Corresponding author: David Chamé-Vázquez (
Academic editor: Danilo Harms
Members of the family
The material examined is deposited in the Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola, Maracay, Venezuela (
The key figures (Figs
Abbreviations:
Venezuela • ♀
The specific epithet is a name in apposition to honour the arachnologist Bernhard A. Huber in recognition of his prolific and excellent contributions to the taxonomy and systematics of the pholcid spiders of Venezuela and the world. Bernhard was also one of the collectors of the type specimens.
The vulva of
Only known from the type locality. See Fig.
Both specimens were found in the leaf litter in a tropical dry forest along a streambed (Figs
Females of
1 | Female | 2 |
– | Male | 12 |
2(1) | Opisthosoma with a chitinous protruding lobe (Fig. |
|
– | Opisthosoma without a chitinous protruding lobe; metatarsus I without recurved setae | 3 |
3(2) | Epigastric plate long and broad, trapezoid, with posterior corners conspicuous (Figs |
4 |
– | Epigastric plate absent, if present, relatively small, triangular, with posterior corners inconspicuous (Fig. |
6 |
4(3) | Median elongated sclerotised ogive-shaped plate on the post-epigastric plate (Fig. |
|
– | Small, median sclerotised hood of the post-epigastric plate (Fig. |
5 |
5(4) | Median sclerotised hood of the post-epigastric plate; distal part of spermathecae bulbous with stalks long (more than three times the length of the distal part) (Figs |
|
– | Presence of a transversal strip, followed by grooves on the post-epigastric region (Fig. |
|
6(3) | Sclerotised, small fovea associated with the book lung slit |
|
– | Sclerotised fovea of the book lung slit absent (some species have sclerotised ridges associated with the genitalia, for example, |
7 |
7(6) | Epigastric plate with entire or divided median sclerotised imprint | 8 |
– | Epigastric plate without median sclerotised imprint | 9 |
8(7) | Pars cephalica of the carapace with a reticulated pattern of maculations; sclerotised imprint divided (Fig. |
|
– | Pars cephalica of the carapace without a reticulated pattern; sclerotised median imprint entire (Fig. |
|
9(7) | Carapace with median, V-shaped pattern and lateral bands | 10 |
– | Carapace colouration otherwise, without lateral bands | 11 |
10(9) | Spermathecae stalk coiled (Fig. |
|
– | Spermathecae stalk elongated, not coiled and distal part of spermathecae swollen with short stalks (about the same length as the distal part) (Fig. |
|
11(9) | Spermathecae bifid, but with two long stalks slightly expanded distally (Fig. |
|
– | Spermathecae bifid, but with two short stalks greatly expanded distally (one rounded, one oval) (Fig. |
|
12(1) | Embolus short, about half the length of the palpal bulb and spiniform (Figs |
|
– | Embolus longer than the palpal bulb or similar in length, differently shaped than described above | 13 |
13(12) | Embolus very long, about three times the length of the copulatory bulb | 4 |
– | Embolus relatively long, about two times the length of the bulb | 15 |
14(13) | Palp tarsi with a small apophysis on the promargin; embolus filiform, flexible (Figs |
|
– | Palp tarsi without a small apophysis on the promargin; embolus curved and thick (about one-fifth of bulb width) (Figs |
|
15(13) | Palpal tibia sub-cylindrical, relatively long (about two times longer than wide) (Figs |
16 |
– | Palpal tibia relatively short and thickened at mid-length, slightly longer than wide or as long as wide (Figs |
17 |
16(15) | Embolus thin and relatively long (Figs |
|
– | Embolus thick and relatively short (Fig. |
|
17(15) | Cymbium distally projected (Figs |
18 |
– | Cymbium distally truncated or rounded, but not projected (Figs |
19 |
18(17) | Ratio length/wide of carapace 1.21; distal half of embolus curved (Fig. |
|
– | Ratio length/wide of carapace 1.35; distal third of embolus curved (Fig. |
|
19(17) | Embolus length about the same length of the bulb (Fig. |
|
– | Embolus larger than the length of the bulb (Figs |
20 |
20(19) | Carapace colouration pattern with median V-shaped pattern, but without lateral bands; apex of embolus bifid (Fig. |
|
– | Carapace colouration pattern with median V-shaped and lateral bands; apex of embolus otherwise (Figs |
21 |
21(20) | Apex of the embolus abruptly narrowed and hook-shaped (Figs |
|
– | Apex of the embolus not hook-shaped | 22 |
22(21) | Apex of the embolus twisted; palpal tibia slightly longer than wide (Fig. |
|
– | Apex of the embolus not twisted; palpal tibia greatly thickened, subglobose (Figs |
|
Despite the relatively simple genitalia of males and females of
In addition, the median hood, of unknown function, on the post-epigastric plate differentiates the female of
The known distribution of
G. M. Suárez (ECOSUR) assisted with light microscopy photographs. Q. Arias (