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Two small, ground and litter-dwelling pholcid species from northern Borneo are described as representatives of a new genus, Hantu gen. nov.: H. kapit gen. et sp. nov. and H. niah gen. et sp. nov. Previous cladistic analyses suggested a closer relationship with the genera Savarna Huber, 2005 and Khorata Huber, 2005 (mainland Southeast Asia) than with the geographically closer genus Aetana Huber, 2005 (Borneo and Philippines to Fiji). Since the two species do not share any of the synapomorphies of Khorata and Savarna while having several synapomorphies on their own (ventral apophysis on male palpal coxa; male palpal trochanter apophysis with small teeth or scales; spines on male femora 1; high density of vertical hairs on male femora; presence of scape on epigynum), they are here proposed as representing a new genus.
The Andean genus Priscula Simon, 1893 includes the largest Neotropical pholcid spiders, but due to their mostly cryptic lifestyle they remain poorly collected and poorly studied. Many species available in collections remain undescribed and nothing has been published about the phylogeny and the biology of the genus. Here, we deal with a recent collection of Priscula spiders from Ecuador, the country of origin of the type species, P. gularis Simon, 1893. We describe eight new species, collected at 17 localities at altitudes from 640–3160 m, all based on males and females: P. azuay sp. nov., P. llaviucu sp. nov., P. espejoi sp. nov., P. esmeraldas sp. nov., P. chapintza sp. nov., P. pastaza sp. nov., P. bonita sp. nov., and P. lumbaqui sp. nov. We use a sample of approximately 26 species-level taxa, mostly from Ecuador and Venezuela, to propose a first hypothesis about relationships within the genus. Our data (mainly CO1) suggest the existence of five species groups, three of which are represented in Ecuador. The cave-dwelling P. pastaza sp. nov. is only slightly troglomorphic (paler than usual; anterior median eyes strongly reduced or lost) but differs dramatically from forest-dwelling congeners in its biology: it hangs fully exposed in its web during the day; it produces egg sacs with only 6–7 eggs (average in 15 other species: 42 eggs); and it produces the largest eggs relative to body size of all studied species.
Daddy-long-leg giants: revision of the spider genus Artema Walckenaer, 1837 (Araneae, Pholcidae)
(2017)
This is the first revision of Artema Walckenaer, 1837, a genus consisting of large and phylogenetically interesting species. Even though Artema is not species-rich (now eight nominal species), it has suffered from poor descriptions and synonymies. Our main goal was to gather all available material and to clarify species limits. Four species are easily distinguished from other congeners: Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837, the type species; A. kochi Kulczyński, 1901 (revalidated); A. bunkpurugu Huber & Kwapong, 2013; and A. nephilit sp. nov. All other species are problematic for varying reasons: species limits are unclear between A. doriae Thorell, 1881 and A. transcaspica Spassky, 1934; A. magna Roewer, 1960 and A. ziaretana (Roewer, 1960) are problematic because they are based on female and juvenile types respectively and little new material is available. The material available to us suggests the existence of a few further species; however, they are not formally described, either because of small sample sizes (Artema sp. a and A. sp. b are represented by only one specimen each) or because of unclear species limits (between Artema sp. c, A. transcaspica and A. doriae).This study is the first serious step towards understanding the genus. Intensive collecting effort is needed in order to fully clarify species limits.
This paper summarizes current knowledge about East African pholcids. East Africa is defined as the area from 12°S to 5°N and from 28° to 42°E, including all of Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. An annotated list of the 15 genera and 87 species recorded from this area is given, together with distribution maps and an identification key to genera. Most East African species (90%) belong to one of only six genera: Buitinga Huber, 2003 (21 species); Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (18); Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (17); Spermophora Hentz, 1841 (12); Leptopholcus Simon, 1893 (5) and Quamtana Huber, 2003 (4). Eight species for which DNA sequence data have been published recently are newly described: Buitinga batwa sp. nov., B. wataita sp. nov., Spermophora mau sp. nov., S. maathaiae sp. nov., S. bukusu sp. nov., S. kirinyaga sp. nov., S. kyambura sp. nov. and Quamtana nyahururu sp. nov. Crossopriza johncloudsleyi Deeleman-Reinhold & van Harten, 2001, previously only known from Yemen, is redescribed based on specimens from Kenya. Additional new records are given for 21 previously described species.
New leaf- and litter-dwelling species of the genus Pholcus from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Pholcidae)
(2016)
We describe eight new species of the genus Pholcus, and document their microhabitats. Four species are assigned to the previously described Pholcus ethagala group: P. tanahrata Huber sp. nov., P. uludong Huber sp. nov., and P. bukittimah Huber sp. nov. from the Malay Peninsula, and P. barisan Huber sp. nov. from Sumatra. These species are all litter-dwellers that build domed sheet webs on the undersides of large dead leaves on the ground. The other four species are assigned to newly created species groups: the P. tambunan group with two species from northern Borneo: P. tambunan Huber sp. nov. and P. bario Huber sp. nov.; and the P. domingo group with two species from the Philippines, Mindanao: P. domingo Huber sp. nov. and P. matutum Huber sp. nov. These latter four species are leafdwellers that build barely visible silk platforms tightly attached to the undersides of live leaves. The main rationale for this paper is to provide part of the taxonomic and natural history background for upcoming phylogenetic and evolutionary (microhabitat shifts) analyses.
