Stenaelurillus albopunctatus Caporiacco, 1949

Logunov, Dmitri V. & Azarkina, Galina N., 2018, Redefinition and partial revision of the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886 (Arachnida, Araneae, Salticidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 430, pp. 1-126 : 17-20

Stenaelurillus albopunctatus Caporiacco, 1949

Figs 13 , 40–56 , 511

Stenaelurillus albopunctatus Caporiacco, 1949: 474 , fig. 89a–b (D♂ ♀); lectotype ♂ and 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ paralectotypes (designated here) in MSNF, examined.

Stenaelurillus albopunctatus – Wesołowska 2014 b: 597, fig. 1A–F (♂ ♀).

Diagnosis

This species is most similar to S. kronestedti from Tanzania ( Figs 317–329 ), with both species having very similar coloration and an almost identical conformation of the embolic division: viz., a hookshaped embolus with an anvil-shaped basis in the males. S. albopunctatus can be readily distinguished from S. kronestedti by the spatula-shaped RTA, the obtuse, wider and longer DTA, and the position of the row of long, transparent and black bristles on the DTA ( Fig. 41 ) in the males, and by the closely situated copulatory openings (less than one diameter) and the markedly shorter insemination ducts in the females ( Figs 47–48 ).

Material examined

Lectotype (designated here)

KENYA: ♂, Nairobi , 1°16′59″ S, 36°49′00″ E, 1944, Meneghetti leg.; according to Caporiacco (1949: 475), he also studied a single ♀ from the locality Elmenteita, ca 0°29′08.2″ S, 36°09′15.2″ E in Kenya, collected in December 1945 ( MSNF 645 ).

Paralectotypes

KENYA: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, same collecting data as for lectotype.

Other material

KENYA: 3 ♂♂, Rift Val. (= Great Rift Valley), Naivasha, ca 0°43′01.9″ S, 36°25′51.7″ E, 1900 m a.s.l., hillside scrub, 27 Jul. 1972, J. Murphy leg. ( MMUE G 7572.9); 1 ♂, same locality, shrubs, etc., 3 Aug. 1974, J. Murphy leg. ( MMUE G 7572.10); 1 ♂, Nairobi, Langata, ca 1°21′ S, 36°42′ E, swampy area with Sesbania , 29 Dec. 1985, A. Russell-Smith leg. ( MMUE G 7583.1); 2 ♀♀, Nairobi, grounds of National Museum, ca 1°16′ S, 36°48′ E, in long grass, 12 Nov. 1982, A. Russell-Smith leg. ( MMUE G 7583.2).

Description

Male (lectotype, Figs 40–46 )

Measurements: carapace: 2.65 long, 1.85 wide, 1.40 high. Abdomen: 2.70 long, 2.00 wide. Ocular area: 1.00 long, 1.43 wide anteriorly, 1.36 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.55. Clypeal height 0.13. Diameter of AME 0.40. Length of leg segments: I 1.28 + 0.70 + 0.75 + 0.60 + 0.50 (3.83); II 1.30 + 0.75 + 0.68 + 0.60 +0.45 (3.78); III 1.80 + 0.90 + 1.15 + 1.45 + 0.60 (5.90); IV 1.75 + 0.85 + 1.25 + 1.65 + 0.70 (6.20). Leg formula IV,III,I,II. Leg spination: I: Fm d 0-1-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1 -2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, v 2-2 ap. II: Fm d 0-1-2-4; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1 -2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, v 2-2 ap. III: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1 -0-2ap; Mt d 2-2, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 0-1- 2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1 -0-1ap; Mt d 2-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 1-1 -2-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 45–46 ). Carapace light red-brown, with dark brown eye field. Clypeus brownish yellow, sparsely covered with long white hairs. Sternum yellow, covered with long white hairs. Endites ( Fig. 13 ), labium and chelicerae yellow. Abdomen: dorsum brown, with large, brown-shining scutum covering its anterior half; sides and venter bright yellow, with sparse brown speckles. Book-lung covers bright yellow. Spinnerets yellow, but the distal pair with dark brown tips. All legs orange yellow, except for darker legs I, with Tb ventrally and Mt and Tr entirely dark brown. Palps yellowish, cymbium dorsally covered with white hairs. Palpal structure as in Figs 40–44 : VTA bulgeshaped; RTA spatula-shaped, directed anteriad; DTA massive and obtuse, bearing a row of thick bristles along its entire length, also with bristles situated in its proximal half that are transparent (whitish) and sometimes poorly visible, which is why they were not illustrated by some earlier authors (e.g., Wesołowska, 2014b: fig. 1B); the tegulum small and poorly seen; the functional tegulum wide and elongated, with well-developed proximal (PP) and distal (DP, as triangular concave plate) projections; the embolus relatively short and thick, with an anvil-shaped base.

