Pholcidae C. L. Koch 1851
Creators: name: Bernhard A. Huber
name: Charles M. Warui
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Pholcidae

description: Identification key to East African pholcid genera
1. Eight eyes (AME present) …………………………………………………………………………2
– Six eyes (AME absent) ………………………………………………………………………………11
2. Carapace with median indentation …………………………………………………………………3
– Carapace domed, without median indentation ………………………………………………………6
3. Abdomen cylindrical (Fig. 3), not elevated posteriorly …………………………… Smeringopus
– Abdomen globular or slightly elongated and elevated above spinnerets (Figs 28, 30) …………4
4. Legs with many small black marks on femora and tibiae (Figs 28, 30); male femora 1 with row of ventral spines ………………………………………………………………………… Crossopriza
– Legs without small black marks (only few dark rings); male femora 1 without spines …5
5. Procursus with prominent distal spine, female carapace with posterior median cone acting against frontal plate on abdomen …………………………… Physocyclus globosus (Taczanowski, 1874)
– Procursus short, without distal spine; female carapace without posterior cone ……………………… ………………………………………………………………… Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837
6. Abdomen globular; short legs (leg 1 <3x body length) …………………………………… Ninetis
– Abdomen oval or elongated; long legs (leg 1>5x body length) …………………………………7
7. Abdomen drawn into cone dorso-posteriorly (fig. 29 in Huber 2011) …………… Pehrforsskalia
– Abdomen rounded posteriorly ………………………………………………………………………8
8. Abdomen oval ………………………………………………………………………………………9
– Abdomen cylindrical or worm-shaped (Figs 2, 4) ………………………………………………10
9. Procursus with long hinged dorsal process, epigynum weakly sclerotized, internal U-shaped structure visible through cuticle frontally (figs 83-89 in Huber 2011) … Micropholcus fauroti (Simon, 1887)
– Procursus widely curved, without long dorsal process (figs 204-205 in Huber 2003b); female unknown ………………………………………………………………… Quamtana kitahurira Huber, 2003
10.Male chelicerae with pair of lateral unsclerotized projections in distal position; tip of male palpal trochanter apophysis serrated (e.g., figs 301-303 in Huber 2011); epigynum weakly sclerotized ………………………………………………………………………………………… Leptopholcus
– Male chelicerae with pair of lateral unsclerotized projections in proximal position or absent; tip of male palpal trochanter apophysis not serrated (e.g., figs 1163-1165 in Huber 2011); epigynum strongly sclerotized ………………………………………………………………………… Pholcus
11.Eyes close together on turret, in male with frontal hairy pocket; male chelicerae with pair of small frontal apophyses, without proximal lateral projections (figs 2-4 in Huber 1996) ………………………………………………………………… Modisimus culicinus (Simon, 1893)
– Eyes not on turret; male chelicerae with proximal lateral projections ……………………………12
12.Sternum with unique pattern of dark lines radiating from behind labium; male palpal tibia globular, much larger than femur (figs 8, 33 in Huber 2007) ………………………… Anansus
– Sternum pattern different; male palpal tibia not globular, usually not much larger than femur ……… ………… ……………… …………… …………… ……………… ………… …… 1 3
13.Procursus attachment to tarsus distal rather than proximal; anterior and posterior epigynal sclerite with one pair of pockets each (figs 62-66 in Huber 2007) ………… Spermophorides
– Procursus attachment to tarsus rather proximal; posterior epigynal sclerite without pair of pockets …14
14.Prolateral attachment of bulb to tarsus; proximal bulbal sclerite strongly developed (Figs 107, 112); epigynum with pair of external pockets, never with scape …………………………………………15
– Dorsal attachment of bulb to tarsus (e.g., Figs 75, 87, 97); proximal bulbal sclerite absent or poorly developed and hidden; epigynum without pair of pockets, often with scape …………16
15.Male frontal cheliceral apophyses small (Fig. 113), close together; corresponding female pockets (poorly visible in dissecting microscope) also close together …… Quamtana (except Q. kitahurira)
– Male frontal cheliceral apophyses large (Fig. 109), wide apart; corresponding female pockets (poorly visible in dissecting microscope) also wide apart ………… Spermophora kyambura sp. nov.
16.Procursus without ventral flap (e.g. Figs 76, 82) ……………………………………… Buitinga
– Procursus with ventral flap (e.g. Figs 88, 93, 98, 103) … Spermophora (except S. kyambura sp. nov.)
description: Published as part of Bernhard A. Huber & Charles M. Warui, 2012, East African pholcid spiders: an overview, with descriptions of eight new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), pp. 1-44 in European Journal of Taxonomy 29 (29) on pages 16-17, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.29, http://zenodo.org/record/1406636