We present a comprehensive revision of the pholcid spider collection of M.A. González-Sponga, who between 1998 and 2011 described 22 new genera and 51 new species of Pholcidae from Venezuela. In addition, we treat the pholcid material collected during three expeditions to Venezuela conducted between 2002 and 2020. Of González-Sponga’s pholcid taxa we recognize three genera and 24 species as valid. We describe 43 new species (all from males and females) in one new and 13 previously described genera; four genera are newly recorded for Venezuela. We describe the previously unknown females of 15 species, present new records for 46 previously described species, synonymize one genus and one species, and correct numerous minor errors in previous publications on Venezuelan pholcids. At the generic level, the Venezuelan pholcid fauna now appears fairly well known, but available data on distribution and endemism suggest that many species remain undiscovered and undescribed. Despite the obvious gaps, our data are congruent with previous studies on other taxa that have the highest levels of endemism in the Venezuelan Andes, the Coastal Ranges, and the Guyana Highlands. The Falcón Region in particular shows a complex mosaic of biogeographic relationships with other regions. We provide new biological data on numerous species. We document the first cases of evolutionary microhabitat shifts in the genera Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893 and Priscula Simon, 1893. We document several cases of close congeners sharing localities, usually in slightly to conspicuously different microhabitats, sometimes apparently in identical microhabitats. We document several cases of color polymorphism, mostly intersexual, in Metagonia conica (Simon, 1893) both intersexual and among males. We document further cases of two rare phenomena in Pholcidae: use of specific non-silken structures for retreats (in Pisaboa Huber, 2000) and egg parasitism (in Priscula).
This paper summarizes current knowledge about Central African pholcids. Central Africa is here defined as the area between 10°N and 7°S and between 6°E and 18°E, including mainly the Lower Guinean subregion of the Guineo-Congolian center of endemism. This includes all of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, most of Cameroon and Congo Republic, and parts of the neighboring countries. An annotated list of the 14 genera and 79 species recorded from this area is given, together with distribution maps and an identification key to genera. Seven species are newly described: Anansus kamwai sp. nov., Leptopholcus gabonicus sp. nov., Ninetis faro sp. nov., Pholcus punu sp. nov., P. rawiriae sp. nov., Spermophora abibae sp. nov., and S. awalai sp. nov. Additional new records are given for 16 previously described species, including 17 new country records. Distribution and diversity patterns are compared with data on West and East Africa. While West Africa contains a similar set of genera it is significantly less diverse than Central Africa. East Africa is taxonomically more distinct. It has similar levels of diversity as Central Africa, but appears to be less undersampled.
The genus Savarna Huber, 2005 was previously one of the most poorly known Pholcinae genera. Less than 20 specimens (representing four nominal species) were available worldwide; nothing was known about ultrastructure, natural history, or relationships. We present the first SEM data, supporting the position of the genus in Pholcinae outside the Pholcus group of genera and weakly suggesting a closer relationship with the genera Khorata Huber, 2005, Spermophorides Wunderlich, 1992, and two undescribed species of unknown affinity from Borneo. We provide the first data about microhabitat, web structure, and reaction to disturbance. We clarify the type locality of Savarna tessellata (Simon, 1901) (“Jalor, Biserat”) and describe topotypical material. We describe the previously unknown male of Spermophora miser Bristowe, 1952 and transfer the species (that was previously considered incertae sedis) to Savarna as Savarna miser (Bristowe, 1952) comb. nov. Savarna baso (Roewer, 1963) is newly synonymized with S. miser. We describe the most northern species in the genus, Savarna kaeo sp. nov., and provide amendments to the descriptions of all previously described species.
The southern South American genus Guaranita includes tiny spiders (body length ~1 mm) that lead reclusive lives under ground-objects and run rapidly when disturbed. As a result, they have been poorly collected and studied. Here we report on a recent collection of Guaranita spiders from Argentina, describing one new species (G. auadae Huber sp. nov.) and the previously unknown female of G. dobby Torres et al., 2016. In addition, we provide CO1 barcodes for all (now five) known species, first SEM data, and first chromosome data for the genus. The diploid number of Guaranita goloboffi Huber, 2000 (2n♂ = 11) is among the lowest in araneomorph spiders with monocentric chromosome structure.
Revisions of Holocnemus and Crossopriza: the spotted-leg clade of Smeringopinae (Araneae, Pholcidae)
(2022)
The genera Holocnemus Simon, 1873 and Crossopriza Simon, 1893 are revised. Together with Stygopholcus Kratochvíl, 1932 (revised recently) and the newly described genus Maghreba gen. nov., they constitute the spotted-leg clade within the northern clade of Smeringopinae. Males and females in this group are characterized by dark marks on the leg femora and tibiae. The native area of the spotted-leg clade ranges from northern Africa and the Mediterranean to Central Asia and NW India. A morphological cladistic analysis suggests that Holocnemus is paraphyletic while Crossopriza is monophyletic, but morphology seems only partly adequate to resolve phylogenetic relationships convincingly. The genus Holocnemus includes four species, all of which are redescribed: H. pluchei (Scopoli, 1763); H. reini (C. Koch, 1873) comb. nov. (transferred from Pholcus); H. caudatus (Dufour, 1820); and H. hispanicus Wiehle, 1933. The genus Maghreba gen. nov. includes eight species from NW Africa: M. aurouxi (Barrientos, 2019) gen. et comb. nov. (transferred from Holocnemus; redescribed, female newly described) and seven newly described species. The genus Crossopriza includes six previously described species (of which five are redescribed), and 18 newly described species. The Madagascan C. nigrescens Millot, 1946 is synonymized with C. lyoni (Blackwall, 1867). All new species are described on the basis of both sexes.