Euophrys maseruensis, Wesołowska & Azarkina & Russell-Smith, 2014

Wesołowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Russell-Smith, Anthony, 2014, Euophryine jumping spiders of the Afrotropical Region-new taxa and a checklist (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae), Zootaxa 3789 (1), pp. 1-72 : 23

Euophrys maseruensis sp. nov.

Figs 74–77

Holotype: male, LESOTHO, Maseru District, Molimo Nhtuse , 29°26'S: 27°57'E, on dry boulder in stream lodge, 15 April 1977, leg. A. Russell-Smith ( NHM).

Diagnosis. The species resembles members of Chalcoscirtus in having an abdominal scutum. Its pedipalp is similar to Euophrys from the frontalis group of species ( Logunov et al. 1993), but differs in having a shorter tibial apophysis and a broader embolus, with the embolic loop placed slightly obliquely to the long axis of bulb (parallel in the frontalis group).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the terra typica, the district of the capital city Maseru in Lesotho.

Description. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.1, width 0.8, height 0.4. Abdomen: length 1.2, width 0.8. Eye field: length 0.5, anterior 0.7, posterior width 0.8.

Male. General appearance as in Fig. 74 . Very small spider. Carapace dark brown, eye field almost black. Hairs scarce, only a few colourless bristles on anterior part of eye field. Fovea poorly developed. Clypeus low, dark, with some white hairs. Chelicerae with two promarginal teeth and single tooth on retromargin, mouth parts brown, only chewing margins of endites whitish. Sternum and coxae brown. Abdomen oval, dorsal surface covered with shiny brown scutum, hairless. Venter dark, spinnerets grey. Legs brown, femora slightly darker than other segments. Leg hairs fine, colourless. Pedipalp brown, its structure as in Figs 75, 76 , tibial apophysis thin, but not needle-shaped, bulb with large proximal lobe.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 74–77. Euophrys maseruensis sp. nov. 74 male holotype, dorsolateral view; 75 palpal organ, ventral view; 76 palpal organ, retrolateral view; 77 embolus, ventroapical view.