Short-legged daddy-long-leg spiders in North America: the genera Pholcophora and Tolteca (Araneae, Pholcidae) Author Huber, Bernhard A. 33607F65-19BF-4DC9-94FD-4BB88CED455F Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, LIB, Bonn, Germany. Laboratory of Arachnology (LATLAX), Institute of Biology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México-Tlaxcala, San Miguel Contla, Santa Cruz Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México. Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Campus Amílcar Ferreira Sobral, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Floriano, Piauí, Brazil. b.huber@leibniz-lib.de Author Meng, Guanliang 7E8C41F8-77BB-468F-BE9A-D3F1DFCA1E4E Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, LIB, Bonn, Germany. Laboratory of Arachnology (LATLAX), Institute of Biology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México-Tlaxcala, San Miguel Contla, Santa Cruz Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México. Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Campus Amílcar Ferreira Sobral, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Floriano, Piauí, Brazil. G.Meng@leibniz-lib.de Author Valdez-Mondragón, Alejandro F043A1C7-2B83-40C9-A74E-82C92F00725A lat_mactans@yahoo.com.mx Author Král, Jiří E836F3B5-D704-4EEC-966A-0C4F1FAD324B spider@natur.cuni.cz Author Ávila Herrera, Ivalú M. E3687584-7F64-450D-9492-BE0DD4864AD6 ivalu.a@gmail.com Author Carvalho, Leonardo S. 28AA7D67-3C9D-495E-8C17-33D35F1A0FAC carvalho@ufpi.edu.br text European Journal of Taxonomy 2023 2023-07-17 880 1 1 89 http://zoobank.org/3f806fd6-2eb3-456a-afd7-780a0fbeb2da journal article 55344 10.5852/ejt.2023.880.2173 339bce42-a7e7-418b-b9ac-4588e4219b15 2118-9773 8155472 3F806FD6-2EB3-456A-AFD7-780A0FBEB2DA Pholcophora mazatlan Huber sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C787210E-FE17-42BD-AF00-7C5364558495 Figs 3B–E , 9–13 , 33C–D Diagnosis Distinguished from similar congeners ( P. papanoa sp. nov. , P. mexcala , P. americana ) by shape of male cheliceral apophyses ( Fig. 10A–B ; very long, directed upwards, without proximal humps) and by shape of male bulbal process ( Fig. 10F–H ; small dorsal process in very distal position; distinctive semi-transparent ventral flap). From very similar P. papanoa also by main element of procursus more gradually narrowing distally ( Fig. 10E ), by male cheliceral apophyses more strongly directed upwards, and by thinner male leg femora (0.18–0.20 vs 0.28–0.30). From P. americana also by tip of procursus (semi-transparent process not widening distally) and by shape of epigynum ( Fig. 11A, C ; main epigynal plate posteriorly straight). Etymology The species name is derived from the type locality; noun in apposition. Type material Holotype MEXICO – Guerrero • ♂ ; ~ 2 km N of Mazatlán ; 17.4567° N , 99.4740° W ; 1300 m a.s.l. ; 3 Oct. 2019 ; B.A. Huber and A. Valdez-Mondragón leg.; LATLAX . Paratypes MEXICO – Guerrero • 1 ♀ ; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Ar 23943 • 1 ♂ , 11 ♀♀ ; same collection data as for holotype; LATLAX . Fig. 9. Pholcophora mazatlan Huber sp. nov. , male holotype from Mexico, Guerrero, N of Mazatlán (LATLAX). Left palp, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Scale bar = 0.3 mm. Other material examined MEXICO – Guerrero • 3 ♀♀ , in pure ethanol; same collection data as for holotype; one female used for SEM; ZFMK Mex209 • 3 ♀♀ abdomens, together with female paratype ; same collection data as for holotype; prosomata used for molecular work; ZFMK Ar 23943 . Description Male ( holotype ) MEASUREMENTS . Total body length 1.90, carapace width 0.80. Distance PME-PME 70 µm; diameter PME 60 µm; distance PME-ALE 30 µm; distance AME-AME 20 µm; diameter AME 30 µm. Leg 1: 4.55 (1.30 + 0.30 + 1.15 + 1.30 + 0.50), tibia 2: 1.00, tibia 3: 0.85, tibia 4: 1.25; tibia 1 L/d: 12; diameters of leg femora 0.18–0.20, of leg tibiae 0.10. Fig. 10. Pholcophora mazatlan Huber sp. nov. ; male holotype from Mexico, Guerrero, N of Mazatlán (LATLAX). A–B . Chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. C–E . Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. F–H . Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Abbreviations: dp = dorsal process; vf = ventral flap. Scale bars = 0.2 mm. COLOUR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs ochre-yellow, carapace with indistinct Y-mark, legs without darker rings; abdomen grey with dark bluish internal marks; ventrally with ochre plate in front of gonopore. BODY ( Fig. 3B–C ). Ocular area barely raised. Carapace with distinct but shallow thoracic groove (cf. Fig. 13A ). Clypeus unmodified, very short (clypeus rim to ALE: 0.22). Sternum slightly wider than long (0.56/0.46), oval (not narrow posteriorly), with pair of distinct anterior processes (~0.1 long) near coxae 1. Abdomen globular. CHELICERAE ( Fig. 10A–B ). With pair of long frontal apophyses; stridulatory files very fine, poorly visible in dissecting microscope; distances between cheliceral stridulatory ridges proximally 2.4 µm, distally 3.5 µm. PALPS ( Fig. 9 ). Coxa unmodified; trochanter without process; femur proximally with retrolateral-ventral process and prolateral stridulatory pick, distally widened but simple, slightly curved towards dorsal; femur-patella joints slightly shifted toward prolateral side; tibia globular, with two trichobothria; tibia-tarsus joints not shifted to one side; procursus very simple ( Fig. 10C–E ), narrow distal part slightly bent towards prolateral, with semi-transparent tip; genital bulb with small dorsal process in very distal position, distally with distinctive semi-transparent ventral flap ( Fig. 10F–H ). Fig. 11. Pholcophora mazatlan Huber sp. nov. , females from Mexico, Guerrero, N of Mazatlán (ZFMK Ar 23943). Epigyna, ventral and lateral views. Scale bar = 0.3 mm (all at same scale). LEGS . Without spines and curved hairs; with vertical hairs in two narrow dorsal bands proximally on tibiae 1 and 2 (length ~30 µm; length of dorsal trichobothrium on tibia 1: ~90 µm); retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 64%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~7 pseudosegments, only distally 2–3 distinct. Variation (male) Tibia 1 in second male: 1.30. Female In general, similar to male ( Fig. 3D–E ) but sternum without pair of anterior humps, tibiae without higher than usual density of short vertical hairs, and chelicerae without stridulatory files. Tibia 1 in 11 females : 1.00–1.20 (mean 1.08). Epigynum ( Figs 11 , 13B ) with simple anterior plate protruding in lateral view; posterior plate wide, median part separated anteriorly from lateral parts by pair of whitish areas. Internal genitalia ( Fig. 12 ) very simple, apparently without or with small and indistinct median receptacle, without or with very small pore plates. Fig. 12. Pholcophora mazatlan Huber sp. nov. , females from Mexico, Guerrero, N of Mazatlán (ZFMK Ar 23943), cleared female genitalia. A, D . Ventral views. B, E . Dorsal views. C, F . Detail of median internal structures. Scale bars: A–B, D–E = 0.2 mm; C, F = 0.1 mm. Fig. 13. Pholcophora mazatlan Huber sp. nov. , female from Mexico, Guerrero, 2 km N of Mazatlán (ZFMK Mex209). A . Prosoma, frontal view. B . Epigynum, ventral view. C . Spinnerets; asterisk: PMS. D . Anterior lateral spinneret. E . Tarsal organ and slit sensillum on tarsus 3. F . Metatarsus-tarsus 1 joint with lyriform organ, dorsal view. G . Tip of right tarsus 3, prolateral view. H . Comb hair (arrow) on tarsus 4, prolateral view. Abbreviations: ep = epigynum (main epigynal plate); pep = posterior epigynal plate. Scale bars: A–B = 100 µm; C = 20 µm; D, F–H = 10 µm; E = 2 µm. Distribution Known from type locality only, in Mexico , Guerrero ( Fig. 2 ). Natural history The spiders were found by turning rocks in a forested valley ( Fig. 34A ). They shared the microhabitat with at least four further species of Pholcidae (Modisiminae) : two representatives of Modisimus Simon, 1893 , one Psilochorus Simon, 1893 , and one species of uncertain generic position.