Pochytoides poissoni ( Berland & Millot, 1941 ) Wesołowska, 2018

Wesołowska, Wanda, 2018, A revision of the genus Pochytoides Berland & Millot, 1941 (Araneae: Salticidae), with descriptions of six new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 418, pp. 1-26 : 15-18

Pochytoides poissoni ( Berland & Millot, 1941) comb. nov.

Figs 9–10

Pochyta (Pochytoides) poissoni Berland & Millot, 1941: 363 , fig. 64a–b.

Type material

Holotype

GUINEA: ♀, Macenta , 08°33′ N, 09°28′ W [620 m a.s.l.], [1937, leg. J. Millot] ( MNHN).

Other material

GUINEA: 1 ♂, together with holotype ( MNHN); 1 ♀, Mts Nimba, Praira , 1600 m a.s.l., 7°34′ N, 8°28′ W, savanna with Andropogon , 20 Jun. 1942, M. Lamotte leg. ( NHM); 1 ♀, Mts Nimba , Ziéla, 500 m a.s.l., 16–20 Dec. 1956, M. Lamotte leg. ( NHM); 1 ♀, Mts Nimba, Fouenyi forest , 573 m a.s.l., soil litter, sieving, 1 Mar. 2012, A. Hernard et al. leg. ( MRAC 238 838B ).

Differential diagnosis

The male is similar to that of P. patellaris sp. nov. in having an embolus with accompanying membrane, but may be distinguished by the orientation of the embolar tip (retrolateral in P. poissoni comb. nov., prolateral in P. patellaris sp. nov.) and by the absence of a patellar apophysis. The female is slightly similar to that of P. obstipa sp. nov.; both species have an epigyne with paired pockets placed near the epigastric furrow at the level of the spermathecae, but P. poissoni comb. nov. can be separated by the clearly smaller atria and characteristic wavy edge of the atrial area (compare Fig. 10A–F with Fig. 6A–D ).

Redescription

Male

DIMENSIONS. Cephalothorax: length 2.3, width 1.4, height 1.1. Abdomen: length1.5, width 1.0. Eye field: length 0.9, anterior width 1.4, posterior width 1.3.

COLOUR AND BODY. General appearance as in Fig. 9A . Carapace abruptly sloping posteriorly ( Fig. 9B ), covered with delicate colourless hairs, some white hairs on slopes. Anterior medians lack black rings, long bristles near eyes. Fovea visible. Clypeus low, with white hairs. Chelicerae dark yellow, fang short, dentition as in Fig. 9C . Labium, endites and sternum dark yellowish. Abdomen smaller than cephalothorax, oval, yellowish grey (probably bleached) with traces of lighter chevrons in posterior half, some brown bristles on abdominal dorsum, denser at anterior edge. Spinnerets yellow. Legs long, light brown. Ventral spines of tibia and metatarsus extremely long ( Fig. 9D ). Short, stiff and sharp hairs on ventral surface of first femur.

GENITALIA. Pedipalps yellow with white hairs on cymbium, tibia short with short broad retrolateral and prolateral apophyses ( Fig. 9F, J ) and thin horizontal apophysis on dorsum ( Fig. 9H ). Embolus nearly straight, only the tip curved to retrolateral side, with large accompanying membrane ( Fig. 9E–G, J–K ).

Female

DIMENSIONS. Cephalothorax: length 2.0–2.2, width 1.5–1.8, height 1.0–1.1. Abdomen: length 2.0–2.6, width 1.4–1.9. Eye field: length 1.0–1.2, anterior width 1.5–1.8, posterior width 1.4–1.7.

COLOUR AND BODY. Shape of body as in male, only leg I shorter. Some white hairs on slopes of carapace. Chelicerae as in male, only retromarginal tooth slightly smaller. Abdominal pattern with more contrast than in male, two parallel light bands on greyish background in anterior part and a few chevrons posteriorly. Legs yellow, darker rings on bases and ends of segments. Retrolateral spine on palpal tarsus ( Fig. 10A ).

GENITALIA. Epigyne strongly sclerotized, especially in the anterior part, with pair of pockets in front of the epigastric fold ( Fig. 10A–F ; figures show intraspecific variation). Internal structure as in Fig. 10G– H , copulatory openings placed in deep atria, small accessory glands connected to spermathecae.

Remark

One male was found together with the holotype in the same vial, but this specimen is not mentioned in the original description.

Figures

Fig. 6. Pochytoides obstipa sp. nov., paratypes, ♀. A–D. Epigyne. E–F. Internal structure of epigyne. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 9. Pochytoides poissoni (Berland & Millot, 1941) comb. nov., ♂. A. General appearance, lateral view. B. Carapace, dorsolateral view. C. Cheliceral dentition. D. First leg. E–K. Palpal organ. E. Ventroprolateral view. F, I. Ventral view. G, J. Retrolateral view. H. Dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B, D = 1.0 mm, C, E–K = 0.3 mm.

Fig. 10. Pochytoides poissoni (Berland & Millot, 1941) comb. nov., holotype, ♀ (B, D, G), specimen from Ziéla (A, C, E, H) and specimen from Fouenyi (F). A. Tip of female's palp. B–F. Epigyne. G–H. Internal structure of epigyne. Scale bars: A = 0.3 mm, B–H = 0.2 mm.