Modisimus kiskeya 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 kiskeya

description: MODISIMUS KISKEYA HUBER & FISCHER SP. NOV.   
(Figs 20, 41, 86, 95, 116, 117, 119, 120, 130–132, 196)  
 Type: Male holotype from near La Ciénaga (~ 19°03 ′ N, 70°53 ′ W), La Vega Prov., Dominican Republic; path along river, ~ 1100 m a.s.l., domed web in vegetation, 9 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), in ZFMK (DR 20 a).   
 Etymology: The species name refers to Kiskeya (Quisqueya), an ancient name for Hispaniola; it is used as a noun in apposition.   
 Diagnosis: Medium-sized species, easily distinguished from Hispaniolan congeners by long abdomen (Fig. 20), also by pattern of modified hairs on male chelicerae (Fig. 131), and shape of epigynum (Fig. 41). Male (holotype): Total length, 3.1; carapace width, 1.0. Leg 1, 31.7 (7.7 + 0.4 + 7.6 + 13.5 + 2.5); tibia 2, 4.5; tibia 3, 3.5; tibia 4, 4.0. Tibia 1 L/d: 80. Habitus as in Figure 20, carapace pale ochre-yellow to whitish, with dark median line and wider dark band, visible through cuticle; ocular area posteriorly laterally brown, clypeus mostly without pattern, only distally light brown; sternum medially pale ochre-yellow, laterally wide brown bands (Fig. 20); legs light brown, tips of femora and tibiae lighter, very indistinct darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae; abdomen bluish grey with black spots dorsally, arranged in two bands, widening posteriorly, pale bluish spots dorsomedially and laterally, and genital area with pair of long brown bands laterally (Fig. 20). Ocular area strongly elevated; thoracic furrow distinct (Fig. 86). PME–PME, 95 Mm; PME diameter, 95 Mm; PME–ALE, 105 Mm; AME–AME, 10 Mm; AME diameter, 20 Mm. Sternum wider than long (0.7/0.5), unmodified. Chelicerae with about five modified hairs proximally, and two modified hairs near fang joint (Fig. 131). Palps as in Figure 130, coxa with retrolateral apophysis, femur with proximal flap retrolaterally and distal apophysis ventrally; procursus with dorsal spine-like process (Fig. 95) and distal membranous structures, bulb with long apophysis. Legs with only about four weak spines ventrally on femur 1, but strong spines in two ventral rows on femur 2, with ~ 20 in the prolateral row, ten in the retrolateral row, and a few distal spines on very high bases (Fig. 119); many short vertical hairs on all femora; curved hairs on all tibiae and metatarsi, especially dorsally; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 6%; prolateral trichobothrium missing on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~40 pseudosegments.   
 Variation: Smaller males with weaker and fewer spines on femur 2; a small male from 10 km north-east of Jarabacoa lacks the characteristic spines on femur 2, but its chelicerae and palps appear to be identical; some males also with a few weak spines on femur 3; modified hairs on chelicerae vary slightly in number and size. Tibia 1 in 39 other males: 6.5–8.0 (mean 7.3).   
 Female: In general similar to male, abdomen shorter, dark rings on legs more distinct, clypeus with small brown mark distally; tibia 1 in 40 females: 3.9–5.3 (mean 4.6). Epigynum, simple externally (Fig. 41), with a pair of small dark sclerites visible through cuticle; dorsal view as in Figure 132, with large pore plates.   
 Distribution and habitat: Widely distributed in the central Dominican Republic (Fig. 196). In contrast to most Hispaniolan congeners, this species is typically found higher in the vegetation, up to about 2 m above ground. Only the leaf-dwelling species and M. vittatus occur at similar levels.   
 Material examined: Dominican Republic: La Vega Prov., 1♂, holotype above; same data, 8♂ and 9♀ (ZFMK, DR 20); same data, 1♂ and 3♀, in pure ethanol (ZFMK, DR 100-14); near La Ciénaga, path to Los Tablones (19°03.5 ′ N, 70°53.0 ′ W), ~ 1200 m a.s.l., 8 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 4♂ and 2♀ (ZFMK, DR 15); 10 km north-east Jarabacoa Hotel Montana [19°10.9 ′ N, 70°34.8 ′ W], forest, 550 m a.s.l., 18 July–4 August 1995 (S. & J. Peck), 1♂ (AMNH). San Cristóbal Prov., degraded forest near La Toma (18°27.5 ′ N, 70°07.2 ′ W), 70 m a.s.l., domed webs in vegetation, 7 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 4♂, 7♀ and one juvenile (ZFMK, DR 2); same data, 2♀, in pure ethanol (ZFMK, DR 100-4); Borbon, Cuevas Pomier, Cueva La Ligua, 13 July 1995 (S. & J. Peck), 1♂ #95-25 (part), (AMNH). Monseñor Nouel Prov., degraded forest at brook through plantation near Jima (19°01.4 ′ N, 70°28.8 ′ W), ~ 700 m a.s.l., domed webs in vegetation, 8 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 3♂ and 2♀ (ZFMK, DR 10); same data, 1♀, in pure ethanol (ZFMK, DR 100-9). Monte Plata Prov., near Yamasá (18°45.9 ′ N, 70°01.2 ′ W), degraded forest along river, 70 m a.s.l., domed webs in vegetation, 20 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 15♂ and 11♀ (ZFMK, DR 82 /83); same data, 2♂, in pure ethanol (ZFMK, DR 100-17); near Monte Plata (18°48.7 ′ N, 69°47.1 ′ W), degraded forest along river, 60 m a.s.l., in vegetation, 21 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 2♂ and 1♀ (ZFMK, DR 90). Hato Mayor Prov., north of Manchado (18°50.2 ′ N, 69°18.5 ′ W), degraded forest near river, 150 m a.s.l., vegetation, 21 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 3♂, 7♀ and one juvenile (ZFMK, DR 93). Distrito Nacional: Santo Domingo, Jardín Botánico (18°29.7 ′ N, 69°57.2 ′ W), forest along brook, 50 m a.s.l., domed webs in vegetation, 27 November 2005 (B.A. Huber), 8♂, 13♀ and one juvenile (ZFMK, DR 109); Jardín Botánico, 18–22 March 1984 (H. & L. Levi), 1♀ (MCZ).
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 264-268, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00559.x, http://zenodo.org/record/5438272