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 BACHATA
HUBER & FISCHER
SP. NOV.
(
Figs 55
,
77
,
169–172
,
200
)
Type:
Male
holotype
from near
La Ciénaga
, (~
19°03
′
N
,
70°53
′
W
),
La Vega Prov.
,
Dominican Republic
; ~
1100 m
a.s.l.
, path along river, under dry rolled-up leaves on ground,
9 November 2005
(
B.A. Huber
), in
ZFMK
(
DR 19
a)
.
Etymology:
The species name refers to bachata, a form of music and dance that originated in
the Dominican
Republic and in which tales of heartbreak and sadness are prevalent. The name is used as a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis:
Medium-sized species, easily distinguished from congeners by procursus shape (
Fig. 169
; narrow with dorsodistal projection), and club-shaped hairs on male chelicerae (
Figs 170, 171
; some hairs on distinct lateral apophyses).
Male (
holotype
):
Total length, 1.9; carapace width, 0.8. Leg 1: 13.9 (3.3 + 0.3 + 3.5 + 5.3 + 1.5); tibia 2, 2.0; tibia 3, 1.6; tibia 4, 2.1. Tibia 1 L/d: 47. Habitus similar to
M. jima
sp. nov.
(cf.
Fig. 19
), carapace pale ochre-yellow, with dark median line and wider dark median band visible through cuticle; ocular area also darker, clypeus with pair of brown stripes; sternum mostly light brown, lighter medially; legs ochre to light brown, tips of femora and tibiae lighter, very indistinct darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae; abdomen bluish grey, black spots dorsally and laterally; light brown genital area and plate in front of spinnerets. Ocular area elevated; thoracic furrow distinct. PME–PME, 70 Mm; PME diameter, 105 Mm; PME–ALE, 115 Mm; AME tiny, but with lenses. Sternum wider than long (0.6/0.5), unmodified. Chelicerae with short modified hairs in distinctive pattern, each proximal group on prominent apophysis, distal group barely elevated (
Figs 170, 171
). Palps as in
Figure 169
, coxa with indistinct retrolateral apophysis, femur with proximal flap retrolaterally, and distal apophysis ventrally; procursus very slender, with distinctive distal structures (mostly membranous). Legs with many short vertical hairs on all femora; few spines distally on femur 1, about ten spines in two rows distally on each femur 2; no curved hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 13%; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, but present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~25 pseudosegments.
Variation:
Some males with longer rows of about ten spines each on femur 2, other males without any spines. Tibia
1 in
seven other males: 3.2–3.5 (mean 3.4). All males in AMNH appear artificially darkened.
Female:
In general, similar to male. Tibia
1 in
three females
: 2.2, 2.2, and 2.3. Epigynum, a very simple plate (
Fig. 55
); dorsal view as in
Figures 77
and
172
.
Distribution:
Known only from the Ciénaga area, in the central
Dominican Republic
(
Fig. 200
).
Material examined:
Dominican Republic
:
La Vega Prov.
, near
La Ciénaga
,
1♂
,
holotype
above; same data,
1♂
,
3♀
and
one juvenile
(
ZFMK
,
DR 19
)
;
Parque Nacional A. Bermudez
,
Ciénaga
,
1010 m
a.s.l.
, tropical evergreen forest,
19 July–2 August 1995
(
S. & J. Peck
),
4♂
and
two juveniles
#95-33 (
AMNH
)
;
same data but
1100 m
a.s.l.
,
1♂
#95-36 (
AMNH
)
;
same data but
1020 m
a.s.l.
,
1♂
#95-34 (
AMNH
)
.