Modisimus cuadro Huber & Fischer & Astrin 2010, SP. NOV.
Creators: name: Huber, Bernhard A.
name: Fischer, Nadine
name: Astrin, Jonas J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Pholcidae
Modisimus
Modisimus cuadro

description: MODISIMUS CUADRO HUBER & FISCHER SP. NOV.   
(Figs 56, 78, 99, 111, 112, 173–175, 200)  
 Type: Male holotype from near La Toma (18°27.5 ′ N, 70°07.2 ′ W), San Cristóbal Prov., Dominican Republic;   
degraded forest at 70 m a.s.l., near ground, 7 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), in ZFMK (DR 5a).  
 Etymology: The name is derived from the Spanish cuadro (square), and refers to the square-shaped epigynum; it is used as a noun in apposition.   
 Diagnosis: Medium-sized species, distinguished from congeners by barely modified male chelicerae (Fig. 174; similar to M. pelejil sp. nov.), simple squareshaped epigynum (Fig. 56), and procursus shape (Figs 99, 173).   
 Male (holotype): Total length, 2.7; carapace width, 1.4. Leg 1: 22.8 (5.9 + 0.4 + 6.1 + 8.8 + 1.6); tibia 2, 4.1; tibia 3, 3.1; tibia 4, 3.8. Tibia 1 L/d: 57. Habitus similar to M. jima sp. nov. (cf. Fig. 19), carapace pale ochre-yellow, with pair of light-brown marks on posterior half, and smaller indistinct pair in front of them; dark median line and wider dark median band visible through cuticle; ocular area laterally brown, clypeus with pair of brown stripes; sternum mostly light brown, whitish medially; legs light brown, tips of femora and tibiae lighter, very indistinct darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae; abdomen bluish grey, densely covered with small black spots dorsally and laterally, with pale-bluish lines dorsally (medially) and laterally (two pairs). Ocular area elevated; thoracic furrow distinct. PME–PME, 135 Mm; PME diameter, 115 Mm; PME–ALE, 150 Mm; AME–AME, 20 Mm; AME diameter, 20 Mm. Sternum wider than long (0.8/0.6), unmodified. Chelicerae barely modified, with slightly stronger hairs proximally, and paler area with few hairs (Fig. 174). In general, palps very similar to M. kiskeya sp. nov. and M. femoratus (cf. Figs 124, 130), but procursus with distinctive mostly membranous projections distally (Figs 99, 173). Legs with short spines in single rows on femur 1 (~30 spines) and femur 2 (~20); many short vertical hairs on all femora; no curved hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 11%; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~25 pseudosegments.   
 Variation: Tibia 1 in nine other males: 5.2–7.0 (mean 6.1). In some males, the brown marks on the carapace and/or the white-bluish lines on the abdomen are very indistinct; the male from near La Mula and two of the four males from Cuevas Pomier lack spines on femora 1 and 2, but have identical palps and chelicerae.   
 Female: In general, similar to male; colour variation as in males. Tibia 1 in 12 females: 4.0–4.5 (mean 4.3). Epigynum, a simple brown plate (Fig. 56); dorsal view as in Figures 78 and 175, with anteriorly converging pore plates.   
 Distribution and habitat: Known from several localities in the Dominican Republic (Fig. 200). This species typically occurs close to the ground, under logs and dead leaves, and in low vegetation.   
 Material examined: Dominican Republic: San Cristóbal Prov., near Toma, 1♂, holotype above; same data, 4♂, 4♀ and four juveniles (ZFMK, DR 5); same data, 1♀, in pure ethanol (ZFMK, DR 100-3); Borbon, Cuevas Pomier, tropical deciduous forest, 200 m a.s.l., 13–28 July 1995 (S. & J. Peck), 1♂, #95-23 (AMNH); same data but 28 July–5 August 1995, #95-47, 3♂ (AMNH). Borbon, Cuevas Pomier, Cueva Puente, twilight zone, 13 July 1995 (S. & J. Peck), 1♀, #95-24 (AMNH); Borbon, Cuevas Pomier, C. Funeraria, 250 m a.s.l., 14 July 1995 (S. & J. Peck), 6♂, 2♀ and three juveniles, #95-28 (AMNH); Borbon, Cuevas Pomier, Cueva La Ligua, 13 July 1995 (S. & J. Peck), 1♂, #95-25 (part) (AMNH). Distrito Nacional, Santo Domingo, Jardín Botánico (18°29.7 ′ N, 69°57.2 ′ W), forest along brook, 50 m a.s.l., low vegetation, near ground, 27 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 3♀ (ZFMK, DR 108); Jardín Botánico, under roof of shelter, 18–22 March 1984 (H. & L. Levi), 1♂ and 2♀ (MCZ). Peravia Prov., near Nizao (18°36.0 ′ N, 70°29.2 ′ W), degraded forest along river, 670 m a.s.l., 19 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 1♂ (ZFMK, DR 78). Monte Plata Prov., near Monte Plata (18°48.7 ′ N, 69°47.1 ′ W), degraded forest along river, 60 m a.s.l., near ground, 21 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 1♂, 2♀ (ZFMK, DR 92). San Pedro de Macorís Prov., near La Mula (18°30.2 ′ N, 69°36.7 ′ W), degraded forest at entrance to cave, 30 m a.s.l., 26 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 1♂ and 2♀ (ZFMK, DR 107). La Romana Prov., forest at Rio Chavón (18°26.5 ′ N, 68°53.3 ′ W), 20 m a.s.l., 23 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 2♀ and one juvenile (ZFMK, DR 101). La Vega Prov., 10 km north-east of Jarabacoa Raquet Club, 550 m a.s.l., mixed forest, 20 July–4 August 1995 (S. & J. Peck), 3♂ and one juvenile #95-37 (AMNH). María Trinidad Sánchez Prov., near La Entrada, forest above rocks at Santuario de La Virgen (19°34.9 ′ N, 69°54.0 ′ W), 15 m a.s.l., 12 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 1♀ (ZFMK, DR 42).
description: Published as part of Huber, Bernhard A., Fischer, Nadine & Astrin, Jonas J., 2010, High level of endemism in Haiti's last remaining forests: a revision of Modisimus (Araneae: Pholcidae) on Hispaniola, using morphology and molecules, pp. 244-299 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158 (2) on pages 283-284, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00559.x, http://zenodo.org/record/5438272