Pholcid spiders from the Lower Guinean region of Central Africa: an overview, with descriptions of seven new species (Araneae, Pholcidae)

• Main Authors: Bernhard A. Huber, Philippe Le Gall, Jacques François Mavoungou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Consortium of European Natural History Museums 2014-04-01
• Series: European Journal of Taxonomy
• Subjects: Pholcidae; Central Africa; Lower Guinea; taxonomy; identification key
• Online Access: http://www.europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/203

This paper summarizes current knowledge about Central African pholcids. Central Africa is here defined as the area between 10°N and 7°S and between 6°E and 18°E, including mainly the Lower Guinean subregion of the Guineo-Congolian center of endemism. This includes all of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, most of Cameroon and Congo Republic, and parts of the neighboring countries. An annotated list of the 14 genera and 79 species recorded from this area is given, together with distribution maps and an identification key to genera. Seven species are newly described: <em>Anansus kamwai</em> sp. nov., <em>Leptopholcus gabonicus</em> sp. nov., <em>Ninetis faro</em> sp. nov., <em>Pholcus punu</em> sp. nov., <em>P. rawiriae</em> sp. nov., <em>Spermophora abibae</em> sp. nov., and <em>S. awalai</em> sp. nov. Additional new records are given for 16 previously described species, including 17 new country records. Distribution and diversity patterns are compared with data on West and East Africa. While West Africa contains a similar set of genera it is significantly less diverse than Central Africa. East Africa is taxonomically more distinct. It has similar levels of diversity as Central Africa, but appears to be less undersampled.