Belippo attenuata, 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 : 233-234

Belippo attenuata sp. n.

Figs 8–10, 12–19

Etymology: From Latin attenuatus (thin, slender), refering to the body shape.

Diagnosis: The male is characterised by the structure of the palpal organs, particularly by a small acute process at the base of the cymbium on the retrolateral side ( Figs 13–15). The female has a characteristic epigyne with two nearly transverse oval depressions and large primary spermathecae ( Figs 17–19).

Description:

Measurements (♂ / ♀): Cephalothorax: length 1.9–2.0/1.8–2.2, height 0.8/0.6–0.7. Eye field: length 0.9–1.0/0.8–1.0, anterior width 0.9–1.0/0.9–1.1, posterior width 1.1–1.2/1.0–1.2. Abdomen: length 1.9–2.2/2.1–2.8, width 0.9–1.0/1.0–1.4.

Male.

General appearance as in Figs 8, 9. Ant-like spider with elongate body. Carapace with shallow constriction, slightly higher in cephalic part; surface with punctured sculpture; carapace dark brown with black eye field; covered in thin long colourless hairs, with scattered white scales among them and long bristles near eyes; two long trichobothria in constriction. Chelicerae long, brown; promargin toothless, retromargin with four teeth, fang long ( Fig. 12). Endites, labium and sternum dark brown.Abdomen elongate, black, dorsum covered with two scuta separated by fissure; dorsum clothed in long fine hairs, with white scales on anterior half ( Figs 8, 9). Venter and spinnerets black. Legs slender; legs I and II with dark brown femora, distal segments lighter, with dark streaks on sides, tarsi yellowish; legs III and IV dark brown, only tarsi yellowish. Four pairs of long ventral spines on tibiae I and two pairs on metatarsi. Pedipalps as in Figs 13–15, with a characteristic tooth-like process on retrolateral edge of cymbium at base.

Female.

General appearance as in Fig. 10. Similar to male, abdomen without scuta. Chelicerae not elongated, with 4–6 slightly separated promarginal teeth and five contiguous teeth on retromargin ( Fig. 16). Palps flattened. Epigyne with two nearly transverse oval grooves anteriorly and two rounded light areas in posterior part ( Figs 17, 18); seminal ducts membranous, forming loop laterally; primary spermathecae large, thick-walled ( Fig. 19). Holotype: ♂ Qacha’s Nek district: Qacha’s Nek, 30°07'S 28°41'E, 1830 m, leaf litter, Eucalyptus tree, 8.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3012).

Paratypes: 2♀ Same data as holotype ( NCA 2013 /3013). Maseru district : 1♀ Mohale Dam, Islands, 2060 m, 29°25'S 28°06'E, 13.xii.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3018). Qacha’s Nek district : 2♀ Near Maghoareng village , 30°03'S 28°53'E, 2200 m, under rocks on mountainside, 6.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3015) ; 2♀ Sehlabathebe National Park , 29°53'S 29°07'E, 2500 m, under rocks, sandstone mountain, 9.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3017). Quthing district : 1♂ Ha Limapa , 30°11'S 28°17'E, 2100 m, grasses along river bank, 13.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3016) ; 1♂ 4♀ Letšeng-la-Letsie , 30°19'S 28°10'E, 2360 m, under rocks along lakeside, 12.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3014) .

Distribution: Known only from southern and central Lesotho ( Fig. 48).