Cyrba lineata Wanless, 1984

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 : 26-27

Cyrba lineata Wanless, 1984

Figs 24, 25, 239

Cyrba lineata: Wanless 1984 a: 465 , figs 13a–h.

Cyrba armata: Wesolowska 2006 a: 618 , figs 1–5. Syn. n.

See Wesolowska (2006 a) for description of male, and Wanless (1984 a) for description of female; general appearance of male in Fig. 239.

Redescription:

Female.

Measurements: Carapace length 2.5–2.7, width 1.7–1.8, height 0.9–1.1.Abdomen length 3.0–3.8, width 1.9–2.4. Eye field length 1.0–1.1, anterior width 1.7–1.8, posterior width 1.6–1.7.

Medium-sized spider. Carapace longer than wide, moderately high, with gently sloping posterior part; light brown to dark brown at margins; eye field slightly darker than thoracic area, in one specimen two black spots on eye field centre, eyes surrounded by black rings; short brown hairs on carapace, some long bristles near eyes; anterior eyes fringed by white hairs; fovea long, sulciform; clypeus low with short white hairs. Chelicerae brown, promargin with three, retromargin with four teeth; mouthparts brown, sternum light brown. Abdomen ovoid, blackish, with narrow longitudinal white line and light patch on mytiliform field; in other specimens abdomen grey with three lighter chevrons posteriorly; abdomen covered in short dark hairs; venter dark grey with two yellowish lines; spinnerets grey. Legs light brown, femora tinged with black, first pair of legs with darker tibiae and metatarsi; last pair of legs longest; leg hairs and spines brown. Epigyne with acute lobes of caudal ledge and two pockets ( Fig. 24); internal structure as in Fig. 25, receptacles spherical with very thick walls.

Material examined: 1ơ Crocodile Farm, 26 ° 54.426'S: 32 ° 19.185'E, broadleaf woodland, leaf litter, 11.iv.2006 ( NCA 2006 /782); 1^Near Fontana Camp, 26 ° 52.072'S: 32 ° 09.545'E, A.tortilis grassland, leaf litter, 8.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /2026); 3^Near pump, Pongola R. floodplain, 26 ° 54.323'S: 32 ° 19.435'E, riverine forest, sieving leaf litter, 27.vi.2006, C. Haddad & F. Jordaan ( NCA 2006 /1203); 2^Northern shore of Nyamiti Pan, 26 ° 53.192'S: 32 ° 18.272'E, under logs, 7.vii.2002 ( NMSA 21836 ) ; 1^Start of game count transect 8, 26 ° 50.183'S: 32 ° 13.135'E, F.sycomorus bark, 11.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /1882); 2^26 ° 51.908'S: 32 ° 14.458'E, subtropical bush, Mahemane thicket, leaf litter, 15.vi.2005 ( NMSA 21837 ) .

Distribution: Species known only from South Africa.

Habitat and biology: C. lineata was common under logs and rocks in AS and BW, and was collected from underneath logs and in leaf litter in AX, RF and ST. All of the material was collected during winter.

Remarks: The species is distinguishable by the presence of epigynal pouches. C. lineata was hitherto known only from the female. C. armata was recently described from Kosi Bay in KwaZulu-Natal (approximately 60 km east of NGR), on the base of single male, and Wesolowska (2006 a) suggested that it may be the missing sex of C. lineata . The similar morphology and occurrence of the two sexes in the same locality (NGR) allows for the synonymisation of their names.