Thyenula montana, Wesołowska & Azarkina & Russell-Smith, 2014

Wesołowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Russell-Smith, Anthony, 2014, Euophryine jumping spiders of the Afrotropical Region-new taxa and a checklist (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae), Zootaxa 3789 (1), pp. 1-72 : 56-57

Thyenula montana sp. nov.

Figs 207–210

Holotype: male, LESOTHO, Mafika-Lisiu Pass , 29°03'S: 28°24'E, 3070 m a.s.l., under rocks, 9 March 2003, leg. C. Haddad ( NCA 2013 /3414).

Diagnosis. The species is easily recognizable from congeners by the striped coloration of the body, only T. virgulata described below has a similar pattern. It differs from the latter species in the clearly shorter embolus, forming one loop (one and a half in T. virgulata ), and by the presence of a cymbial tutaculum (ear-shaped process).

Etymology. The specific name refers to its montane habitat.

Description. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.8, width 1.2, height 0.6. Abdomen: length 1.8, width 1.2. Eye field: length 0.7, anterior and posterior width 1.1.

Male. General appearance as in Fig. 207 . Carapace oval, moderately high, brown with black eye field. Sides of carapace yellowish, with thin brown line along margins. Carapace covered with brown hairs, long brown bristles on eye field anteriorly. White hairs form two bands starting from eyes and extending to posterior carapace edge. Thin white line formed by light hairs on anterior edge of eye field. Anterior median eyes surrounded by fawn scales. Clypeus clothed in white hairs. Mouth parts and sternum yellow. Abdomen brown with lighter greyish fawn median band, and white streaks on sides. Some dark marks on sides, venter yellowish. Abdominal dorsum clothed in hairs corresponding to background colour, among them some longer bristles. Legs yellow, their hairs brown, spines long, light brown. Pedipalps yellow, clothed in very dense brown hairs. Embolus coiled ( Fig. 208 ), forming single loop. Ear-shaped process on retrolateral side of cymbium basally, enveloping tibial apophysis ( Fig. 209 ).

Female unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, the highest point in southern Africa from which a euophryine has been recorded (> 3000m a.s.l.).

Figures

FIGURES 207–210. Thyenula montana sp. nov. 207 male holotype, dorsal view; 208 palpal organ, ventral view; 209 palpal organ, ventrolateral view; 210 palpal organ, retrolateral view.