Female (paralectotype)

The specimen is badly damaged, with the carapace and abdomen being detached from each other and with almost all legs and both palps being detached from the carapace. Measurements: carapace: 3.10 long, 2.30 wide, 1.65 high. Abdomen: 4.20 long, 3.20 wide. Ocular area: 1.28 long, 1.63 wide anteriorly, 1.63 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.68. Clypeal height 0.35. Diameter of AME 0.43. Length of leg segments: I 1.50 + 0.80 + 0.75 + 0.70 + 0.45 (4.20); II 1.53 + 0.75 + 0.83 + 0.75 + 0.55 (4.41); III 2.40 + 1.18 + 1.40 + 1.80 + 0.90 (7.68); IV 2.30 + 1.00 + 1.50 + 2.05 + 0.75 (7.60).

Leg formula III,IV,II,I. Leg spination: I: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1ap, v 2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2 ap. II: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1ap; Mt d, pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2 ap. III: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1 -0-2ap; Mt d 2-2, pr and rt 1-0-2ap, v 0-1-0. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1-1 -2ap; Mt d 1-1, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 1-2 - 2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 53–56 ). Yellow, tinged with brown, eye field dark brown. Clypeus yellowish, tinged with brown. Sternum, endites and labium bright yellow. Chelicerae yellow, anteriorly tinged with brown. Abdomen: dorsum yellow, densely covered with brown recumbent scales, with a poorly marked longitudinal yellow stripe; sides and venter bright yellow, with sparse brown speckles. Book-lung covers bright yellow. Spinnerets light brown, but the dorsal pair with dark brown tips. All legs yellow, but legs I and II visibly tinged with brown. Palps yellow. Epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 47–48 : epigynal plate flat, round, with a pair of ovoid copulatory openings situated rather close to each other (by less than their diameter); epigynal pocket absent; insemination ducts short, tube-shaped; primary spermathecae large, bean-shaped.

Distribution

Several localities in Kenya ( Fig. 511 ) ( Caporiacco 1949; Wesołowska 2014 b; present data).

Figures

Figs 1–13. Trichobothrial bases (1–3, 5–8), tarsal organs (4, 9), left chelicerae (10–12) and right endite (13) of Stenaelurillus Simon, 1885. 1–2. S. nigricaudus Simon, 1886, ♀. 1. Tb 1. 2. Tr 1. 3. S. hirsutus Lessert, 1927, ♀, Tr 2. 4–7. S. termitophagus (Wesołowska & Cumming, 1999) comb. nov., ♀. 4. Tr 1. 5. Mt 1. 6. Tr 2. 7. Tr 1. 8–9. S. guttatus (Wesołowska & Cumming, 2002) comb. nov., ♀. 8. Tr 1. 9. Tr 1. 10. S. nigricaudus Simon, 1886, ♀. 11. S. termitophagus comb. nov., ♀. 12. S. darwini Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000, ♀. 13. S. albopunctatus Caporiacco, 1949, ♂, right endite. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 1–9 = 5 µm; 10–12 = 0.25 mm; 13 = 0.1 mm.

Figs 40–48. Stenaelurillus albopunctatus Caporiacco, 1949, lectotype, ♂ and paralectotype, ♀. 40. Male palp, ventral view. 41. Male palp, retrolateral view. 42. Embolic division, dorsal view. 43. Embolic division, retrolateral view. 44. Embolic division, median view. 45. ♂, dorsal view. 46. ♂, ventral view. 47. Epigyne, ventral view. 48. Spermathecae, dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 40–44, 47–48 = 0.1 mm; 45–46 = 1 mm.

Figs 49–56. Stenaelurillus albopunctatus Caporiacco, 1949 from Kenya (Nairobi), general appearance. 49–52. ♂ (Langata, MMUE G7583.1). 53–56. ♀ (grounds of National Museum, MMUE G7583.2). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figs 317–323. Stenaelurillus kronestedti Próchniewicz & Heçiak, 1994, holotype, ♂ (317–322) and paratype ♀ (323). 317. Bulbus, ventral view. 318. Male palp, retrolateral view. 319. Embolic division, dorsal view. 320. Embolic division, retrolateral view. 321. Embolic division, median view. 322. General appearance. 323. Spermathecae, dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 317– 321, 323 = 0.1 mm; 322 = 1 mm.

Figs 324–329. Stenaelurillus kronestedti Próchniewicz & Heçiak, 1994, general appearance. 324– 326. Holotype. 327–329. Paratype, ♀. Scale bars: 1 mm

Fig. 511. Collecting localities of six African species of Stenaelurillus Simon, 1885.