Revision of the enigmatic Southeast Asian spider genus Savarna (Araneae, Pholcidae)

  • Bernhard A. Huber Alexander Koenig Research Museum of Zoology, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn
  • Booppa Petcharad Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112
  • Sara Bumrungsri Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2015.160
Keywords: Pholcidae, Savarna, Southeast Asia, taxonomy, identification key

Abstract

The genus Savarna Huber, 2005 was previously one of the most poorly known Pholcinae genera. Less than 20 specimens (representing four nominal species) were available worldwide; nothing was known about ultrastructure, natural history, or relationships. We present the first SEM data, supporting the position of the genus in Pholcinae outside the Pholcus group of genera and weakly suggesting a closer relationship with the genera Khorata Huber, 2005, Spermophorides Wunderlich, 1992, and two undescribed species of unknown affinity from Borneo. We provide the first data about microhabitat, web structure, and reaction to disturbance. We clarify the type locality of Savarna tessellata (Simon, 1901) (“Jalor, Biserat”) and describe topotypical material. We describe the previously unknown male of Spermophora miser Bristowe, 1952 and transfer the species (that was previously considered incertae sedis) to Savarna as Savarna miser (Bristowe, 1952) comb. nov. Savarna baso (Roewer, 1963) is newly synonymized with S. miser. We newly describe the most northern species in the genus, Savarna kaeo sp. nov., and provide amendments to the descriptions of all previously described species.

References

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Published
2015-12-10
How to Cite
Huber, B. A., Petcharad, B., & Bumrungsri, S. (2015). Revision of the enigmatic Southeast Asian spider genus Savarna (Araneae, Pholcidae). European Journal of Taxonomy, (160). https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2015.160
Issue
No. 160 (2015): Revision of the enigmatic Southeast Asian spider genus Savarna (Araneae, Pholcidae)
Section
Zoology
Copyright (c) 2015 Bernhard A. Huber, Booppa Petcharad, Sara Bumrungsri

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