Phlegra certa, Wesolowska & Haddad, 2009

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 : 71-72

Phlegra certa sp. n.

Figs 142–146

Etymology: From Latin certa (certain).

Diagnosis: The species is distinguishable by the brilliant reddish hairs on the eye field. The male pedipalp resembles that in Ph. nuda Próchniewicz & Heciak, 1994 but has a wider ventral tibial apophysis (compare Fig. 144 herein with fig. 155 in Wesolowska & Tomasiewicz 2008) and differs in the embolus structure (compare Fig. 146 herein with fig. 32 in Logunov & Azarkina 2006 and fig. 157 in Wesolowska & Tomasiewicz 2008). Female unknown.

Description:

Male.

Measurements: Carapace length 1.5–2.2, width 1.0–1.2, height 0.6–0.7.Abdomen length 1.6–2.1, width 1.0–1.2. Eye field length 0.7, anterior width 1.0–1.2, posterior width 0.9–1.1.

General appearance in Fig. 142; small and slender, dark spider. Carapace pear-shaped, broadest posteriorly, with short eye field; colouration of carapace orange to blackish, eye field black, covered with reddish orange hairs (eye field appearing to have golden metallic lustre), thoracic part lighter; in lighter coloured specimen traces of two whitish lines, running from anterior lateral eyes to posterior edge of carapace; ocular area with fine long brown bristles, blackish hairs on thoracic part; clypeus low, dark. Mouthparts and sternum dark brown. Abdomen elongate, clothed in thin delicate dark hairs, longer at its anterior edge; delicate, dark brown, shiny scutum covering almost entire dorsum of abdomen ( Fig. 142); venter dark; spinnerets blackish. Legs dark brown or black, metatarsi lighter with dark distal ends, tarsi yellowish; leg hairs and spines dark. Pedipalps blackish; some whitish hairs on cymbium, in vicinity of tibial apophysis; palpal organ shown in Fig. 143, structure of tibial apophyses in Figs 144, 145, details of embolus in Fig. 146.

Holotype: ơ Near Nyamiti Bird Hide, Pongola R. floodplain, Ezikebheni, 26 ° 53.362'S: 32 ° 18.892'E, leaf litter, 9.ii.2005 ( NCA 2009 /671).

Paratypes: 1ơ Main Camp, 26 ° 54.581'S: 32 ° 18.798'E, broadleaf woodland, grassy litter, 13.vi.2005 ( NMSA 21830 ) ; 1ơ Near Fontana Camp, 26 ° 52.072'S: 32 ° 09.545'E, A. tortilis savannah, leaf litter, 8.vii.2004 ( NCA 2008 /2750) ; 1ơ Western shore of Nyamiti Pan, 26 ° 53.767'S: 32 ° 16.557'E, subtropical bush, sifting leaf litter, 24.vi.2006, C. Haddad & F. Jordaan ( NCA 2006 /1240) .

Habitat and biology: This small species was rare. The few specimens collected were found in leaf and grass litter in AS and BW.