Stenaelurillus pecten, Wesołowska, 2014

Wesołowska, Wanda, 2014, Further notes on the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1885 (Araneae, Salticidae) in Africa with descriptions of eight new species, Zoosystema 36 (3), pp. 595-622 : 612

Stenaelurillus pecten n. sp.

( Figs 10 , 16 A-C)

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Zambia, Lusaka, 15°25’S, 28°17’E, 14.IV.1979, leg. R. Stjernstedt, 1 ♂ ( MRAC 151983 ).

Paratypes. Zambia, 6 km SW from Mumbwa , 15°02’S, 27°00’E, 31.III.1995, leg. W. Puławski, 1 ♂ ( CAS) ; Botswana, Okavango Delta , Smiti Moremi Game Reserve, 19°10’S, 23°10’E, mopane woodland, pitfallp, 26.IX.1975, leg. A. Russell-Smith, 7 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( MNH) ; same data, 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( MNHN) ; same locality, 21.IV.1976, 2 ♀♀ ( MNH) .

DIAGNOSIS. — The male has an easily recognisable double tibial apophysis of palp; its ventral branch is thin and pointed, dorsal is comb-shaped with several teeth. The female is difficult to recognize, but position of copulatory openings is characteristic; they are aligned whereas separated in other species.

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name is Latin, meaning “comb’’ and refers to the shape of the tibial apophysis of the male palp.

DISTRIBUTION. — Known from Botswana and Zambia.

DESCRIPTION

Measurements (male/female)

Cephalothorax: length 2.3-2.8/2.5-3.1, width 1.6- 2.2/1.9-2.3, height 1.0-1.4/1.0-1.2. Abdomen: length 2.2-2.8/3.1-3.6, width 1.7-2.0/2.3-2.7. Eye field: length 0.9-1.1/0.9-1.0, anterior width 1.2- 1.6/1.4-1.6 posterior width 1.3-1.7/1.5-1.7.

Male

General appearance as in Fig.16A, B . Carapace widest at femora III, thoracic part dark brown, in some specimens foveal area slightly lighter, eye field black. Dense brown hairs cover carapace,longer on eye field, some rod bristles at anterior eyes.White hairs form thin bands along lateral margins and extend on clypeus, in some specimens these hairs form “brushes” on lateral carapace edges, pair of light streaks on thoracic part dorsally. Chelicerae brownish, labium and endites yellow, sternum yellow or brown clothed in light hairs. Abdomen oval,brilliant black,sometimes with median lighter area, single round small patch posteriorly (in some specimens three patches), long dark bristles on anterior edge,sides and venter of abdomen yellowish. If abdomen bald, dorsum covered with large delicate brown scutum. Spinnerets long, brown. Legs yellow to brownish, femora I and II black, their prolateral surfaces shining, in some specimens dorsum of first femora with long white hairs. Pedipalps yellow, only base of femur slightly darker,dark line at tip of patella, cymbium clothed in dense light hairs. Structure of pedipalps as in Fig.10 A-D;embolus thin and delicate; two very strongly sclerotized tibial apophyses, ventral one thin with pointed tip, dorsal comb-shaped with several teeth ( Fig. 10E ).

Female

General appearance as in Fig. 16C . Similar to male, colouration slightly lighter;on abdomen wide median band in posterior half and two round spots laterally from the band. Epigyne with closely aligned round copulatory openings ( Fig. 10F ), plugged with waxy secretion. Semi-rounded seminal ducts fall into large chamber, spermathecae as in Fig. 10G , in some specimens larger than illustrated.

Figures

FIG. 10.— Stenaelurillus pecten n. sp.,male and female,paratypes:A, palpal organ,ventral view;B, C, palpal organ,ventrolateral view; D, palpal organ, lateral view; E, tibial apophyses; F, epigyne; G, internal structure of epigyne. Scale bars: A-D, 0.3 mm; E-G, 0.1 mm.

FIG. 16. — Stenaelurillus pecten n. sp. and S. sudanicus n. sp.: A, S. pecten n. sp., male, paratype, dorsal view; B, S. pecten n. sp., male, paratype, lateral view; C, S. pecten n. sp., female, paratype, dorsolateral view; D, S. sudanicus n. sp., female, holotype, lateral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.