Loxosceles rufipes ( Lucas, 1834 )

Lotz, L. N., 2012, Present status of Sicariidae (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 3522, pp. 1-41 : 30-31

Loxosceles rufipes ( Lucas, 1834)

( Figs. 9H, 10H)

Scytodes rufipes Lucas, 1834: 8 , pl. 6; Keyserling, 1877: 214, pl. 7, f. 5.

Scytodes omosites Walckenaer, 1837: 273 .

Loxosceles rufipes F.O. P.- Cambridge, 1899: 52, pl. 4, f. 7–8; Simon, 1907: 247, f. 1E; Mello-Leitão, 1934: 71, f. 1b, 2b, 3b; Gertsch, 1958: 33, f. 66–68, 82; 1967: 166, pl. 11, f. 8–10, 15–16; Bücherl, 1971: 216, f. 10b; Gertsch & Ennik, 1983: 352, f. 335–337, 347; Wunderlich, 1988: 70, f. 95.

Types: Scytodes rufipes Lucas, 1834 ♀ Holotype from Guatamala: No specific locality [not seen]. Scytodes omosites Walckenaer, 1837 ♀ Holotype from Guiana: No specific locality, Leschnault and Doumere [not seen].

Note: No specimens of this species were looked at, but it is included here for completeness, as it occurs in the Afrotropical region in published records.

Diagnosis: Male palp tibia long, cymbium short, similar to L. fontainei , L. foutadjalloni , L. rufescens and L. vonwredei ; differing from L. fontainei in the femur/cymbium ratio being more than 4.5; differing from L. foutadjalloni in the pulp bulb being about a third of tibia length; differing from L. rufescens and L. vonwredei in the palp tibia length/height ratio being less than 2.0 ( Fig. 9H). Female spermathecae consist of two long, finger-like sacs; median sac narrow, lateral sac wide; copulatory tubes wide, slightly narrowing to spermathecae, joined medially; differing from all other species in this respect, closest species being L. lacroixi from which it differs in the number and structure of the spermathecae ( Fig. 10H).

Female: (from Gertsch & Ennik 1983): TL = 6.5; CL = 2.6; CW = 2.3; CLL = 0.4. AME-LE 0.24; Eye diameter 0.16.

Leg measurements:

I II III IV Palp Femur 3.00 3.15 2.70 3.10 0.85 Patella 0.80 0.85 0.80 0.80 0.38 Tibia 2.75 3.00 2.25 2.75 0.70 Metatarsus 3.00 3.25 2.75 3.30 – Tarsus 1.10 1.00 0.80 1.00 0.92 Total 10.65 11.25 9.30 10.95 2.85

Male: (from Gertsch & Ennik 1983): TL = 5.2; CL = 2.5; CW = 2.2; CLL = 0.3. AME-LE 0.15; Eye diameter 0.15.

Leg measurements:

I II III IV Palp Femur 4.00 4.25 3.50 4.00 1.70 Patella 0.80 0.80 0.80 0.80 0.70 Tibia 4.00 4.35 3.05 3.50 0.90 Metatarsus 4.40 4.70 4.00 4.70 – Tarsus 1.20 1.25 1.00 1.10 0.32 Total 14.40 15.35 12.35 14.10 3.62

Distribution: Loxosceles rufescens is distributed in Colombia, Guatemala, Panama and West Africa.