Pseudicius venustulus, Wesolowska & Haddad, 2009

Wesolowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2009, Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) of the Ndumo Game Reserve, Maputaland, South Africa, African Invertebrates 50 (1), pp. 13-103 : 76-77

Pseudicius venustulus sp. n.

Figs 156–164

Etymology: From Latin venustulus (pretty).

Diagnosis: The species is closely related to P. alter . The male is easily recognisable by the presence of three tibial apophyses and the shape of the tegulum. The female differs by the placement of the epigynal pouches, which are situated near the epigastric furrow (in P. alter the pouches are at the midpoint of the epigyne, near the gonopores).

Description:

Measurements (male/female): Carapace length 1.7–2.0/1.7–1.8, width 1.2–1.3/1.1–1.2, height 0.5–0.6/0.5–0.6. Abdomen length 2.0–2.5/1.8–2.0, width 1.1–1.4/1.1–1.3. Eye field length 0.8/0.7, anterior width 0.9/0.8–0.9, posterior width 1.0/0.9–1.0.

Male.

General appearance as in Fig. 156; body elongate. Carapace very flattened, light or dark brown, eye field black or only eyes with black ring and two rounded blackish patches on centre of eye field; colourless hairs cover carapace, brown bristles in vicinity of eyes, some white scale-like hairs behind first row of eyes. Stridulatory apparatus of the carapace – leg type. Mouthparts and sternum yellow to brown. Abdomen elongate, black, with four pairs of white spots ( Fig. 156), abdomen shiny posteriorly; venter yellowish with silver patches of translucent guanine crystals; spinnerets dark. First pair of legs stout, brown, tibia slightly swollen, single short spine on tibia prolaterally, two pairs of spines on metatarsus ventrally; legs II and III yellow, legs IV yellow with brown ring on segments (except metatarsus and tarsus); thin, long, brown hairs on legs. Pedipalps yellow to brown, its structure in Figs 157–160.

Female.

Similar to male but slightly lighter. Pattern of abdomen composed of four large brown spots on yellowish background ( Fig. 161); brown and whitish hairs on abdomen. All legs yellow, first pair not stout. Epigyne oval, with two rounded depressions anteriorly and pair of pouches posteriorly ( Fig. 162); internal structure with seminal ducts long and coiled ( Figs 163, 164).

Holotype: ơ Main Camp, 26 ° 54.581'S: 32 ° 18.798'E, broadleaf woodland, sweeping grass, 13.vi.2005 ( NCA 2009 /672).

Paratypes: 2ơ Crocodile Farm, 26 ° 54.426'S: 32 ° 19.185'E, broadleaf woodland, tree bark, 5.xii.2000 ( NMSA 21831 ) ; 1^Northern shore of Nyamiti Pan, 26 ° 53.192'S: 32 ° 18.272'E, under logs, 7.vii.2002 ( NCA 2008 / 2753) ; 10ơ 3^Southern shore of Hotwe Pan, 26 ° 52.730'S: 32 ° 18.452'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 10.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /636) ; 1^26 ° 51.908'S: 32 ° 14.458'E, subtropical bush, Mahemane thicket, beats, foliage, 2.xii.2000 ( NMSA 21832 ) ; 14ơ 4^Western shore of Nyamiti Pan, 26 ° 53.767'S: 32 ° 16.557'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 3.vii.2003 ( MRAC 224650 ) .

Additional material examined: 25ơ 13^32 imm. Crocodile Farm, Pongola R. floodplain, 26 ° 54.426'S: 32 ° 19.185'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 8.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /615); 11ơ 1^3 imm. same data but 6.ii.2005 ( NCA 2008 /620); 99ơ 37^same data but 20.vi.2005 ( NCA 2008 /625); 24ơ 5^10 imm. same data but 24.i.2006 ( NCA 2008 /630); 27ơ 5^36 imm. Eastern shore of Shokwe Pan, 26 ° 52.516'S: 32 ° 12.407'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 13.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /1855); 54ơ 19^74 imm. same data but 6.ii.2005 ( NCA 2008 / 1856); 40ơ 10^60 imm. same data but 16.vi.2005 ( NCA 2008 /1862); 85ơ 23^62 imm. same data but 24.i.2006 ( NCA 2008 /1870); 13ơ 6^16 imm. Southern shore of Hotwe Pan, 26 ° 52.730'S: 32 ° 18.452'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 7.ii.2005 ( NCA 2008 /643); 16ơ 2^16 imm. same data but 22.vi.2005 ( NCA 2008 / 651); 8ơ 3^3 imm. same data but 27.i.2006 ( NCA 2008 /652); 10ơ 7^16 imm. South-western shore of Banzi Pan, 26 ° 53.118'S: 32 ° 16.927'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 11.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /658); 6ơ 5 imm. same data but 5.ii.2005 ( NCA 2008 /1841); 10ơ 3^6 imm. same data but 17.vi.2005 ( NCA 2008 /1844); 16ơ 16^9 imm. same data but 23.i.2006 ( NCA 2008 /1853); 40ơ 4^34 imm. Western shore of Nyamiti Pan, 26 ° 53.767'S: 32 ° 16.557'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 10.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /596); 9ơ 5^15 imm. same data but 6.ii.2005 ( NCA 2008 /601); 19ơ 8^33 imm. same data but 19.vi.2005 ( NCA 2008 /606); 11ơ 1^8 imm. same data but 23.i.2006 ( NCA 2008 /609) .

Habitat and biology: This species was one of the most common spiders associated with bark in most habitats, and was the most common salticid associated with A. xanthophloea bark, representing approximately 82 % of the Salticidae collected and 14 % of the total spiders collected (Haddad unpubl.). Activity on the boughs of trees was greatest in early and mid-morning, and mid-afternoon. Males were often collected in silk cocoons with subadult females, suggesting that they mate soon after the female’s final moult. Females remained with their egg sacs until the first instars emerged from the eggs. This species was parasitised by several insects. Of the 1309 specimens captured in the A. xanthophloea bark study, 17 were parasitised by ichneumonid wasp larvae on their abdomens (10 females, 3 males, 1 subadult female and 3 subadult males). Twelve of these parasites were positioned anterodorsally, three laterally and medially on the abdomen, and two at the epigastric fold. One adult female was found in a silk cocoon together with an adult mantispid (well-known egg parasites), and one female cephalothorax was found together with an adult acrocerid fly. On several occasions mites were found in abandoned silk retreats, but there was no evidence that the mites preyed on the spiders.