Stenaelurillus mirabilis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000

Logunov, Dmitri V. & Azarkina, Galina N., 2018, Redefinition and partial revision of the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886 (Arachnida, Araneae, Salticidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 430, pp. 1-126 : 78-81

Stenaelurillus mirabilis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000

Figs 338–351 , 514

Stenaelurillus mirabilis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000: 102 , figs 281–289 (D♂ ♀); ♂ holotype in MRAC, examined.

Diagnosis

This species can easily be distinguished from all other species of Stenaelurillus by the presence of a proximal spur-shaped process on the functional tegulum ( Figs 338–339 ) in the male, and by the characteristic conformation of both the epigyne and the spermathecae ( Figs 342–343 ).

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Mkomazi GR, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, pitfall traps in grassland, Feb. 1994, A. Russell-Smith leg. ( MRAC 207.987 ).

Paratypes

TANZANIA: 2 ♀♀, together with the holotype ( MRAC 207.988); 10 ♂♂, together with the holotype ( MRAC 207.988; in Wesołowska & Russell-Smith (2000: 102), the sample under this accession number is mentioned as containing the single female allotype (not available); 1 ♂, Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp, 04°00′ S, 38°00′ E, Feb. 1994, A. Russell-Smith leg. ( MRAC 207.996); 2 ♀♀, same locality, cadada plot, 1–2 Feb. 1996, A. Russell-Smith leg. ( MRAC 208.004).

Other material

TANZANIA: 1 ♂, Mkomazi GR, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, pitfall traps in grassland, Feb. 1994,A. Russell-Smith leg. ( MRAC 207.947); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Mkomazi GR, 3°58′ S, 37°46′ E, burnt grassland, 27–28 Nov. 1991, A. Russell-Smith leg. ( MRAC 215.577); 55 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, degraded bushland, 25 pitfalls, hillside E of gulley, 10–11 Aug. 1993, M. Ritchie and R. Makusi leg. ( MRAC 215.574); 30 ♀♀, same reserve, ca 7 km SE of Ibaya, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, 19–20 Aug. 1993, M. Ritchie and R. Makusi leg. ( MRAC 215.573); 100 ♂♂, 38 ♀♀ ( MMUE G7571.51,59), 10 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀ ( OUNHM), 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ ( ISEA, 001.7891), 10 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀ ( ZMMU), same reserve, Ibaya camp, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, burned bushland, pitfall traps, 1994–1996, A. Russell-Smith leg.; 1 ♂, same reserve, above Ibaya Camp, 03°59′ S, 37°47′ E, in litter of montane forest, 7 May 1996, H.G. Robertson leg. ( NCA 2010/4840); 1 ♂, same reserve, valley behind Ibaya Camp, 3°58′ S, 37°48′ E, leaf litter, next to stream, 2 Dec. 1995, H.G. Robertson leg. ( NCA 2010/4843); 2 ♂♂, South Pare Forest, 04°07′ S, 37°52′ E, Winkler-trap, 28 Nov. 1995, H.G. Robertson leg. ( NCA 2010/4845).

KENYA: 20 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Kenya Coast, Tsavo, Taita Discovery Centre, ca 3°25′ S, 38°46′ E, pitfall traps, 8 Jan.–24 Feb. 2002, E. Selempo leg. ( MRAC 212.923, MRAC 212.957, MRAC 212.923); 7 ♂♂, same locality, 1 Nov.–15 Dec. 2001, E. Selempo leg. ( MRAC 213.126, MRAC 213.084, MRAC 213.064).

