Pochyta tendicula, Wesołowska & Szűts, 2021

Wesołowska, Wanda & Szűts, Tamás, 2021, A revision of the genus Pochyta Simon, with descriptions of new species (Araneae: Salticidae: Thiratoscirtina), Zootaxa 5052 (1), pp. 1-41 : 33-35

Pochyta tendicula sp. n.

Figs 137–143

Type material. Holotype, male: GABON: Ngouniené , Waka Natural Park, 1°08’S 11°09’E, 420 m a.s.l., botanical garden, 17–20.VI.2007, leg. W. Maddison, D. de Bakker, M. Bodner ( BBM).

Diagnosis. The palpal organ of this species is similar to that in P. fastibilis , but differs by the form of the tibial apophysis, which is single in P. tendicula sp. n., whereas in the latter species it has an additional dorsal process (compare Fig. 143 with Fig. 34 ). These species may be easily distinguished by the shape of the cheliceral fang, which is simple and lacks lateral modifications in P. tendicula vs with lateral triangular apophyses in P. fastibilis (compare Fig. 140 with Fig. 30 ).

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition, the Latin word “tendicula” means loop and refers to the course of the embolus.

Description. Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 2.4, width 1.9, height 1.1. Eye field: length 1.3, anterior width 1.8, posterior width 1.6.Abdomen: length 2.2, width 1.3. General appearance as in Fig. 137 . Carapace high, brown, darkening at edges, clothed in short colourless hairs, on foveal area some white hairs. Eyes large, surrounded with black rings, with fawn hairs and some long bristles near eyes. Chelicerae large, brown, with single retromarginal tooth and two teeth on promargin ( Fig. 140 ). Mouthparts brown, with whitish tips, sternum light brown. Abdomen ovoid, greyish-beige, with pair of rounded dark grey patches and several whitish chevrons on posterior half. Venter grey. Spinnerets greyish. Sparse brown bristles on abdominal dorsum. Legs yellowish-brown, only first pair longer than others, with darker distal segments. Leg hairs and spines brown. Patella I with single prolateral spine, tibia ventrally with 2-2-2-2 long spines, metatarsus ventrally 2-2-2 and some additional shorter spines on both sides ( Fig. 138 ). Row of short sharp bristles along ventral surface of femur I. Pedipalps slender, brown, hairy. Retrolateral tibial apophysis short, bulb small, rounded, embolus long, coiled, forming a loop ( Figs 139 , 141, 142 ).

Female unknown.

Distribution. Known only from type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 137–139. Pochyta tendicula sp. n. male holotype. 137 habitus, dorsal view; 138 first leg; 139 palpal organ, ventral view.

FIGURES 140–143. Pochyta tendicula sp. n. male holotype. 140 chelicera; 141 palpal organ, ventral view; 142 palpal organ, ventroateral view; 143 palpal organ, lateral view.

FIGURES 29–35. Pochyta fastibilis Simon male. 29 chelicera, ventral view; 30 chelicera, retrolateral view; 31, 32 palpal organ, ventral view; 33 palpal organ, ventrolateral view; 34 palpal organ, lateral view; 35 tibial apophysis, dorsal view; 29–31 holotype.