Anansus kamwai Huber

Bernhard A. Huber, Philippe Le Gall & Jacques Francois Mavoungou, 2014, Pholcid spiders from the Lower Guinean region of Central Africa: an overview, with descriptions of seven new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 81 (81), pp. 1-46 : 20-22

Anansus kamwai Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:716ECD2B-4969-4FF5-9A36-FA7CD47F9B08

Figs 10 , 20 , 35-43

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by shape of procursus ( Figs 40, 41 ; distinctive distal elements); from A. atewa also by unpaired process on male clypeus ( Figs 36 , 42 ; paired in A. atewa ); from other species also by more pointed apophyses frontally on male chelicerae ( Fig. 42 ). Females in this genus are difficult to distinguish (except A. atewa , which has the epigynal pockets more anteriorly).

Etymology

Named for Cameroonian filmmaker Daniel Kamwa (born 1943), director of the 1981 film Notre Fille.

Type material

Holotype ♂, in ZFMK ( Ar 11931 ) .

Type locality

CAMEROON, Northwest Region, near Bamenda , under trash and logs at roadside (6°00.5’N, 10°18.1’E), 1750 m a.s.l., 16 Apr. 2009 (B.A. Huber).

Other material examined

CAMEROON: Northwest Region: 1 ♂, 1 ♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 11931 ), same data as and together with holotype ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 2 juvs in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ( Cam 76 ), same data .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.6, carapace width 0.60. Leg 1: 6.00 (1.50 + 0.20 + 1.63 + 1.90 + 0.77), tibia 2: 1.07, tibia 3: 0.80, tibia 4: 1.20; tibia 1 L/d: 23. Distance PME-PME 45 µm, diameter PME 60 µm, distance PME-ALE 20 µm; AME absent.

COLOR. Carapace ochre-yellow with irregular internal black pigment, sternum light brown with median dark line and four pairs of posteriorly diverging lines ( Fig. 36 ); legs ochre-yellow without distinct dark rings; abdomen ochre-gray, with distinct dark heart-mark and thin dark line above spinnerets, dorsally with some white internal spots.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 35 ; ocular area not elevated; carapace without median furrow; clypeus with rounded median process at rim ( Fig. 42 ); sternum wider than long (0.48/0.36), unmodified. Chelicerae as in Fig. 42 , with pair of lateral processes proximally and pair of pointed distal frontal apophyses without modified hairs; without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 37-38 and 40-41 , coxa unmodified, trochanter with short ventral apophysis, femur small, with prominent distal apophysis prolaterally, tibia very large, procursus complex, with pointed ventral process, sclerotized retrolateral area set with several stronger hairs, distinctive tip; bulb with only one process (embolus, curved in dorsal view towards prolaterally).

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 27%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~10 pseudosegments.

VARIATION. Tibia 1 in two other males: 1.37, 1.67.

Female

In general similar to male but clypeus unmodified; one female with darker chelicerae, clypeus, and sternum; tibia 1: 1.63 (missing in second female). Epigynum simple wide plate with pair of tiny pockets close together near posterior rim ( Fig. 39 ), internal structures visible through cuticle; internal genitalia as in Fig. 43 .

Distribution

Known from type locality in Cameroon only ( Fig. 20 ). A poorly preserved male specimen from eastern Cameroon (Mbam near Koupoupi, MRAC 167.984) may also belong to this species.

Figures

Figs 10 - 18. Litter, bark and ground-dwelling Central African pholcids. 10. Anansus kamwai sp. nov., ♀ with eggsac from near Bamenda, Cameroon. 11. Pholcus moca Huber, 2011, ♂ from near Ndjole, Gabon. 12 - 13. Pholcus punu sp. nov., pair from between Mimongo and Yéno (12) and ♂ from Moudouma (13), Gabon. 14 - 15. Pholcus rawiriae sp. nov., ♀ with eggsac (14) and ♂ from Mohoba, Gabon (15). 16. Smeringopina fang Huber, 2013, ♀ with eggsac from Mayebout, Gabon. 17. Smeringopina belinga Huber, 2013, ♂ from Monts de Belinga, Gabon. 18. Smeringopus lesserti Kraus, 1957, ♂ from Mayebout, Gabon. Photos BAH.

Figs 19 - 20. All pholcid records known from Central Africa (19) and known distribution of the genus Anansus Huber, 2007 in Central Africa (20). Question marks denote uncertain identifications (females from Bioko and Gabon and one poorly preserved male from eastern Cameroon). E. G. = Equatorial Guinea; S. T. P. = São Tomé and Príncipe.

Figs 35 - 39. Anansus kamwai sp. nov. 35. ♂, dorsal view. 36. ♂ sternum, ventral view. 37 - 38. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 39. ♀ epigynum, ventral view.

Figs 40 - 43. Anansus kamwai sp. nov. 40 - 41. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 42. ♂ ocular area, clypeus and chelicerae, oblique frontal view. 43. Cleared ♀ genitalia, dorsal view. b = bulb; e = embolus; p = pocket; pr = procursus. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.