Smeringopina kala, 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 : 31-32

Smeringopina kala new species

Figs. 19 , 416–420, 423, 426 , 462–467

Type. ♂ holotype from Cameroon, Centre Region, near Yaoundé, Mt. Kala (3°51.0’N, 11°20.3’E), 730 m a.s.l., near ground, 14.iv.2009 (B.A. Huber), in ZFMK (Ar 10258).

Other material examined. CAMEROON: Centre Region: near Yaoundé, Mt. Kala , same data as holotype, 2♂ 1♀ 1 juv. in ZFMK (Ar 10259); same data, 3♀ 2 juvs. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Cam 104).

EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Micomeseng [Mekomeseng, 2°08.4’N, 10°36.6’E], pitfall in evergreen forest, 8.– 13.vii.1989 (M. Alderweireldt), 1♂ in MRAC (170203).

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

Diagnosis. Distinguished from most congeners by horns in male ocular area ( Figs. 19 , 417 ) and male clypeus with many small modified (globular) hairs on low humps near rim (cf. S. cornigera , Fig. 445 ); from the very similar S. cornigera and S. nyasoso by shape of procursus (much narrower; Figs. 462–463 ); females may be externally indistinguishable from those of S. cornigera and S. nyasoso but the anterior epigynal process is apparently larger than in S. cornigera (note small sample sizes) and the position and shape of pore plates ( Fig. 467 ) is significantly different from both species.

Male (holotype). Total body length 3.9, carapace width 1.5. Leg 1 missing, tibia 2: 6.8, tibia 3: 4.7, tibia 4: 7.3. Distance PME-PME 220 µm, diameter PME 135 µm, distance PME-ALE 125 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 135 µm. Carapace light brown with dark brown triangular mark posteriorly, brown pit and brown lateral margins; ocular area not darkened, clypeus with dark brown lateral margins and pair of indistinct bands below eyes, sternum brown; legs light brown, darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen ochre-gray with dark pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 416–417 , ocular area slightly elevated, each triad on additional hump, with two pairs of horns, one long and pointed above ALE, the other short, blunt and slightly more median, ‘pseudo-lenses’ only visible at PME; clypeus with pair of low humps near rim, each with ~15 small modified (globular) hairs, with distinct depression between humps; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 465 , with lateral proximal apophyses and very short distal apophyses, the latter and frontal cheliceral face with ~15 small modified (globular) hairs on each side. Palps as in Figs. 418–420 ; coxa with retrolateral apophysis; trochanter with small ventral apophysis; femur with weakly sclerotized retrolateral flap and large whitish area ventrally, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint only slightly shifted toward ventrally; tarsus with some longer but only slightly stronger hairs dorsally; procursus very simple, curved toward ventrally, without hinge, with many hairs on retrolateral face and pointed membranous process on prolateral side ( Figs. 462–463 ); bulb with simple small embolus with small pointed process ( Fig. 464 ). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs.

Variation. Tibia 1 in other male: 10.4 (missing in others).

Female. In general similar to male; clypeus unmodified; ocular area with one pair of low humps above ALE. Tibia 1: 7.3. Epigynum anterior plate trapezoidal, with distinct anterior process, lateral edges drawn backwards ( Figs. 423 , 466 ); large flat posterior plate; internal genitalia as in Figs. 426 and 467 .

Natural history. The specimens at Mt. Kala were found under dead leaves on the ground.

Distribution. Known from two localities in southwestern Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea ( Fig. 390 ).

Figures

FIGURE 390. Known distribution of the cornigera species group. Question marks denote unidentified females deposited in CAS (Bioko, probably new species) and ZFMK (southern Cameroon, possibly S. kala).

FIGURES 17 – 31. Smeringopina, webs and alive specimens in their natural habitats. 17. S. guineensis, web (Diéké, Guinea). 18. S. kribi, web with nematocerous flies (S Kribi, Cameroon). 19. S. kala, male (Mt. Kala, Cameroon). 20. S. bamenda, pair (Bamenda, Cameroon). 21 – 22. S. nyasoso, male and female with eggsac (Mt. Koupé, Cameroon). 23. S. mbouda, male (near Lake Oku, Cameroon). 24. S. attuleh, female with eggsac (Essotah, Cameroon). 25. S. kinguele, female with juveniles (Monts de Cristal, Gabon). 26. S. tebe, male (N Tébé, Gabon). 27. S. lekoni, female with eggsac (at Lekoni River, Gabon). 28. S. moudouma, mating pair (Moudouma, Gabon). 29 – 30. S. fang, male (Djidji, Gabon) and female with eggsac (Mayebout, Gabon). 31. S. ankasa, female with eggsac (Ankasa N. P., Ghana).

FIGURES 416 – 426. Smeringopina kala n. sp. (416 – 420, 423, 426), S. cornigera (Simon) (421, 424), and S. nyasoso n. sp. (422, 425). 416 – 417. Male, dorsal and lateral views. 418 – 420. Left male palp, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 421 – 423. Female abdomens, ventral views. 424 – 426. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal views.

FIGURES 462 – 467. Smeringopina kala n. sp. 462 – 463. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 464. Left embolus, prolateral view. 465. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 466. Epigynum, ventral view. 467. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.2 (464), 0.5 (462 – 463, 465 – 467).

FIGURES 445 – 455. Smeringopina cornigera (Simon). 445 – 446. Male prosoma, frontal and oblique views; arrows point at pair of small horns. 447. Right male palp, dorsal view. 448. Left procursus, retrolatero-dorsal view. 449. Modified hairs on male clypeus. 450. Modified hairs on male chelicerae. 451. Hairs on left procursus. 452. Female ALS. 453. Male gonopore. 454. Female ocular area. 455. Epigynum, dorsal view. Abbreviations: b: bulb; e: embolus; pr: procursus. Scale lines: 10 µm (449), 20 µm (450, 452), 30 µm (451), 50 µm (453), 100 µm (454), 200 µm (447 – 448, 455), 300 µm (445 – 446).