Thyene coccineovittata (Simon, 1886)

Wesolowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2009, Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) of the Ndumo Game Reserve, Maputaland, South Africa, African Invertebrates 50 (1), pp. 13-103 : 83-85

Thyene coccineovittata (Simon, 1886)

Figs 176–181, 226, 227, 250

Hyllus coccineovittatus: Simon 1886: 348 ; Berland & Millot 1941: 371, 373, figs 70, 71, 72A.

Thyene crudelis: Peckham & Peckham 1903: 229 , pl. 25, fig. 5; Lessert 1925 b: 349; Berland & Millot 1941:

371.

Redescription:

Measurements (male/female): Carapace length 3.7/2.4, width 3.0/1.9, height 1.5/0.8. Abdomen length 4.0/2.7, width 2.3/1.4. Eye field length 1.1/1.1, anterior width 2.0/1.3, posterior width 2.1/1.5.

Male.

General appearance in Figs 176, 226. Carapace rounded, reddish brown, with darker margins, eyes surrounded by black rings; short whitish hairs form poorly contrasted bands, one on middle of thoracic part and two on carapace sides, laterally from eye field; tufts of long brown bristles form ‘horns’ at posterior median eyes. Chelicerae robust, with stout fangs; endites brown with whitish inner margins, their external edges extended into triangular lobes; sternum orange. Abdomen dark, brownish fawn, with lighter shiny streak along middle; two pairs of very small, but clearly contrasted white marks posteriorly ( Fig. 176); venter dark, with two lines composed of white dots; sparse long brown bristles on dorsum of abdomen; spinnerets dark. Legs dark brown, coxae orange, tarsi of legs II–IV light brown; first pair of legs longest; long, thin, dense dark hairs on legs, especially dense on patella, tibia and metatarsus I; leg hairs brown with a mixture of greyish ones; spines long and stout, brown. Pedipalps light brown, their femora swollen, some scales dorsally on tibia and patella; tibial apophysis very short, tegulum rounded, embolus very long, encircling the tegulum five times; retrolateral edge of cymbium with protuberance covered with spike-like bristles ( Figs 177, 178).

Female.

General appearance in Figs 179, 227, 250; smaller than male. Carapace orange brownish, eye field tinged with grey, eyes surrounded by black rings; around anterior median eyes row of white scales; sparse brown hairs on carapace, tufts of long bristles near posterior median eyes; white hairs form three parallel lines below anterior lateral eyes, on ‘cheeks’. Mouthparts and sternum orange. Abdomen elongate, with longitudinal light stripe medially, shiny caudally; abdomen with several darker lines anteriorly, in posterior two thirds of its length with three pairs of large blackish patches (reddish in living individuals?) lateral of central streak; between dark patches three pairs of very small round white spots; venter yellowish tinged with grey; sparse long bristles on abdomen; spinnerets brownish. Legs dark yellow with brown hairs and spines; first legs thickest, tibiae short and slightly swollen, metatarsi short; first tibia with three pairs of ventral spines, metatarsus with two pairs. Pedipalps pale. Epigyne typical for Thyene , weakly sclerotised, with rectangular depression anteriorly ( Fig. 180); internal structures similar to that in Th. semiargentea ; seminal ducts long, delicate and membranous, forming a few loops, last chamber of receptacle heavily sclerotised, accessory glands long ( Fig. 181).

Material examined: 1ơ Southern boundary fence, 26 ° 55.578'S: 32 ° 19.081'E, deep sand forest, on short shrubs, 28.vi.2007 ( NCA 2008 /1878); 1^South-western shore of Banzi Pan, 26 ° 53.118'S: 32 ° 16.927'E, beating, short shrubs, 12.i.2007 ( NCA 2007 /3023) .

Distribution: This species has been recorded from western and southern Africa.

Habitat and biology: The specimens were collected from shrubs in AX and SF.

Remarks:The association of the female with the male and their conspecifity is uncertain. The female shown in Fig. 250 was observed in the mating period with a Th. coccineovittata male dancing for her, but that individual was not captured.Another female ( Figs 179–181) was collected on a different occasion. It is clearly smaller than the male and its colouration pattern represents that of a strongly bleached, alcohol-preserved specimen.