The Southeast Asian Pholcus halabala species group

The Southeast Asian Pholcus halabala species group is revised and re-delimited, based mainly on field observations (life color pattern, web design, position of egg-sac when carried by female, microhabitat) and ultrastructure (silk spigots, modifications of male cheliceral apophyses). The core group includes six leaf-dwelling species that have distinctive color patterns in life specimens (black and white or yellowish abdominal marks, dark pattern on posterior half of carapace) and build round to oval silk platforms on the undersides of leaves. Seven further species are tentatively assigned to the group pending further study. Several species originally assigned to the Pholcus halabala group are transferred to three newly proposed species groups, the krabi, buatong, and andulau groups. Nine species are newly described, four in the halabala group (Ph. khaolek sp. nov.; Ph. kuhapimuk sp. nov.; Ph. lintang sp. nov.; Ph. ubin sp. nov.); three in the krabi group (Ph. kipungit sp. nov.; Ph. krabi sp. nov.; Ph. narathiwat sp. nov.); one in the buatong group (Ph. buatong sp. nov.); and one in the andulau group (Ph. lambir sp. nov.). The females of Ph. satun Huber, 2011 and Ph. schwendingeri Huber, 2011 (both members of the buatong group) are newly described.