Hantu Huber, 2016, gen. nov.

Hantu gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9DBCF7B6-8A03-4346-BFA7-9DE99CD065D7

Type species

Hantu kapit gen. et sp. nov.

Diagnosis

Small, six-eyed, dark, ground and litter-dwelling pholcids with dark (usually black) sternum, with thoracic furrow extending over entire length of carapace, and without epiandrous spigots. Distinguished from putatively closest known relatives (Khorata, Savarna) by ventral apophysis on male palpal coxa (arrows in Figs 9, 19, 27), by scales or teeth on male palpal trochanter (Fig. 16), by spines on male femora 1 (~ 10–25 in single ventral row), by short vertical hairs in high density on male femora (in two dorsal rows), and by scape on female external genitalia (Figs 40–45); from Savarna also by presence of distal cheliceral apophyses (Figs 11, 28) and by male palpal trochanter apophysis not fused to femur (Figs 9, 27); from Khorata also by absence of sclerotized ledges laterally on male chelicerae (Figs 11, 28) and by absence of retrolateral process on male palpal femur (Figs 9, 27).

Etymology

Named for the Hantu Rimba, deep-forest ghosts in traditional Malaysian mythology. Gender masculine.

Description

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length ~2.0–2.5; carapace width 0.9–1.0; leg 1 length ~20–25; tibia 1 length ~4.5–6.0; tibia 2/tibia 4 length 1.0–1.1; tibia 1 L/d ~55–75.

COLOR. In life (Figs 1–6) mostly ochre-gray with black marks, sternum black, legs without dark rings; abdomen with dark brown to black marks dorsally, laterally, and ventrally.

BODY. Carapace with distinct median furrow (Figs 14, 31, 34); ocular area raised, eye triads on short stalks directed toward lateral (Figs 14, 31), with complex modiFcation in H. kapit gen. et sp. nov. (Figs 10, 14, 15, 17). AME absent. Clypeus high, either unmodiFed or with small median process (Figs 15, 17). Abdomen slightly longer than high, pointed at spinnerets (Figs 1–6). Male gonopore without epiandrous spigots (Figs 23, 32). ALS with large widened spigot and pointed spigot, without further cylindrically shaped spigots (Figs 24, 38); PMS with two spigots each.

CHELICERAE. With two pairs of processes, one proximal lateral, one distal frontal (Figs 11, 28); without modiFed hairs; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. Coxa with distinct ventral process (Figs 8, 19, 27); trochanter with retrolateral process of varying length provided with small scales or teeth (Fig. 16); femur large, without processes; patella relatively long ventrally (not triangular in lateral view; Figs 9, 27); tibia rather small and slender, with retrolateral trichobothrium in ‘normal’ (not very distal) position (at ~60% of tibia length); palpal tarsus small, with pit-shaped rather than capsular tarsal organ (Figs 21, 33); procursus complex, proximal and distal parts connected by membranous hinge; bulb with weakly sclerotized embolus as only process (Figs 9, 27).

LEGS. With spines on femora 1; without curved hairs; vertical hairs in two dorsal rows on all femora and tibiae; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at ~6–8% of tibia length; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae. Tarsal organ not examined. Tarsus 1 with ~15–20 pseudosegments fairly distinct distally; tarsus 4 with single row of ventral comb-hairs of Belisana - type (cf. Huber & Fleckenstein 2008) (Figs 25, 39).

Female

Similar to male but eye triads on low humps (Fig. 34); clypeus and chelicerae unmodiFed; legs slightly shorter than in male (tibia 1 ~4.0–5.0); without spines on femora 1. Epigynum weakly sclerotized, with distinct scape directed toward posterior (Figs 12, 29, 40–45). Internal genitalia with pair of oval pore plates.

Monophyly and relationships

In a recent morphological cladistic analysis of Aetana and putatively close relatives (Huber et al. 2015a), the monophyly of Hantu gen. nov. was consistently supported by Fve synapomorphies: (1) presence of ventral apophysis on male palpal coxa (Figs 9, 19, 27); (2) male palpal trochanter apophysis with small teeth or scales (Fig. 16); (3) presence of spines on male femora 1; (4) high density of vertical hairs on male femora; (5) presence of scape on epigynum (Figs 40–45).

Three characters suggested a closer relationship with the mainland genera Khorata and Savarna rather than with Aetana: (1) thoracic furrow extending over entire length of carapace (Figs 14, 31, 32); (2) dark (usually black) sternum; and (3) absence of epiandrous spigots (Figs 23, 32). A single character supported a sister-group relationship with Savarna: high density of vertical hairs on tibiae. Preliminary molecular data (A. Valdez-Mondragón, D. Dimitrov, B.A. Huber, unpubl. data) are not conclusive: while H. niah gen. et sp. nov. is placed in a clade together with Khorata and Savarna (in agreement with morphology), H. kapit gen. et sp. nov. is currently misplaced in Belisana Thorell, 1898 for unknown reasons.

Natural history

Both species were found in small protected spaces close to the ground (in small holes; among and under rocks, logs, and large leaves) where they build their domed webs.

Composition

Only the two species newly described below.

Distribution

Known from Sarawak only (Fig. 7).