Heliophanus improcerus Wesołowska, 1986

Wiśniewski, Konrad & Wesołowska, Wanda, 2024, Jumping spiders (Salticidae) of Uganda - revised list, new species and distributional data, European Journal of Taxonomy 952, pp. 1-171 : 35-36

Heliophanus improcerus Wesołowska, 1986

Fig. 21

Heliophanus improcerus Wesołowska, 1986: 35 , figs 376–383.

Material examined

UGANDA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Lake Nabagabo ; 0°22′ S, 31°54′ E; sweep from lake-side vegetation; 13 Mar. 1966; D. Penney leg.; NHM • 1 ♂; Bukakata ; 0°18′ S, 32°02′ E; 11 Apr. 1995; D. Penney leg.; MRAC 219 503 • 2 ♀♀; 10 km W of Fort Portal Nkuruba Lake Nature Reserve ; 0°31′ N, 30°18′ E; 13 Mar. 2009; Guinovsky leg.; MRAC 242 643 • 1 ♀; Entebbe , Botanical Gardens; Apr. 2001; FSCA • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; long grass; 17 May 1991; A. Russell-Smith leg.; MRAC 236 123 .

Redescription

Male

General appearance as in Fig. 21A.

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 1.3–1.4, width 1.1, height 0.4. Eye field length 0.6, anterior width 0.8, posterior width 0.9. Abdomen length 1.3, width 1.0.

CARAPACE. Brown with black eye field. White patches behind posterior lateral eyes. Thin lines along lateral edges of carapace formed by white hairs. Mouthparts and sternum dark brown.

ABDOMEN. Dark brown, clothed in short blackish hairs, with pair of diagonal white spots on posterior half of abdomen. Venter dark, spinnerets brown.

LEGS. First pair brown, legs II–IV yellow with brown femora.

PALPS. Brown. Palpal structure as in in Fig. 21B , embolus short and massive, tibial apophysis small, corresponding with large retrolateral cymbial tutaculum.

Female

Slightly larger than male, general appearance as in Fig. 21C . Colouration as in male.

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 1.6–1.9, width 1.1–1.2, height 0.4. Eye field length 0.7, anterior width 0.9, posterior width 1.0. Abdomen length 2.5–2.7, width 1.5.

EPIGYNE. As in Fig. 21D–E , elliptic, short and wide, extremely small, with posterior depression. Copulatory openings placed laterally, copulatory ducts primarily directed backwards, in further part approach center of epigyne, spermathecae bean-shaped with thin long appendix ( Fig. 21F ).

Distribution

Previously known only from Congo, this is the first record from Uganda.

Figures

Fig. 21. Heliophanus improcerus Wesołowska, 1986. A–B. ♂ (NHM). A. General appearance. B. Palpal organ, ventral view. C–F. ♀ (NHM). C. General appearance D–E. Epigyne. F. Internal structure of epigyne.