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 BERAC
HUBER
SP. NOV.
(
Figs 15
,
36
,
59
,
81
,
188, 189
,
201
)
Type:
Male
holotype
from broadleaf forest patch (‘Berac’,
18°19.7
′
N
,
72°17.7
′
W
),
La Visite N. P.
,
Dept
Sud-Est
,
Haiti
,
1580 m
a.s.l.
, domed sheet connected to underside of green fern leaves,
27 November 2007
(
B.A. Huber
), in
ZFMK
(
Haiti
23a)
.
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, distinguished from close relatives (
M. palvet
sp. nov.
and
M. miri
sp. nov.
) by pair of distinct dark epigynal sclerites (
Fig. 59
); further distinguished from
M. palvet
sp. nov.
by the pattern of club-shaped modified hairs on male chelicerae (
Fig. 188
), slightly stronger bulbal apophysis, distally curved towards prolateral, and slightly shorter dorsal cymbium projection; distinguished from
M. miri
sp. nov.
by absence of apophyses above fang joints.
Male (
holotype
):
Total length, 2.0; carapace width, 0.8. Leg 1: 20.3, (4.8 + 0.3 + 4.9 + 7.9 + 2.4); tibia 2, 3.2; tibia 3, 2.2; tibia 4, 2.5. Tibia 1 L/d: 65. Habitus as in
Figure 36
, carapace pale ochre-yellow to whitish, clypeus with wide brown distal margin, sternum whitish; legs pale ochre-yellow, with darker patella area and tibia–metatarsus joints; abdomen pale greenish grey with black spot dorsally (smaller and more posterior than in
Fig. 36
), ventrally monochromous. Ocular area slightly elevated; thoracic furrow distinct but shallow. PME–PME, 125 Mm; PME diameter, 70 Mm; PME–ALE, 70 Mm; no AME. Sternum slightly wider than long (0.6/0.55), unmodified. Chelicerae with around eight cone-shaped modified hairs on each side (
Fig. 188
). Palps very similar to
M. palvet
sp. nov.
(cf.
Fig. 185
), but slightly larger, with slightly shorter dorsal projection on cymbium, and bulbal apophysis stronger and strongly bent towards prolateral distally. Two long spines on each femur 1, many short vertical hairs on all femora; curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1–3; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 7%; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, present on all other tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~30 pseudosegments.
Variation:
One male with large anterior black spots dorsally on abdomen (
Fig. 36
). Tibia
1 in
three other males: 5.4, 5.4, and 5.7.
Female:
In general similar to male, but paler, without darker clypeus margin, spots on abdomen variable (from monochromous to three large black spots; same in juveniles). Tibia
1 in
nine females
: 3.8–4.5 (mean 4.1). Epigynum, simple externally, with distinctive pair of black spots (
Fig. 59
); dorsal view as in
Figures 81
,
189
.
Distribution:
Known from
type
locality only (
Fig. 201
).
Material examined:
Haiti
:
Dept
Sud-Est
,
La Visite N. P.
,
1♂
,
holotype
above; same data,
3♂
,
9♀
and
six juveniles
(
ZFMK
,
Haiti
23); same data,
4♂
,
1♀
and
one juvenile
in pure ethanol (
ZFMK
,
Haiti
69)
.