Physocyclinae Meng, Carvalho, Podsiadlowski & Huber, 2026, subfam. nov.

3.2. 5. SubfamilyPhysocyclinae subfam. nov. In Family Pholcidae C. L. Koch, 1850 Type genus. Physocyclus Simon, 1893 Remarks. Recent multi-locus genetic data (Eberle et al. 2018) suggested that Arteminae as previously defined (Huber 2011 b) is polyphyletic: Artema and ‘ other Arteminae ’ are not sister taxa. This result is strongly supported by new genomic data (Meng et al. 2025; and herein), emphasizing the need for a new name for ‘ other Arteminae ’. Since no subfamily-level name for this group is available in the literature, we chose Physocyclus Simon, 1893 as the type genus of the new subfamily Physocyclinae. This subfamily includes all Arteminae as listed in the recent literature (Huber 2011 b; Huber et al. 2018; Huber et al. 2024 b) except for Artema. We also include here Aucana Huber, 2000 because our new genomic data strongly supports this assignment. Since the subfamily is based on molecular data and includes a range of morphologically diverse genera, we consider the diagnosis below of rather limited practical value. We provide the diagnosis because ICZN Article 13.1. could be interpreted as requiring such a diagnosis. Diagnosis. Small to medium-sized pholcids (carapace width 0.4–2.8), usually with relatively long legs (tibia 1 / carapace width usually> 3; shorter in Aucana Huber, 2000; Changminia Yao and Li, 2022; Nita Huber and El Hennawy, 2007; and in most species of Chisosa Huber, 2000), usually with eight eyes (AME very rarely absent, e. g. in Pholcitrichocyclus watta (Huber, 2001)). Distinguished from most other subfamilies by the combination of (1) presence of cheliceral stridulation (absent in Caipirinae subfam. nov., Modisiminae, Priscula Simon, 1893; most Pholcinae, southern clade of Smeringopinae; present in Artema Walckenaer 1837; Ninetinae; northern clade of Smeringopinae) and (2) strongly widened femur of male palp (similar in Artema, Priscula; certain species of Mesabolivar González-Sponga, 1998); Artema is distinguished from Physocyclinae by series of unique conical setae on male chelicerae (never present in Physocyclinae). Caipirinae is further distinguished from Physocyclinae by pair of epigynal pockets (never present in Physocyclinae). Composition. The subfamily as circumscribed here currently includes 107 nominal species in the following 11 genera (species numbers in parentheses): Arnapa Huber, 2019 (6); Aucana Huber, 2000 (5); Changminia Yao and Li, 2022 (2); Chisosa Huber, 2000 (4); Holocneminus Berland, 1942 (3); Nita Huber and El Hennawy, 2007 (1); Pholcitrichocyclus Ceccolini and Cianferoni, 2022 (= Trichocyclus Simon, 1908) (23); Physocyclus Simon 1893 (39); Serratochorus Wunderlich, 1988 (1); Tibetia Zhang, Zhu and Song, 2006 (1); Wugigarra Huber, 2001 (22).