New leaf- and litter-dwelling species of Pholcus from Southeast Asia
(published in Eur. J. Taxonomy http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2016.200)
 

Pholcidae occupy a wide range of microhabitats, particularly in tropical forests. Some prefer leaf litter, some live in larger sheltered spaces among rocks and logs and in caves, some build their webs freely among vegetation, and some are found on the undersides of live leaves up to several meters above ground. While some genera are homogeneous in this respect, others include representatives from various different microhabitats. This implies that evolutionary microhabitat shifts have occurred, both among and within genera. Of particular interest in this respect is the genus Pholcus. Almost every microhabitat accessible to Pholcidae in general is occupied by specific representatives of this large genus. The present paper focuses on Pholcus in Southeast Asia and is one of several recent contributions providing the taxonomic and natural history background for an upcoming analysis of microhabitat shifts in Pholcidae. The leaf-dwelling Pholcus tambunan from Sabah (left) and the litter dwelling Pholcus uludong from mainland Malaysia (right). Photos: B. A. Huber

Male pedipalps of Pholcus bukittimah from Singapore (left) and of Pholcus bario from Sarawak (right).