Smeringopina bioko, Huber, Bernhard A., 2013

Huber, Bernhard A., 2013, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Guineo-Congolian spider genus Smeringopina Kraus (Araneae, Pholcidae, Zootaxa 3713 (1), pp. 1-160 : 35

Smeringopina bioko new species

Figs. 484–488 , 515–516 , 528 , 569–574

Type. ♂ holotype from Equatorial Guinea, Bioko , 5 km W Luba (3°27.9’N, 8°31.3’E), cacao plantation with fig trees, 12.–14.x.1998 (D.K. Dabney, D. Ubick), in CAS.

Other material examined. EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Bioko : 5 km W Luba, same data as holotype, 2♂ 3♀ 22 juvs. in CAS. Moca (3°21.8’N, 8°39.9’E), ~ 1400 m a.s.l., at night, 4.–9.x.1998 (D.K. Dabney, D. Ubick), 1♂ in CAS. Pico Basilé (3°41.7’N, 8°52.3’E), ~ 700 m a.s.l., at night, 17.x.1998 (D.K. Dabney, D. Ubick), 3♀ 1 juv. in CAS. Punta Beecrof (3°43.3’N, 8°39.7’E), 18.x.1998 (M. Boko et al.), 2♀ in CAS; same data, at night, D.K. Dabney & D. Ubick leg., 1♂ 4♀ 3 juvs. in CAS.

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (large species with long abdomen, cone-shaped modified hairs on male chelicerae, simple unbranched procursus) by distinctive frontal position of distal male cheliceral apophyses ( Fig. 571 ), distinctive small process ventrally on procursus ( Fig. 569 ), retrolateral apophysis on male palpal femur directed toward ventrally, and anterior epigynal plate bent in lateral view (anterior part flat, posterior part strongly protruding; Fig. 516 ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 6.4, carapace width 1.5. Leg 1: 57.8 (13.6 + 0.7 + 12.8 + 27.6 + 3.1), tibia 2: 8.9, tibia 3: 6.3, tibia 4: 8.3; tibia 1 L/d: 90. Distance PME-PME 205 µm, diameter PME 150 µm, distance PME- ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 25 µm, diameter AME 125 µm. Carapace ochre-yellow with brown mark posteriorly and brown lateral margins; ocular area posteriorly brown, clypeus distally brown, sternum dark brown; legs ochre-yellow, slightly darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct black pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 484–485 , ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with distinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; clypeus unmodified except longer than usual hairs; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 571 , with lateral proximal apophyses and distal apophyses in distinctive frontal position, the latter provided with several modified (cone-shaped) hairs. Palps as in Figs. 486–488 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with relatively long retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur proximally with ventral sclerotized ridge but apparently without pocket, with retrolateral apophysis directed toward ventrally, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint strongly shifted toward ventrally; tarsus with some stronger hairs dorsally; procursus with very indistinct hinge dividing proximal from distal part, with small ventral process, with pointed and sclerotized tip ( Figs. 569–570 ); bulb with widened but weakly sclerotized proximal part of embolus ( Fig. 572 ). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible.

Variation. Number of modified hairs frontally on male chelicerae slightly variable. Tibia 1 in 4 other males: 13.6, 14.5, 16.0, 16.0.

Female. In general similar to male; clypeus with shorter hairs; sternum and clypeus variably dark. Tibia 1 in 10 females: 10.7–13.3 (mean 12.3). Epigynum relatively small, consisting of trapezoidal anterior plate bent in lateral view (anterior part flat, posterior part strongly protruding) and large posterior plate ( Figs. 515–516 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 528 and 574 .

Distribution. Known from several localities on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea ( Fig. 468 ).

Figures

FIGURE 468. Known distribution of the simplex species group. The square in western Cameroon denotes the probably misidentified juvenile paralectotypes of S. africana (Thorell) from Kitta in NHRS.

FIGURES 479 – 488. Smeringopina ogooue n. sp. (479 – 483) and S. bioko n. sp. (484 – 488). 479 – 480, 484 – 485. Males, dorsal, ventral, and lateral views. 481 – 483, 486 – 488. Left male palps, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views.

FIGURES 509 – 524. Female abdomens in ventral and lateral views, simplex group. 509 – 510. Smeringopina camerunensis Kraus. 511 – 512. S. djidji n. sp. 513 – 514. S. ogooue n. sp. 515 – 516. S. bioko n. sp. 517 – 518. S. etome n. sp. 519 – 520. S. africana (Thorell). 521 – 522. S. simplex Kraus. 523 – 524. S. bwiti n. sp.

FIGURES 525 – 533. Cleared female genitalia in dorsal view, simplex group. 525. Smeringopina camerunensis Kraus. 526. S. djidji n. sp. 527. S. ogooue n. sp. 528. S. bioko n. sp. 529. S. etome n. sp. 530. S. africana (Thorell). 531. S. simplex Kraus. 532. S. bwiti n. sp. 533. S. luki n. sp.

FIGURES 569 – 574. Smeringopina bioko n. sp. 569 – 570. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views; arrow points at distinctive process. 571. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 572. Left embolus, prolateral view. 573. Epigynum, ventral view. 574. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 (572), 0.5 (569 – 571, 573 – 574).