New leaf- and litter-dwelling species of the genus Pholcus from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Pholcidae)

  • Bernhard Huber Alexander Koenig Research Museum of Zoology, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn
  • Joseph K.H. Koh National Biodiversity Centre, National Parks Board, 1B Cluny Road
  • Amir-Ridhwan M. Ghazali Centre for Research and Consultancy, Unitar International University
  • Kamil A. Braima University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur
  • Olga M. Nuñeza Department of Biological Sciences, Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, Tibanga, Iligan City 9200
  • Charles Leh Moi Ung Sarawak Museum, Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, 93566 Kuching, Sarawak
  • Booppa Petcharad Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2016.200
Keywords: Pholcus, Southeast Asia, taxonomy, microhabitat, ultrastructure

Abstract

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 leaf-dwellers 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.

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Published
2016-05-26
How to Cite
Huber, B., Koh, J. K., Ghazali, A.-R. M., Braima, K. A., Nuñeza, O. M., Leh Moi Ung, C., & Petcharad, B. (2016). New leaf- and litter-dwelling species of the genus Pholcus from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Pholcidae). European Journal of Taxonomy, (200). https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2016.200
Issue
No. 200 (2016): New leaf- and litter-dwelling species of the genus Pholcus from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Pholcidae)
Section
Zoology
Copyright (c) 2016 Bernhard Huber, Joseph K.H. Koh, Amir-Ridhwan M. Ghazali, Kamil A. Braima, Olga M. Nuñeza, Charles Leh Moi Ung, Booppa Petcharad

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