Thyenula alotama, 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 : 47-48

Thyenula alotama sp. nov.

Figs 170–175

Holotype: female, SOUTH AFRICA, Eastern Cape Province, Amatola Mountains, Hogsback, Amatola Forestry Company offices, 32°35'S: 26°56'E, under vegetation, 22 April 2012, leg. C. Haddad ( NCA 2013 /574).

Paratypes: together with holotype, 2 males, 1 female; same locality, 1145 m a.s.l., afromontane forest, 1 male, 1 female, 3 April 2012, leg. UFS students ( NCA 2013 /577) ; same locality, pine plantation, 1 female, 21 March 2013, leg. C. Haddad ( AMGS) ; same locality, waterfall, sweep-netting fynbos, 1 male, 25 April 2012, leg. C. Haddad ( NCA 2013 /569) ; same locality, Never Daunted Guest House , hand collecting at night, 1female, 20–23 March 2013, leg. C. Haddad, J.A. Neethling & R.du Preez ( AMGS) ; SOUTH AFRICA, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Pietermaritzburg, 29°36'S: 30°22'E, Town Bush , ground layer, clearing in humid forest, 5 males, 6 females, 18 April 1976, leg. F. Wanless & A. Russell-Smith ( NHM) ; same locality, ground layer on wattle plantation, 1 male, 2 females, 15 April 1976 ( NHM) .

Diagnosis. The copulatory organs of this species are very similar to those of T. leighi ( Peckham & Peckham, 1903) but the latter species is easily recognized by the characteristic coloration (Wesołowska 2012: fig. 53). T. alotama is also related to T. aurantiaca (Simon, 1902) and T. fidelis Wesołowska & Haddad, 2009 , but can be recognized by the shape of the retromarginal tooth of the chelicerae and the striped pattern of the abdomen. The female has longer seminal ducts than T. aurantiaca and larger spermathecae than T. fidelis (compare Fig. 175 herein with Fig. 183 herein and in Wesołowska & Haddad 2009: fig. 199). The male palp is very similar to those in both of these species and is difficult to distinguish, but the tibial apophysis has a serrated rim.

Etymology. The specific name is anagram of Amatola, the mountain range where the species occurs.

Description. Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax: length 2.3–3.2/2.5–2.9, width 1.8–2.3/1.9–2.2, height 1.0–1.1/1.0–1.2. Abdomen: length 2.5–3.4/3.1–3.6, width 1.7–1.9/2.2–2.5. Eye field: length1.0–1.3/1.0–1.3, anterior and posterior width 1.5–1.9/1.4–1.8.

Male. Carapace oval, eye field shiny black, thoracic part dark brown with three lighter streaks. Brown hairs on carapace, longer bristles at eyes. Clypeus low, dark. Chelicerae robust, with large retromarginal tooth ( Fig. 170 ). Mouth parts brown with whitish tips. Sternum brown, black in centre. Abdomen generally dark, with mosaic of blackish small patches on light background dorsally, clothed in long brown hairs and bristles. Venter black with four lines formed by light dots. Spinnerets dark. First pair of legs black, patella and tibia with long dense black hairs. Other legs brown, only coxae, trochanters and femora black. Pedipalps brownish. Palpal organ as in Figs 171, 172 , tibial apophysis serrated along inner margin.

Female. General appearance as in Fig. 173 . Coloration similar to male, or slightly lighter. Three light contrasting streaks on carapace, clearly visible. Some white hairs on clypeus, traces of lighter chevrons on dorsum of abdomen posteriorly. Sternum light, whitish yellow. Legs orange brownish, with dark patches on distal ends of femora and tibiae. Epigyne as in Fig. 174 , seminal ducts looping anteriorly, spermathecae large( Fig. 175 ).

Distribution. Known from Pietermaritzburg and the Amatola Mountains in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 170–175. Thyenula alotama sp. nov. 170 cheliceral dentition of male; 171 palpal organ, ventral view; 172 palpal organ, retrolateral view; 173 female holotype, dorsal view; 174 epigyne; 175 internal structure of epigyne.

FIGURES 176–183. Thyenula aurantiaca (Simon, 1902). 176 male, dorsal view; 177, 178 cheliceral dentition of male; 179 palpal organ, ventral view; 180 palpal organ, retrolateral view; 181 female, dorsal view; 182 epigyne; 183 internal structure of epigyne.