Description

Male ( Tanzania, Mkomazi GR; MMUE G7571.51)

Measurements: carapace: 1.75 long, 1.33 wide, 0.95 high. Abdomen: 2.00 long, 1.23 wide. Ocular area: 0.88 long, 1.08 wide anteriorly, 1.03 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.50. Clypeal height 0.15. Diameter of AME 0.30. Length of leg segments: I 0.88 + 0.38 + 0.53 + 0.40 + 0.40 (2.59); II 0.95 + 0.45 + 0.48 + 0.43 + 0.38 (2.69); III 1.45 + 0.65 + 1.00 + 1.04 + 0.50 (4.64); IV 1.20 + 0.53 + 0.85 + 1.10 + 0.63 (4.31). Leg formula III,IV,II,I. Leg spination: I: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-0- 2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1-1, v 2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-2ap, v

2-2ap. III: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 1-1-0, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-4; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 0-1-1-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 344–347 ). Carapace yellow, densely covered with long brown recumbent scales; there are two longitudinal white stripes on the thorax and two wide white marginal stripes; clypeus and cheeks yellow, with long sparse orange hairs. Sternum light yellow, densely covered with white hairs. Endites and labium light yellow. Chelicerae light yellow. Abdomen: dorsum brown, with five white spots as shown in Fig. 345 ; sides yellow, with orange longitudinal stripes; venter light yellow. Book-lung covers yellow, tinged with brown. Spinnerets whitish, but the dorsal pair with dark brown tips. Legs: coxae and trochanters light yellow; remaining segments yellow, with brownish patches and (semi)rings. Palps light yellow. Palpal structure as in Figs 338–341 ; VTA bulgeshaped, poorly marked; RTA straight, thorn-shaped; the cymbium simple, without a cymbial lateral process; the tegulum small, poorly marked, without marked tegular process; the functional tegulum narrow-elongated, with no distal projection and a poorly-developed proximal projection (PP); instead there is a very long, spur-shaped proximal process; the embolus short, thin and slightly bent apically, with a large, flat, spoon-shaped base.

Female ( Tanzania, Mkomazi GR; MMUE G7571.59)

Measurements: carapace: 2.05 long, 1.65 wide, 1.10 high. Abdomen: 2.90 long, 1.95 wide. Ocular area: 0.95 long, 1.20 wide anteriorly, 1.15 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.65. Clypeal height 0.18. Diameter of AME 0.46. Length of leg segments: I 1.00 + 0.50 + 0.55 + 0.40 + 0.40 (2.85); II 1.00 + 0.53 + 0.55 + 0.53 + 0.30 (2.91); III 1.75 + 0.85 + 1.1.3 + 1.25 + 0.53 (5.51); IV 1.60 + 0.70 + 1.05 + 1.38 + 0.55 (5.28). Leg formula III,IV,II,I. Leg spination: I: Fm d 0-1-1-4; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt pr 2ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. III: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt d 1-1, pr and rt 1-2ap, v 0-0-2-2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-3; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt pr 1-1-2ap, rt 1-1-1-2ap, v 0-1-1-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 348–351 ) as in the male, but differs as follows: abdominal dorsum with two wide brown longitudinal stripes; abdominal sides yellow, with orange longitudinal lines and brown speckles; all spinnerets yellow, tinged with brownish. Epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 342–343 ; the epigynal plate flat, without fossae, its rear edge visibly sclerotized; the copulatory openings widely separated, resembling a pair of sclerotized round plates; insemination ducts short and slightly bent, running proximad, visible through the integument as a pair of dark bent figures directed towards each other; the primary spermathecae round.

Distribution

Tanzania and Kenya ( Fig. 514 ) ( Wesołowska & Russell-Smith 2000; Wesołowska 2014b; present data).

Figures

Figs 338–343. Stenaelurillus mirabilis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000, from Tanzania (Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp). 338. Male palp, ventral view. 339. Male palp, retrolateral view. 340. Embolic division, apical view. 341. Embolic division, dorsal view. 342. Epigyne, ventral view. 343. Spermathecae, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 344–351. Stenaelurillus mirabilis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000, from Tanzania (Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp), general appearance. 344–347. ♂. 348–351. ♀. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 514. Collecting localities of seven African species of Stenaelurillus Simon, 1885.