Arachnologische Mitteilungen 57

Arachnologische Mitteilungen / Arachnology Letters 57: 43-47 Karlsruhe, April 2019 Pholcoides Roewer, 1960 is a small genus with only two species (WSC 2018) belonging to Prithinae Gray, 1995 (Zonstein et al. 2013). Both species, Pholcoides afghana Roewer, 1960 and P. monticola (Spassky, 1941) are known from the mountains of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. While study- ing types of spiders described by Pickard-Cambridge (1885) based on material of the Second Yarkand Mission (deposited in Oxford University Museum of Natural History) we found one specimen belonging to Filistatidae. Although vials with the types from the Second Yarkand Mission lack any geogra- phical or species name labels (Prószyński & Żochowska 1981, Marusik 1993, 2017, Marusik et al. 2018, Marusik & Nadolny 2018) it was easy to recognize that the filistatid specimen be- longs to Filistata seclusa O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885, the only species of the family considered in O. Pickard-Cambridge (1885). Because this species was never properly figured, and its endogyne was never described we decided to redescribe this species. Study of the somatic morphology reveals that the spe- cies is misplaced in the genus and even in the subfamily, and is very similar to Pholcoides . Examination of the endogyne of this species proved that it belongs to Pholcoides . The goals of this paper are as follows: providing a detailed redescription of Filistata seclusa , establishing a new combination, comparing P. seclusa with two other congeners and rediagnosing the genus. Material and methods Specimens were photographed with a Canon EOS 7D ca- mera attached to an Olympus SZX16 stereomicroscope and Pro-Microscan camera attached to an Olympus BH-2 stereo- microscope. Digital images were mounted using CombineZP and Helicon Focus 3.10 image stacking software. Endogynes were cleared in a KOH/water solution until the soft tissues were dissolved. Standard abbreviations are used for leg seg- ments: Fe – femur, Pa – patella, Ti – tibia, Mt – metatar- sus, Ta – tarsus. Further abbreviations: Pg – pore gland, Rc – receptacle proper, Rs – stalk of receptacle, Vs – vesicle. All measurements are in mm. The lectotype of Pholcoides seclusa is from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, United Kingdom (OUMNH). Taxonomic survey Pholcoides Roewer, 1960 Pholcoides Roewer, 1960: 40. Pholcoides : Huber 2009: 68 (transferred from Pholcidae to Filistatidae). Pholcoides : Zonstein et al. 2013: 65. Pholcoides : Zonstein & Marusik 2016: 86. Type species . Pholcoides afghana Roewer, 1960 from Afgha- nistan. Comment . So far, the genus is known by females only. Diagnosis . Within the Palearctic Filistatidae Pholcoides is unique in possessing the combination of a medium-sized compact body with carapace and sternum circular or even ne- arly wider than long, the spinnerets and anal tubercle located posteriorly and closer to the opisthosoma apex (Figs 3, 8), and rather long and slender female pedipalps and legs I–IV (Figs 1, 3, 7, unusual for the Palearctic Filistatidae). Females (males are not known) can be distinguished from other Palaearctic genera by the long receptacles with long membranous bases (stems) and lobulated terminal parts. Long and lobulated re- ceptacles are unique for Filistatidae. Description . Small to medium-sized spider, with carapace 1.2–1.7 mm long. Carapace flattened circular, with or without dark (partially reticulate) pattern on clypeus, postocular area and margins. Eye tubercle low, blackened. Clypeus moderate- ly long, subhorizontal. Sternum circular; labium much longer than wide; maxillar lobes long weakly converging. Legs long and slender. Calamistrum very short, formed by two rows of setae. Opisthosoma elongate with spinneret group located re- latively close to opisthosoma apex. Male characters unknown. Endogynes in all known species are rather similar and composed by pair of undivided receptacles. Receptacle has Redescription of the Central Asian spider Pholcoides seclusa comb. nov. (Araneae: Filistatidae) Yuri M. Marusik & Sergei Zonstein doi: 10.30963/aramit5708 Abstract. Filistata seclusa O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885, a species described from Himalayas was thought to be based on immature speci- mens. The study of one of the syntypes revealed that it is an adult female, which is selected as the lectotype and re-described. Somatic and endogyne morphology indicate that this species belongs to Pholcoides Roewer, 1960, a genus known only from two species from Afghanistan ( P. afghana Roewer, 1960) and adjacent Tajikistan ( P. monticola (Spassky, 1941)). Therefore, a new combination is proposed for the species: Pholcoides seclusa (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885) comb. nov. Comparative figures are given for all three species as well as a map of distribution of the genus. Keywords : Afghanistan, Aranei, Filistata , India, Pakistan, Prithinae, Tajikistan, Xinjiang Zusammenfassung. Wiederbeschreibung der zentralasiatischen Spinne Pholcoides seclusa comb. nov. (Araneae: Filistatidae). Filistata seclusa O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885, eine Art die aus dem Himalaya beschrieben wurde, wurde vermeintlich nach immaturen Exemplaren beschrieben. Die Untersuchung eines Syntypus zeigte, dass es ein adultes Weibchen ist, das als Lectotyp ausgewählt und wiederbeschrieben wird. Habitus und Morphologie der Endogyne belegen, dass die Art zur Gattung Pholcoides Roewer, 1960 gehört. Pholcoides enthält bislang lediglich zwei Arten aus Afghanistan ( P. afghana Roewer, 1960) und dem benachbarten Tadschikistan ( P. mon- ticola (Spassky, 1941)). Daher wird für die Art eine neue Kombination vorgeschlagen: Pholcoides seclusa (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885) comb. nov. Vergleichende Abbildungen werden für alle drei Arten vorgelegt sowie eine Verbreitungskarte für die Gattung. Yuri M. Marusik, Institute for Biological Problems of the North RAS, Portovaya Str. 18, Magadan, Russia; E-Mail: yurmar@mail.ru ; Department of Zoology & Entomolo- gy, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa Sergei Zonstein, Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, 69978 Tel-Aviv, Israel; E-mail: znn@post.tau.ac.il submitted 16.8.2018, accepted 17.2.2019, online 25.3.2019