Dendryphantes acutus, Wesołowska & Haddad, 2014

Wesołowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2014, An overview of the jumping spiders of Lesotho (Araneae: Salticidae), with descriptions of six new species, African Invertebrates 55 (2), pp. 229-229 : 234-236

Dendryphantes acutus sp. n.

Figs 11 , 20–23

Etymology: From Latin acutus (sharp), referring to the pointed embolus of the species.

Diagnosis: The species is related to D. rafalskii Wesołowska, 1999 , but differs in the abdominal pattern ( D. rafalskii is lighter, with several well-defined black patches – see fig. 52 in Wesołowska & Haddad 2013). The embolus of D. acutus is straight, clearly longer than in D. rafalskii , and without an additional structure at its base (compare Fig. 20 with fig. 5 in Wesołowska 1999 a). The structure of the epigyne superficially resembles that of D. purcelli Peckham & Peckham, 1903 , but may by distinguished by the distinct accessory glands and two-chambered spermathecae, while weakly sclerotised and single, respectively, in D. purcelli (compare Fig. 23 with fig. 27 in Haddad & Wesołowska 2011).

Description:

Measurements (♂ / ♀): Cephalothorax: length 1.9–2.0/1.8, width 1.4–1.5/1.4, height 0.8/0.7. Eye field: length 0.7–0.9/0.7, anterior width 1.0–1.1/1.1, posterior width 1.1–1.2/1.2. Abdomen: length 1.9–2.0/2.5, width 1.4/1.6.

Male.

General appearance as in Fig. 11 . Carapace oval, flat, brown, with lighter eye field including translucent internal guanine crystals; eyes surrounded by black rings. Thoracic part covered with greyish white hairs, especially dense on slopes, with long brown bristles near eyes. Fovea elongate, clearly visible; clypeus low, covered with greyish hairs. Chelicerae dark brown. Labium and endites brown, with light margins; sternum brownish. Abdomen oval, brownish, anterior edge light, whitish bands along sides, with yellowish patches on dorsum ( Fig. 11 ); abdomen densely covered in colourless and brown hairs. Venter yellowish, with wide grey streak; spinnerets dark. First pair of legs longer and darker than others, clothed in long greyish hairs, with three pairs of spines on ventral surface of tibiae and two on metatarsi. Legs II–IV yellow. Femora of all legs with blackish band medially. Leg hairs dense, greyish and brown. Pedipalps as in Figs 20, 21 ; tibia short, with small bent retrolateral apophysis; embolus relatively long, straight, directed distally.

Female.

Similar to male, slightly lighter in colour. Light spots on abdomen larger, composed of translucent guanine crystals. Legs lighter than in male, but dark rings on femora present. Epigyne as in Fig. 22 ; copulatory openings hidden beneath sclerotized recurved ridges; accessory glands lead into seminal ducts; receptacles two-chambered, first chamber almost spherical ( Fig. 23 ).

Holotype: ♂ Quthing district: Letšeng-la-Letsie , 30°19'S 28°10'E, 2360 m, sweeps along lakeside, 12.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3019).

Paratypes: 1♂ 1♀ Same data as holotype ( NCA 2013 /3020) .

Distribution: Only known from the type locality in southern Lesotho ( Fig. 48 ).

Figures

Figs 8–11. Digital microscope photographs of the dorsal (8, 10, 11) and lateral (9) habitus of jumping spiders from Lesotho: (8–10) Belippo attentuata sp. n., ♂ (8, 9) and ♀ (10); (11) Dendryphantes acutus sp. n., ♂.

Figs 20–23. Dendryphantes acutus sp. n., paratype ♂ (20, 21) and paratype ♀ (22, 23): (20) palpal organ, ventral view; (21) same, retrolateral view; (22) epigyne, ventral view; (23) internal structure of epigyne.

Fig. 48. Distribution of Salticidae from Lesotho.