Pholcus schwendingeri Huber 2011

Pholcus schwendingeri Huber, 2011

Figs 150–152, 171–183, 190–192

Pholcus schwendingeri Huber, 2011: 183–184, figs 761–763, 823–825 (♂).

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from congeners by combination of very long male eye stalks (Figs 173–174), by male palpal morphology (twisted segments; strong trochanter apophysis; procursus with large prolateral process; simple appendix; absence of uncus; Figs 178–180; see also figs 823–824 in Huber 2011); from other species in buatong group also by female internal genitalia (Fig. 192; wider than long in contrast to Ph. satun; with angular anterior ‘valve’ in contrast to Ph. buatong sp. nov.).

New material examined

THAILAND: 3 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 15049–50), Ranong, Klong Nakha Wildlife Sanctuary (9°27.6' N, 98°30.7' E) (type locality), 40 m a.s.l., forest, leaf litter, 12 Mar. 2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad); 4 ♀♀, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 362), same data; 20 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀, ZFMK (Ar 15051–52), Surat Thani, Khao Sok National Park, forest along nature trail (8°54.8' N, 98°29.3'– 98°30.5' E), leaf litter, 110–160 m a.s.l., 11–12 Mar. 2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad); 3 ♀♀, 3 juvs, in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 355), same data; 8 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, ZFMK (7 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, Ar 15053–54) and PSUZC (1 ♂, 1 ♀), Krabi, Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, trails near headquarters (8°14.1' N, 98°55.1' E), 150–300 m a.s.l., leaf litter in forest, 8 Mar. 2015 (B.A. Huber, B. Petcharad); 5 ♀♀, 1 juv., in absolute ethanol, ZFMK (Mal 339), same data; 1 ♂, RMNH, Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, 15 Dec. 1990 (C.L. & P.R. Deeleman).

Description

Male – amendments

Males from Khao Sok are significantly larger than males from Phanom Bencha: tibia 1 in 19 males from Khao Sok: 7.4–8.9 (mean 8.0); in 7 males from Phanom Bencha: 6.6–7.3 (mean 7.0). This difference is even more pronounced in eye stalk length: in 19 males from Khao Sok: 0.70–0.78 (mean 0.74); in 8 males from Phanom Bencha: 0.53–0.60 (mean 0.55). Males from Klong Nakha seem to be intermediate (low sample size). Angle between eye stalks varies even within localities (compare Figs 150 and 151). All males with process between eye stalks (Fig. 177). Male tibia 2/tibia 4 length: 1.08. Patella dorsally widened, resulting in an angle between femur and patella of ~125° (lateral view; in figures 823 and 824 in Huber 2011, femora and patellae are not in perfect lateral view). Male gonopore with four epiandrous spigots (Fig. 181). ALS as in female (see below).

Female

In general similar to male (Fig. 152), but eye triads on low humps and closer together (Fig. 175; distance PME-PME: 185 µm); black marks in place of AME, but without lenses; clypeus unmodified. Tibia 1 in 10 females from Khao Sok: 5.6–6.3 (mean 6.0); in 9 females from Klong Nakha: 5.3–6.3 (mean: 5.7); in 10 females from Phanom Bencha: 4.7–5.5 (mean 5.3). Epigynum wider than long, mostly weakly sclerotized, with large dark ‘knob’ at posterior margin (Fig. 182), anterior internal arch visible through cuticle (Figs 171, 190–191). Internal genitalia as in Figs 172 and 192. ALS with one widened, one pointed, and several (apparently six) smaller cylindrically-shaped spigots of varying sizes (Fig. 183).

Natural history

At all three localities, the species was fairly abundant in suitable forest patches with large numbers of large dead leaves on the ground. The poorly visible webs were closely attached to the lower leaf surface. The spiders barely reacted to disturbance.

Distribution

Known from three localities in southern Thailand (Fig. 153).