Festucula Simon, 1901

Azarkina, Galina N. & Foord, Stefan H., 2014, A revision of the Afrotropical species of Festucula Simon, 1901 (Araneae: Salticidae), African Invertebrates 55 (2), pp. 351-351 : 353-354

Genus Festucula Simon, 1901

Type species: Festucula vermiformes Simon, 1901 , by original designation.

Diagnosis: Festucula species share the following combination of characters: a flat carapace and very long and narrow abdomen (Fig̹ 1)̹A simple leg-carapace stridulatory mechanism ( Figs 5—7 ) and bulbus morphology suggest an affinity to Pseudicius Simon, 1885 (cinctus -group sensu Prószyṅski 2013)̹ Festucula have a simple, bladelike embolus fused immovably to the tegulum, bearing a retrolateral bump (Maddison 1987), and belong to the subfamily Heliophaninae (sensu Prószyṅski 1976; Maddison & Hedin 2003)̹

Description:

Medium-sized spiders, total length 4.7 to 9.2 mm. Sexes alike in general body shape and coloration, sometimes with sexual dimorphism in size. Carapace very low, height is only 25–30 % of its length. Eyes: AME largest, PME about midway between ALE and PLE, slightly closer to PLE, ocular quadrangle between 42% and 47 % of carapace length. Clypeus very low. Chelicerae small, unidentate, with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Maxillae long, slightly curved, convergent. Labium rectangular, longer than wide. Pedicel medium, usually visible in dorsal view. Abdomen very long and narrow, slightly bent downwards at its rear end (Fig̹ 1)̹ Width is between 19% and 30 % of its length. Legs: leg I very long and robust, all legs and palps with very long bristles.

Leg formula: males and females I, IV, II, III or I, IV, III, II. Leg spination: uniform in both sexes, pattern: leg I – Tb v 0-1-1-1 or 0-1-1-1-0; Mt v 0-2-2ap; leg II – Mt v 1-2ap; leg III – Mt v 0-1ap; leg IV – Mt v 0-1ap. Some species and sexes without spines on legs II, III, IV (i.e. spination only on leg I, e.g. F. lawrencei ; or spination on leg I and III/IV, e.g. both sexes of F. festuculaeformis , females of F. haddadi and F. robustus )̹

Stridulatory organs (sensu Maddison 1987): present in both sexes and represent a leg-carapace stridulatory mechanism, with narrow band of 7–9 seta-bearing tubercles on carapace below lateral eyes and 4–6 seta-bearing tubercles on prolateral surface of femora of leg I ( Figs 5—7 , arrowed)̹

Number of tubercles on carapace and femora varies within species and sexes. Male palp: femur with a small bulge on its inner lateral surface (Fig̹ 2, arrowed); tibia short, with curved ventral tibial apophysis (VTA) and relatively straight retrolateral tibial apophysis (LTA) (Fig̹ 3, arrowed); cymbium oval; embolus short, slightly curved, originating prolaterally distally on tegulum; tegulum with prolateral basal lobe. Female genitalia: simple, epigyne a flat plate, with a pair of copulatory pores situated in two depressions in the lower part of epigyne; insemination ducts short, broad at entrances, with long accessory glands (AG) often located near entrances (Fig̹ 4, arrowed)̹

Composition:

Festucula Simon, 1901 includes the following eight species:

F. australis Lawrence, 1927

F. festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925)

F. haddadi sp. n.

F. lawrencei Lessert, 1933

F. leroyae sp. n.

F. lineata Simon, 1901

F. robustus sp. n.

F. vermiformis Simon, 1901

Distribution: Throughout Africa and the Levant (Fig̹ 26)̹

Figures

Figs 5–7. Festucula spp̹:(5, 6) carapacestridulatory organs;(7) leg stridulatory organs̹Scale bar(5):0̹2 mm̹