Ninetis faro 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, pp. 1-46 : 26-28

Ninetis faro Huber , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C0D5E7FB-BB45-4921-BCBE-75FC4197FF02

Figs 25 , 53-62

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from most known congeners (especially from N. subtilissima Simon, 1890 which has a similar male palp) by shape of male cheliceral apophyses ( Figs 60-61 ); from N. russellsmithi Huber, 2002 (which has similar male chelicerae) by shorter embolus and presence of procursus ( Figs 58-59 ). From other species by shapes of bulbal projections (both projections of same length in N. toliara Huber & El Hennawy, 2007 ) or by shape of procursus (larger and not pointed in N. minuta (Berland, 1919) and N. namibiae Huber, 2000 ). Females are not easily distinguished (epigynum wider in N. namibiae , narrower in N. minuta ; similar in other species).

Etymology

The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Type material

Holotype ♂, in MRAC ( 221178 ) .

Type locality

CAMEROON, North Region, Faro Game Reserve [8°24’N, 12°49’E], pitfall in gallery forest, 5 May 2007 (R. Jocqué, K. Loosveldt, L. Baert, M. Alderweireldt).

Other material examined

CAMEROON: North Region: 1 ♂ in MRAC ( 221178 ), same data as and together with holotype ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (2 vials) in MRAC ( 221136, 221208 ), same data but pitfall in wooded savanna, 3-4 May 2007 . 1 ♀ in MRAC ( 221401 ), same data but sieving in gallery forest, 17 Apr. 2007 . 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ in MRAC ( 221463 ), Hossere Gare [8°30’N, 13°08’E], sieving of litter among rocks, 4 May 2007 (Jocqué, Loosveldt, Baert, Alderweireldt) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.2, carapace width 0.50. Leg 1: 2.96 (0.80 + 0.20 + 0.80 + 0.73 + 0.43), tibia 2: 0.67, tibia 3: 0.50, tibia 4: 0.80; tibia 1 L/d: 12. Distance PME-PME 35 µm, diameter PME 40 µm, distance PME-ALE 25 µm, diameter AME 20 µm, distance AME-AME 20 µm.

COLOR. Entire animal ochre-yellow to ochre-grey.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 53-54 ; ocular area not elevated; carapace without median furrow; clypeus more sclerotized at rim and medially slightly protruding; sternum about as wide as long (0.38/0.37), with distinct humps near leg coxae 1. Chelicerae as in Figs 60-61 , with distinctive pair of frontal apophyses; with very fine stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 55-56 and 58-59 , coxa and trochanter unmodified, femur with small retrolatero-ventral apophysis, tarsus with small pointed procursus; bulb with long ventral process and short membranous dorsal embolus.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 67%; prolateral trichobothrium apparently absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~6 pseudosegments.

VARIATION. Tibia 1 in 5 other males: 0.63-0.73 (mean 0.69).

Female

In general similar to male but clypeus, sternum, and chelicerae unmodified; tibia 1 in 5 females: 0.50- 0.60 (mean 0.53). Epigynum simple oval sclerotized area consisting of large anterior and smaller posterior plate; internal structures poorly visible through cuticle ( Fig. 57 ); unclear if complex internal structures are part of anterior plate (as appears in dorsal view; Fig. 62 ) or posterior plate (as appears in ventral view); anterior plate with transversal ridge apparently connected to median pocket. Pore plates not seen ( Fig. 62 ).

Distribution

Known from two localities in the North Region of Cameroon ( Fig. 25 ).

Figures

Figs 25 - 26. Known distributions of the genera Ninetis Simon, 1890 and Pehrforsskalia Deeleman- Reinhold & van Harten, 2001, and of Nyikoa limbe Huber, 2007 in Central Africa.

Figs 53 - 57. Ninetis faro sp. nov. 53 - 54. ♂, dorsal and lateral views. 55 - 56. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 57. ♀, ventral view.

Figs 58 - 62. Ninetis faro sp. nov. 58 - 59. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 60 - 61. ♂ chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 62. Cleared ♀ genitalia, dorsal view. ba = bulbal apophysis; e = embolus; pr = procursus. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.