Smeringopina iboga, Huber, Bernhard A., 2013

Huber, Bernhard A., 2013, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Guineo-Congolian spider genus Smeringopina Kraus (Araneae, Pholcidae, Zootaxa 3713 (1), pp. 1-160 : 19-20

Smeringopina iboga new species

Figs. 143–146 , 169, 179 , 253–258

Type. ♂ holotype from Gabon, Ngounié, near Moulandoufouala (1°38.1’S, 10°42.5’E), 110 m a.s.l., forest along road, 27.viii.2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber), in ZFMK (Ar 10205).

Other material examined. GABON: Ngounié: near Moulandoufouala, same data as holotype, 4♀ together with holotype; same data, 2♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Gab 188).

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the iboga tree ( Tabernanthe iboga ) native to western Central Africa, a hallucinogen whose bark of the root is chewed for pharmacological or ritualistic purposes.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from known congeners by distinctive shape of procursus (very wide in lateral view, Figs. 253–254 ); females are difficult to distinguish from similar species with distinct anterior ridge of epigynum ( Figs. 169 , 257 ; cf. S. moudouma , S. ndjole ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 3.7, carapace width 1.3. Leg 1: 36.9 (8.6 + 0.5 + 8.9 + 17.0 + 1.9), tibia 2: 5.7, tibia 3: 4.1, tibia 4: 5.7; tibia 1 L/d: 84. Distance PME-PME 135 µm, diameter PME 125 µm, distance PME- ALE 55 µm, distance AME-AME 25 µm, diameter AME 125 µm. Carapace ochre-yellow with brown triangular mark posteriorly and brown lateral margins; ocular area with brown mark posteriorly; clypeus and sternum brown; legs light brown, femora with two dark rings, tibiae with four dark rings; abdomen ochre-gray with dark pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally, ventral dark bands with lateral constriction. Habitus as in Fig. 146 , ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with indistinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; clypeus with pointed and slightly hooked apophysis near rim; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 255 , with lateral apophyses in very distal position, pair of rows of small frontal apophyses, without modified hairs. Palps as in Figs. 143–145 ; coxa with indistinct retrolateral apophysis; trochanter with large, heavily sclerotized ventral apophysis with obtuse tip; femur with large retrolateral apophysis directed toward ventrally, proximal prolateral ridge, and weakly sclerotized ventral projection distally; prolateral femur-patella joint strongly shifted toward ventrally; tarsus with some longer and slightly stronger hairs dorsally; procursus very wide in lateral view, with complex membranous prolatero-ventral structures, without hinge ( Figs. 253–254 ); bulb with simple process ( Fig. 256 ; sperm duct apparently opens at basis of this process). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible.

Female. In general similar to male; clypeus unmodified. Tibia 1 in 4 females: 6.6, 6.7, 6.7, 7.4. Epigynum anterior plate with distinct anterior ridge ( Figs. 169 , 257 ); posterior plate laterally with overhanging folds; internal genitalia as in Figs. 179 and 258 .

Natural history. Litter-dwelling species.

Distribution. Known from type locality only ( Fig. 114 ).

Figures

FIGURE 114. Known distribution of the lekoni species group. Question marks denote females of undescribed species (in MRAC and MCZ) that may belong to this species group.

FIGURES 143 – 152. Smeringopina iboga n. sp. (143 – 146) and S. moudouma n. sp. (147 – 152). 143 – 145, 150 – 152. Left male palps, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 146 – 149. Males, dorsal, lateral, and ventral views. Arrows point at distinctive retrolateral femur apophyses directed toward ventrally.

FIGURES 163 – 183. Female abdomens, ventral views, and cleared female genitalia, dorsal views, lekoni species group. 163, 173. Smeringopina kinguele n. sp. 164, 174. S. mohoba n. sp. 165 – 166, 175 – 176. S. fang n. sp. from Djidji (165, 175) and Ndjolé (166, 176). 167, 177. S. tebe n. sp. 168, 178. S. lekoni n. sp. 169, 179. S. iboga n. sp. 170, 180 – 181. S. moudouma n. sp. from Moudouma (170, 180) and Iboundji (181). 171, 182. S. ndjole n. sp. 172, 183. S. kikongo n. sp. Arrows point at lateral constriction of dark band (165) and at laterally overhanging fold (180).

FIGURES 253 – 258. Smeringopina iboga n. sp. 253 – 254. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 255. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 256. Left bulbal process, prolateral view. 257. Epigynum, ventral view; arrow points at frontal ridge. 258. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 (256), 0.5 (253 – 255, 257 – 258).