Heliophanus (Heliophanus) ndumoensis, Wesołowska & Haddad, 2013

Wesołowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2013, New data on the jumping spiders of South Africa (Araneae: Salticidae), African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 177-177 : 205-206

Heliophanus (Heliophanus) ndumoensis sp. n.

Figs 12, 82–85

Etymology: From Ndumo Game Reserve, where the holotype was collected.

Diagnosis: This species is closely related to Heliophanus harpago Simon, 1909 from tropical Africa, but the palp has a shorter embolus and a triangular-shaped bulb (square in H. harpago ). Female unknown.

Description:

Male.

Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 2.6, width 2.2, height 1.1. Abdomen: length 2.4, width 1.8. Eye field: length 1.0, anterior width 1.5, posterior width 1.6.

General appearance as in Fig. 12. Medium sized spider. Carapace oval with prominent flat area, moderately high, brown, eye field black; short brownish grey hairs cover carapace, with scattered long bristles among them, denser at anterior eyes; clypeus very low, some light scales below anterior lateral eyes on “cheeks”. Mouthparts and sternum dark brown. Abdomen smaller than carapace, ovoid, greyish fawn, clothed in short, generally dark brownish grey hairs, with long dense brown bristles on anterior edge. Venter dark. Spinnerets greyish brown. Legs brownish fawn, first pair longer and thicker than others, with dark brown femora. Tibiae of first pair with three pairs of ventral spines, metatarsi with two pairs. Pedipalps with large femoral apophysis, with notch ( Fig. 85); cymbium narrow, bulb triangular, with small ventrolateral apophysis and pincer-shaped retrolateral apophysis ( Figs 82–84).

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu­Natal: Ndumo Game Reserve , southern boundary fence, 26°55.664'S 32°19.038'E, sand forest, leaf-litter, 7.xii.2009, C. Haddad ( NMBA).

Distribution: Only known from the type locality ( Fig. 86).

Habitat and biology: This species was collected in leaf-litter in a small patch of sand forest. Its colouration apparently provides some degree of crypsis in the litter layer.

Remarks: The species belongs to the orchesta group of species ( Wesołowska 1986).