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 Mecolaesthus piedras Huber sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: CF40549A-34A3-4C69-834A-17B965CE9216 Figs 306–308 , 312–320 , 331–333 , 1042 Diagnosis Distinguished from known congeners by armature of male chelicerae ( Figs 318–319 ; pair of strong pointed frontal processes), by two distinctive flat elements distally on procursus ( Figs 312–314 ), by genital bulb with distinctive ventral and dorsal sclerites on embolar division (arrows in Fig. 315 ), by long epigynum widening anteriorly ( Fig. 331 ), and by internal female genitalia ( Figs 320 , 332–333 ; strong median sclerite, pore plates on distinctively curved sclerite). Etymology The species name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition. Type material VENEZUELA – Mérida • ♂ holotype , ZFMK (Ar 21897), Las Piedras , ‘site 1’ ( 8.8939° N , 70.6448° W ), 1710 m a.s.l. , forest remnant , 7 Feb. 2020 ( B.A. Huber , O. Villarreal M., Q. Arias C. ) . Other material VENEZUELA – Mérida • 1 ♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Ven20-106), same collection data as for holotype; abdomen moved to holotype . Description Male ( holotype ) MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 3.0, carapace width 1.25. Distance PME–PME 130 µm ; diameter PME 100 µm ; distance PME–ALE 110 µm ; diameter AME 25 µm ; distance AME–AME 25 µm . Leg 1: 24.6 (5.7+ 0.6+5.7+ 10.3 +2.3), tibia 2: 3.6, tibia 3: 2.7, tibia 4: 3.3; tibia 1–4 diameters: 170 µm , 185 µm , 190 µm , 190 µm ; tibia 1 L/d: 34. COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace pale gray, darker brown frontally including ocular area and clypeus, lateral dark bands in anterior part only, median dark mark with radiating lines; sternum dark brown; legs light brown, with darker rings on femora subdistally and on tibiae proximally and subdistally, femora and tibiae with light tips; abdomen pale bluish-gray, dorsally and laterally densely covered with dark bluish marks, ventrally with large brown mark in gonopore area, brown book lung covers, and bluish marks in front of and behind gonopore; without ventral or dorsal anterior brown plates. BODY. Habitus as in Figs 306–307 . Ocular area distinctly raised. Carapace anteriorly with shallow but distinct thoracic groove, posteriorly without groove, not inflated. Clypeus unmodified. Sternum wider than long (0.84/0.68). Abdomen slightly elongated and pointed at spinnerets. CHELICERAE. As in Figs 318–319 , with pair of strong pointed frontal processes, tips slightly diverging. PALPS. Proximal segments as in M. discrepantis ( González-Sponga, 2003 ) comb. nov. (cf. Figs 321– 322 ); coxa with strong retrolateral apophysis, trochanter with rounded ventral process, femur proximally with retrolateral process, distally with prominent rounded ventral process, retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia in very distal position; procursus ( Figs 312–314 ) proximally simple, without retrolateral process, small dorsal processes, distally with two distinctive flat elements; genital bulb ( Figs 315–317 ) with distinctive ventral and dorsal sclerites on embolar division, with slender prolateral pointed process. LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all leg tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~35 pseudosegments, mostly distinct. Coxa 4 not modified. Figs 306–311. Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893 ; live specimens. 306–308 . M. piedras Huber sp. nov. ; male and female with egg sac from Mérida, Las Piedras. 309–311 . M. discrepantis ( González-Sponga, 2003 ) ; male and female from Trujillo, Laguna Negra. Female In general similar to male ( Fig. 308 ). Tibia 1 missing. Epigynum ( Fig. 331 ) longer than wide, widening anteriorly, posterior margin strongly sclerotized, internal sclerites partly visible in uncleared specimens. Internal genitalia ( Figs 320 , 332–333 ) with strong median sclerite on ventral wall of uterus externus Figs 312–320. Mecolaesthus piedras Huber sp. nov. ; from Mérida, Las Piedras (type locality; ZFMK Ar 21897). 312–314 . Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 315– 317 . Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views (arrows: distinctive ventral and dorsal sclerites on embolar division of genital bulb). 318–319 . Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 320 . Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm. ( not on epigynal plate), pore plates on distinctively curved sclerite, with small round anterior median receptacle. Distribution Known from type locality only, in Venezuela , Mérida (Fig. 1042). Natural history The two specimens were collected from holes in the ground near an almost dried up stream in a small forest remnant.