Festucula monticola Berland & Millot, 1941

Azarkina, Galina N. & Foord, Stefan H., 2023, Further notes on the Afrotropical genus Festucula Simon, 1901 (Araneae, Salticidae), ZooKeys 1185, pp. 285-308 : 285

Festucula monticola Berland & Millot, 1941

Figs 22-24 , 25-28 , 29 , 30

Festucula monticola Berland & Millot, 1941: 345, fig. 48 (Type ♀, Guinea: Dalaba, MNHN-not examined, probably lost).

F. monticola : Wesołowska 1992: 45 (Nomen dubium); Azarkina and Foord 2014: 374 (Nomen dubium).

F. festuculaeformis : Wesołowska and Edwards 2012: 746, figs 44-45 (misidentified).

F. lineata : Fage 1923: 299, fig. 1; Azarkina and Foord 2014: 369 (misidentified).

Material examined.

Guinea • 1♀; Nzerekore Region , Prefecture Lola, Mount Nimba, c. 7.67, -8.40; M. Lamotte leg.; SMF 72421 • 1♀; same but 11.XII.1956, SMF 72420 .

Diagnosis.

The female of this species resembles F. australis and F. vermiformis in epigyne and vulva form, but differs from F. australis by having larger epigynal depressions (cf. Figs 30 and 32 ), and from F. vermiformis in the accessory gland located closer to epigastric furrow (cf. Figs 33 and 35 ). Male resembles that of F. australis (for male’s diagnosis see Azarkina and Foord 2014: 369, sub F. lineata sensu Fage 1923).

Description.

Female. Total length 5.80. Carapace 2.10 long, 1.40 wide. Abdomen 3.70 long, 1.30 wide. Ocular area 0.85 long, 1.15 wide anteriorly, 1.20 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.60. Clypeal height 0.05. Hight at PLE 0.70. Diameter of AME 0.30. Length of leg segments: I 1.10 + 0.80 + 0.95 + 0.65 + 0.40 (3.90). II 0.80 + 0.45 + 0.55 + 0.50 + 0.40 (2.70). III 0.80 + 0.45 + 0.55 + 0.50 + 0.40 (2.70). IV 1.30 + 0.60 + 0.90 + 0.90 + 0.45 (4.15). Leg setation: I: Fm d 0-1-1-2, Tbpr 1-1-1, Mt v 2-2 ap. II: Fm d 0-1-1-1, Mt v 2-2 ap. III: Fm d 0-1-1-1. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-1. Colouration (in alcohol, Figs 25-28 ). Carapace brown, with a broad yellow longitudinal band medially and pair of broad yellow bands marginally. The ocular area is brown, with two dark-brown patches in the middle part, with black patches around eyes. Sternum yellow-brown. Labium and endites yellow-brown, pale apically. Chelicerae are dark-brown. Clypeus and cheeks yellow, covered with white setae. Carapace stridulatory organs with 8 seta-bearing tubercles. Abdomen brown, with one broad yellow longitudinal band medially and two yellow longitudinal bands laterally. Venter white-yellow, with dark yellow longitudinal band, tinged with brown medially; with two narrow longitudinal brownish bands laterally. Spinnerets brownish-yellow. Book-lung covers brownish. Legs I long and robust, brownish. Femora I dark-brown prolatero-apically; patellae I dark-brown prolaterally. Tibiae and metatarsi I brown in apical half prolaterally. Remaining legs yellow. Palps yellow. Epigyne and vulva as in Figs 22-24 : 1.3 times wider than long. Copulatory openings located in posterior half. Fertilization ducts visible through integument. Copulatory ducts broad, pointed anteriorly. Accessory glands club-shaped, pointed posteriorly. Spermathecae Г-shaped, fertilization ducts located on apical part.

Distribution.

Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire (Fig. 29 ).

Comments.

Due to the possible loss of the type specimens of F. lineata and F. monticola ( Wesołowska 1992; Azarkina and Foord 2014), the specific status of these species remains uncertain. Wesołowska (1992) considered F. lineata and F. monticola as nomina dubia. Festucula lineata was described from Dakar, Senegal and the type specimens are immature ( Wesołowska 1992), but Lessert (1933, f. 73) drew the type specimen and at least one female was mature (this female probably lost). The type of F. monticola was described from Dalaba, Guinea ( Berland and Millot 1941). Later Fage (1923) described a male of F. lineata from Kerouane, Guinea. Based on a single male from Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire and figures of a male from Guinea ( Fage 1923) Azarkina and Foord (2014) revalidated F. lineata (sensu Fage, 1923). The description of the male as F. lineata , by Fage, seems erroneous. Based on new material from Mt. Nimba in Guinea we conclude that the localities of the Fage (1923) and Azarkina and Foord (2014) males falls within F. monticola distribution range of and are therefore F. monticola instead of F. lineata . We therefore revalidated the status of F. monticola , redescribed the female and assigned males from Guinea ( Fage 1923) and Côte d’Ivoire ( Azarkina and Foord 2014) as males of F. monticola instead of F. lineata .

New record

Figures

Figure 29. New data of distribution of four Festucula species in Africa.

Figures 22 - 24. Festucula monticola 22 epigyne, ventral view 23 vulva, dorsal view 24 diagrammatic course of the insemination ducts. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figures 25 - 28. Festucula monticola 25 habitus, dorsal view 26 same, ventral view 27 same, lateral view 28 same, latero-frontal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 30 - 47. Festucula spp., females 30, 31 F. australis (from Azarkina and Foord 2014) 32, 33 F. monticola 34, 35 F. vermiformis (from Proszynski 1987) 36, 37 F. botswana sp. nov. 38, 39 F. festuculaeformis (from Azarkina and Foord 2014) 40, 41 F. haddadi (from Azarkina and Foord 2014) 42, 43 F. lawrencei 44, 45 F. leroyae (from Azarkina and Foord 2014) 46, 47 F. robustus (from Azarkina and Foord 2014): 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 epigyne, ventral view 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47 vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.