~30 spines not reaching tip) and retrolateral row (~20 very weak spines not reaching tip); femur 2 with four rows, prolateral (~25 spines, not reaching tip), prolateroventral (18 spines), retrolateroventral (20 spines), and retrolateral (~20 spines, almost until tip); all femora with many short vertical hairs; curved hairs on tibiae 1–3 and metatarsi 2–4; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 11%; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, present on all other tibiae. Tarsus 1 with ~30 pseudosegments.
Variation:
Tibia
1 in
four other males: 7.6, 7.9, 8.2, 8.5.
Female:
In general similar to male, but without callus-like area posteriorly on abdomen. Tibia
1 in
six females
: 5.9–6.6 (mean 6.2). Epigynum, with tongueshaped scape, and distinctive dark sclerites (
Figs 47
,
150
); dorsal view as in
Figures 70
and
151
.
Distribution and habitat:
Known from
type
locality only (
Fig. 199
). This species was found in the same piles of dead banana leaf bases on the ground as
M. epepye
sp. nov.
, but in the dryer upper parts.
Material examined:
Haiti
:
Dept
Sud-Est
, near Seguin,
1♂
,
holotype
above; same data,
5♂
,
7♀
and
four juveniles
(
ZFMK
,
Haiti
4/5); same data,
3♀
and
two juveniles
, in pure ethanol (
ZFMK
,
Haiti
81)
.