On Venezuelan pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae) Author Huber, Bernhard A. 33607F65-19BF-4DC9-94FD-4BB88CED455F Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany. b.huber@leibniz-zfmk.de Author Villarreal, Osvaldo 679C385E-B068-4351-9D2F-97753E534C26 Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay, Venezuela. & Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. osvaldovillarreal@gmail.com text European Journal of Taxonomy 2020 2020-10-01 718 1 317 journal article 10.5852/ejt.2020.718.1101 4069574 F9E9A91E-488C-4DB1-9361-E788E9AC5BC1 Modisimus repens Huber sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 17A58690-0B66-4074-8E5C-3CFDCE23325F Figs 721–724 , 730–735 , 739–741 , 1023, 1058 Diagnosis Distinguished from known congeners by morphology of procursus ( Figs 733–734 ; widened in midsection, with slender dorsal process and membranous distal fringes), by strong, weakly curved bulbal apophysis ( Figs 730–731 ), by armature of male chelicerae ( Fig. 732 ; patch of 6–8 stronger hairs on each side on low elevation), and by shape of epigynum and internal female genitalia ( Figs 735 , 739–741 ; rectangular epigynum with semicircular whitish area posteriorly; pair of spherical pore plates). From many congeners also by strongly marked femora in males and females ( Figs 721–724 ; many ventral dots rather than just subdistal dark rings). Etymology The species name (Latin: unexpected) refers to our surprise in finding this ‘regular’ long-legged Modisimus in Venezuela ; adjective. Type material VENEZUELA – Falcón • ♂ holotype , ZFMK (Ar 22062), Península de Paraguaná , Cerro Santa Ana ( 11.8080° N , 69.9452° W ), 220 m a.s.l. , 17 Nov. 2018 ( B.A. Huber , O. Villarreal M.) . Other material examined VENEZUELA – Falcón • 4 ♂♂ , 4 ♀♀ , ZFMK (Ar 22063), and 3 ♂♂ , 2 ♀♀ , 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven18-189), same collection data as for holotype . Description Male ( holotype ) MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.9, carapace width 0.85. Distance PME–PME 70 µm ; diameter PME 70 µm ; distance PME–ALE 80 µm ; AME absent. Leg 1: 14.7 (3.9 +0.4+3.7 +5.7+1.0), tibia 2: 2.4, tibia 3: 1.9, tibia 4: 2.3; tibia 1 L/d: 41; all femora approximately same width. COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace pale ochre-yellow, with three pairs of brown marks and brown median band including ocular area; clypeus dark brown; sternum light brown laterally, whitish medially; legs ochre-yellow, femora with numerous dark ventral marks (in live specimens clearly visible also in dorsal view) and subdistal dark ring, tibiae with proximal and subdistal dark rings; abdomen pale bluish, with many darker bluish and white marks dorsally and laterally, ventrally with light brown mark in gonopore area. Figs 730–735. Modisimus repens Huber sp. nov. ; from Falcón, Cerro Santa Ana (type locality; ZFMK Ar 22063). 730–731 . Left male pedipalp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 732 . Male chelicerae, frontal view. 733–734 . Left male palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 735 . Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: ba=bulbal apophysis; p=procursus; pp =pore plate; r= receptacle. Scale lines: 0.2 mm. BODY. Habitus as in Figs 721–722 . Ocular area moderately raised. Carapace with distinct thoracic groove. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.58/0.38), unmodified. Abdomen oval. CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 732 , with patch of 6–8 stronger hairs on each side on low elevation. PALPS. As in Figs 730–731 ; coxa with retrolateral apophysis; trochanter barely modified; femur with low retrolateral process proximally and strong ventral apophysis distally; tarsus with conical dorsal process, procursus ( Figs 733–734 ) widened in mid-section, with slender dorsal process and distal membranous fringes; genital bulb with strong, weakly curved distal apophysis. LEGS. Without spines; with curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1–2; with vertical hairs in high density on all femora; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 19%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~15 pseudosegments, distally distinct. Male (variation) Tibia 1 in seven males (including holotype ): 3.6–4.4 (mean 3.9). Some males with curved hairs also on metatarsus 3. Female In general similar to male ( Figs 723–724 ) but without (or very few) vertical hairs on femora and with lighter sternum (only laterally anteriorly slightly darker brown). Tibia 1 in six females: 2.4–2.8 (mean 2.6). Epigynum ( Fig. 739 ) relatively small, rectangular brown plate with pair of dark marks and semicircular whitish area posteriorly; internal bluish ‘valve’ variably visible in uncleared specimens. Internal genitalia ( Figs 735 , 740–741 ) with median receptacle and pair of spherical pore plates, each connected to tapering lateral process. Figs 736–741. Modisimus Simon, 1893 ; epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 736–738 . M. simoni Huber, 1997 ; from Bolívar, Ciudad Guayana (ZFMK Ar 22058). 739–741 . M. repens Huber sp. nov. ; from Falcón, Cerro Santa Ana (type locality; ZFMK Ar 22063). Distribution Known from type locality only, in Venezuela , Falcón (Fig. 1058). Natural history The spiders were found under rocks near the basis of Cerro Santa Ana, in an area dominated by small trees and bushes (Fig. 1023).