Thyenula fidelis, 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 : 90-92

Thyenula fidelis sp. n.

Figs 196–199

Etymology: From Latin fidelis (reliable).

Diagnosis: The male of the species is difficult to distinguish from other congeners. The palpal organ resembles that of Thyenula ogdeni (Peckham & Peckham, 1903) in ventral view, but the diameter of the embolic spiral is slightly narrower than the breadth of the cymbium (equal in Th. ogdeni – compare Fig. 196 herein with fig. 4 in Wesolowska 1993 b) and the tibial apophysis has a distinctly hooked tip in Th. fidelis not seen in Th. ogdeni . The female may be separated by the shape and course of the seminal ducts, that are initially directed anteriorly and looping in Th. fidelis while directed posteriorly in Th. ogdeni (compare Fig. 199 herein with fig. 10 in Wesolowska 1993 b).

Description:

Measurements (male/female): Carapace length 3.1/3.0–3.1, width 2.3/2.4–2.5, height 1.2/1.3. Abdomen length 2.7/3.3–3.6, width 2.2/2.5–3.2. Eye field length 1.4/1.3–1.4, anterior and posterior width 2.0/1.9–2.1.

Male.

Carapace brown, slightly lighter in foveal area, almost black along margins, with whitish line along lateral edges; eye field black, with some brown bristles near eyes. Chelicerae brown; labium and endites brown with whitish tips; sternum brown. Abdomen dark grey laterally (mosaic of small dark patches), with yellow median stripe; brown hairs on abdomen; sides yellowish with dark marks; venter yellowish with some small dark patches; spinnerets yellowish grey. Legs brown, spines and leg hairs brown. Pedipalps light brown, tibial apophysis straight with hooked tip, tegulum with very short posterior lobe, spermophore meandering, embolus coiled on tip of haematodocha ( Figs 196, 197).

Female.

Eye field brown to black, thoracic part yellow to orange brownish, with two darker striae from fovea; clypeus with white hairs, two parallel bands formed with light hairs on ‘cheeks’, below anterior lateral eyes. Mouthparts and sternum yellowish orange. Abdomen brownish grey (mosaic of small dark patches) with light longitudinal median stripe (in holotype only traces of the stripe); spinnerets pale. Legs yellow to light brown; spination of leg I: femur 1-1-1 dorsally, 0-0-2 prolaterally; patella 1 prolaterally; tibia 1-1 prolaterally, 2-2-2 ventrally; metatarsus 2-2 ventrally. Short brown hairs cover whole body. Epigyne as in Fig. 198; seminal ducts membranous, weakly sclerotised initially, narrowing distally; receptacles bean-shaped ( Fig. 199).

Holotype: ^26 ° 52.464'S: 32 ° 16.050'E, subtropical bush, A. nigrescens woodland, sweeps, grass, 6.xii.2000 ( NCA 2009 /674).

Paratypes: 1ơ Crocodile Farm , 26 ° 54.426'S: 32 ° 19.185'E, broadleaf woodland, leaf litter, 29.xi.2000 ( NMBA 11601 ) ; 1ơ Fontana Camp , 26 ° 51.911'S: 32 ° 09.586'E, bark of fever tree, 3.vii.2003 (some legs broken off) ( MRAC 224639 ) ; 1^Near Fontana Camp , 26 ° 52.072'S: 32 ° 09.545'E, A. tortilis savannah, leaf litter, 23.xi.2000 ( NMSA 21833 ) ; 2^Near pump, Pongola R. floodplain, 26 ° 54.323'S: 32 ° 19.435'E, riverine forest, leaf litter, 27.vi.2006, C. Haddad & F. Jordaan ( NCA 2006 /1206) ; 1^Pongola R. floodplain, 26 ° 53.384'S: 32 ° 19.097'E, riverine forest leaf litter, 16.i.2006 ( NCA 2006 /707) ; 2ơ Start of game count transect 8, 26 ° 50.183'S: 32 ° 13.135'E, F. sycomorus bark, 11.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /1881) .

Habitat and biology: This species was common in the leaf litter of RF along the Pongola River , particularly litter of Ficus sycomorus and Breonadia salicina . Specimens were occasionally captured from leaf litter in AS, BW and ST.