Pholcidae C.L. Koch 1851
Creators: name: Bernhard A. Huber
name: Philippe Le Gall
name: Jacques Francois Mavoungou
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Pholcidae

description: Identification key to Central African pholcid genera
References to figures in upper case (“Fig.”) refer to illustrations herein; figures in lower case (“fig.”) have been published previously and are freely accessible online (at http://www. pholcidae.de/). Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837 is included as it probably occurs in Central Africa, even though we know of no records.
1 Abdomen worm-shaped (>10 x longer than wide; Figs 1, 44); male chelicerae with one pair of small projections in latero-distal position (Fig. 51) ……………… Leptopholcus Simon, 1893
- Abdomen not worm-shaped (<10 x as long as wide); male chelicerae different ………………2
2 Six eyes (AME absent) ………………………………………………………………………………3
- Eight eyes ……………………………………………………………………………………………7
3 Sternum with characteristic pattern of radiating lines (Fig. 36); abdomen dorsally with dark heartmark (Fig. 35) ………………………………………………………………… Anansus Huber, 2007
- Sternum without or with different pattern; abdomen dorsal pattern different ……………………4
4 Carapace with 2-3 pairs of dark lateral spots; ocular area (especially in males) strongly elevated, in male with frontal hairy pocket; male chelicerae without proximal lateral projections (figs 2-4 in Huber 1996) …………………………………………… Modisimus culicinus (Simon, 1893)
- Carapace without lateral spots; ocular area not elevated; male chelicerae with proximal lateral projections ……………………………………………………………………………………………5
5 Male palpal bulb with three processes: embolus, uncus, appendix (Fig. 69). Epigynum sclerotized (at least posterior rim), with knob-shaped structure (Fig. 64) … Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (part)
- Male palpal bulb with only one or two processes (embolus, bulbal apophysis); epigynum unsclerotized, without knob-shaped structure ………………………………………………………6
6 Procursus with highly complex system of transparent lamellae (fig. 14 in Huber 2007); male chelicerae narrowing distally, with pair of simple frontal apophyses close to median line (fig. 15 in Huber 2007) ………………………………………………… Nyikoa limbe Huber, 2007
- Procursus and male chelicerae different ………………………………… Spermophora Hentz, 1841
7 Carapace with median indentation (furrow or pit) …………………………………………………8
- Carapace evenly domed, without median indentation ……………………………………………12
8 Abdomen globular, oval, or higher than long ………………………………………………………9
- Abdomen elongated ………………………………………………………………………………10
9 Procursus with prominent distal spine; female carapace with posterior median cone acting against frontal plate on abdomen; epigynum with median anterior process ………………………………………………………… Physocyclus globosus (Taczanowski, 1874)
- Procursus short, without distal spine; female carapace without posterior cone; epigynum without median anterior process ………………………………………… Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837
10 Legs with many small black marks; abdomen angular in lateral view (posteriorly high) ……………………………………………………………… Crossopriza lyoni (Blackwall, 1867)
- Legs without small black marks, abdomen not angular in lateral view (posteriorly tapering) …11
11 Male chelicerae with proximal lateral projections, either without or with several modified hairs on each side ………………………………………………………… Smeringopina Kraus, 1957
- Male chelicerae without proximal lateral projections, with single modified hair on each distal apophysis (fig. 47 in Huber 2009) ……………………………………… Smeringopus Simon, 1890
12 Abdomen globular or oval ………………………………………………………………………13
- Abdomen elongated ………………………………………………………………………………15
13 Procursus very short and simple (Fig. 58), male chelicerae without proximal lateral apophyses (Fig. 60); epigynum sclerotized ……………………………………………… Ninetis Simon, 1890
- Procursus long and/or complex, male chelicerae with proximal lateral apophyses; epigynum barely sclerotized …………………………………………………………………………………14
14 Procursus with long dorsal hinged process, female genitalia with internal U-shaped structure visible through cuticle anteriorly (figs 83-89 in Huber 2011b) … Micropholcus fauroti (Simon, 1887)
- Procursus widely curved, without long dorsal process (figs 200, 205 in Huber 2003c); epigynum weakly sclerotized, no internal structure visible through cuticle ……… Quamtana Huber, 2003
15 Abdomen drawn into cone dorso-posteriorly (fig. 29 in Huber 2011b); male chelicerae with pair of lateral unsclerotized projections in distal position (fig. 130 in Huber 2009); epigynum weakly sclerotized ……… Pehrforsskalia conopyga Deeleman-Reinhold & van Harten, 2001
- Abdomen rounded posteriorly; male chelicerae with pair of lateral unsclerotized projections in proximal position (Fig. 82); epigynum strongly sclerotized at least at rim, with knob-shaped structure (Figs 76, 83) ………………………………………… Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (part)
description: Published as part of Bernhard A. Huber, Philippe Le Gall & Jacques Francois Mavoungou, 2014, Pholcid spiders from the Lower Guinean region of Central Africa: an overview, with descriptions of seven new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), pp. 1-46 in European Journal of Taxonomy 81 (81) on pages 18-20, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2014.81, http://zenodo.org/record/830852