Smeringopina sahoue, 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 : 46-47

Smeringopina sahoue new species

Figs. 13 , 663–667 , 692–693 , 701 , 791–809

Type. ♂ holotype from Gabon, Estuaire, forest near Sahoué , N Libreville (0°34.6’N, 9°20.4’E), 30 m a.s.l., 28.viii.2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber), in ZFMK (Ar 10301).

Other material examined. GABON: Estuaire: forest near Sahoué , same data as holotype, 6♂ 9♀ in ZFMK (Ar 10302); same data, 3 juvs. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Gab 182).

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, embolus with sclerotized proximal part, transversal light element ventrally on abdomen) by combination of: shape of massive procursus with pointed ventral branch ( Figs. 791–792 ; ventral branch larger than in S. kribi ); unmodified male clypeus (in contrast to S. kribi ); shape of sclerotized proximal part of embolus ( Figs. 794 , 798–800 ; similar to S. kribi ); distribution of modified hairs on male chelicerae ( Figs. 793 , 801 ; similar to S. kribi ); absence of frontal projections on male chelicerae; and anterior epigynal plate with small projection near rim in lateral view ( Fig. 693 ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 8.0, carapace width 2.1. Leg 1: 79.7 (18.7 + 0.9 + 18.1 + 38.3 + 3.7), tibia 2: 11.9, tibia 3: 8.1, tibia 4: 10.9; tibia 1 L/d: 85. Distance PME-PME 170 µm, diameter PME 195 µm, distance PME-ALE 90 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 175 µm. Carapace ochre-yellow with wide brown lateral margins and brown triangular mark posteriorly connected with brown ocular area, clypeus laterally brown, sternum ochre-orange; legs light brown, dark rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct dark pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 663–664 , ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with distinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; clypeus unmodified but hairs longer than usual; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Figs. 793 and 801 , with lateral proximal apophyses and long distal apophyses, the latter and frontal cheliceral face provided with several modified (cone-shaped) hairs ( Figs. 802, 806 ). Palps as in Figs. 665–667 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with simple retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur proximally with ventral pocket bordered retrolaterally by strong sclerotized ridge, with very small retrolateral apophysis, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint very prominent and strongly shifted toward ventrally; tarsus with some stronger hairs dorsally; procursus with hinge between proximal and distal part, distal part with ventral branch ( Figs. 791–792 , 797 ); bulb with widened and sclerotized proximal part of embolus ( Figs. 794 , 798–800 ). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible. ALS with eight spigots each; gonopore with two epiandrous spigots ( Fig. 805 ).

Variation. Sternum variably dark, in some males with dark frontal area and ochre-orange posterior and lateral part. Tibia 1 in 6 other males: 16.1–18.4 (mean 17.1).

Female. In general similar to male; clypeus with shorter hairs. Sternum in most females dark brown; some females with entirely dark clypeus. Tibia 1 in 9 females: 13.5–15.5 (mean 14.9). Epigynum large, consisting of wide, roughly triangular anterior plate with small projection near rim in lateral view and large posterior plate ( Figs. 692–693 , 795 , 808 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 701 , 796 , 809 . ALS with eight spigots each ( Fig. 807 ).

Natural history. At the type locality, S. sahoue was common and easily found between the buttresses of large trees.

Distribution. Known from type locality only ( Fig. 627 ).

Figures

FIGURE 627. Known distribution of the beninensis species group.

FIGURES 2 – 16. Smeringopina, alive specimens in their natural habitats. 2 – 3. S. bineti, mating pair (Sêbori, Guinea) and female with juveniles (Doucki, Guinea). 4. S. guineensis, female with juveniles (Mount Nimba, Guinea). 5. S. pulchra, male (Ankasa N. P., Ghana). 6. S. ebolowa, male (Kribi, Cameroon). 7. S. essotah, female with eggsac (Essotah, Cameroon). 8 – 9. S. ogooue, male (NE Makokou, Gabon) and female with eggsac (Pahon Pira, Gabon). 10. S. belinga, male (Monts de Belinga, Gabon). 11. S. chaillu, male (near Iboundji, Gabon). 12. S. bwiti, male (Moulandoufouala, Gabon). 13. S. sahoue, male (Sahoué, Gabon). 14. S. tchimbele, male (Monts de Cristal, Gabon). 15 – 16. S. simplex, female with eggsac and juveniles (Mt. Koupé, Cameroon).

FIGURES 658 – 667. Smeringopina kribi n. sp. (658 – 662) and S. sahoue n. sp. (663 – 667). 658 – 659, 663 – 664. Males, dorsal and ventral views. 660 – 662, 665 – 667. Left male palps, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views.

FIGURES 678 – 693. Female abdomens in ventral and lateral views, beninensis group. 678 – 679. Smeringopina ebolowa n. sp. 680 – 681. S. essotah n. sp. 682 – 683. S. mayebout n. sp. 684 – 685. S. simintang n. sp. 686 – 687. S. belinga n. sp. 688 – 689. S. beninensis Kraus. 690 – 691. S. kribi n. sp. 692 – 693. S. sahoue n. sp.

FIGURES 694 – 702. Cleared female genitalia in dorsal view, beninensis group. 694. Smeringopina ebolowa n. sp. 695. S. essotah n. sp. 696. S. mayebout n. sp. 697. S. simintang n. sp. 698. S. belinga n. sp. 699. S. beninensis Kraus. 700. S. kribi n. sp. 701. S. sahoue n. sp. 702. S. tchimbele n. sp.

FIGURES 791 – 796. Smeringopina sahoue n. sp. 791 – 792. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 793. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 794. Left embolus, prolateral view. 795. Epigynum, ventral view. 796. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.5 (791 – 794), 1.0 (795 – 796).

FIGURES 797 – 809. Smeringopina sahoue n. sp. 797. Left procursus, prolateral view; arrow points at hinge. 798. Right bulb and procursus, prolateral view. 799 – 800. Embolus; arrow points at sperm duct opening. 801. Male chelicerae. 802. Left male cheliceral apophysis. 803. Laminae of male chelicerae. 804. Scales on right embolus. 805. Male gonopore. 806. Modified hairs on male chelicerae. 807. Female ALS. 808. Epigynum, ventral view. 809. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: b: bulb; e: embolus; fe: femur; pr: procursus. Scale lines: 20 µm (807), 30 µm (804, 806), 80 µm (803), 100 µm (805), 200 µm (799 – 800, 802), 300 µm (797 – 798, 801), 400 µm (808 – 809).