Diphya vanderwaltae sp. nov.

Figures 3H, 4C, 5F, 11C, 13 A–C, 14

Etymology. The specific name is a matronym in honour of Vida van der Walt. She is a Salticidae photographer who has contributed to the field with her photography of living jumping spiders in South Africa.

Diagnosis. The new species differs of all other Diphya species by the dark coloration of the body and femora, lacking a distinct abdominal pattern, having a triangular epigynal septum, closely spaced copulatory openings and receptacles almost touching each other (vs. at least abdomen with pattern, femora colored as other leg segments, septum not triangular, and receptacles distinctly spaced). Male unknown.

Description. Female (Holotype, NCA 2007/306). TL 3.30, CL 1.46, CW 1.16. Carapace dark brown, with black triangular spot in central part, median band indistinct. Ocular area black. Clypeus dark-brown, higher than AME diameter. Chelicerae and mouthparts brown. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth. Sternum uniformly black, without dark edges, spots or stripes. Femora dark gray, with yellowish longitudinal lines. Patellae, tibiae and metatarsi of all legs uniformly dark gray. Tarsi dark gray; III–IV lighter than I–II. Abdomen dorsally dark gray (lighter in frontal part, with some guanine spots). Lateral and ventral sides almost black, with few yellowish spots.

Palp and leg segment lengths

Epigyne as in Figs 11C, 13 A–C; with large and triangular base of septum (width/height ratio 3.0), very short and thin septal stem, and 2 distinct, closely separated copulatory openings; receptacles elongate, with shallow constrictions, almost touching each other.

Type material. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: Cwebe Nature Reserve, 32°16.8’S 28°54’E, leg. C. Haddad, 30.X.2006 (sifting leaf litter, coastal dune forest) (NCA 2007 /306).

Comments. We are convinced that this species, known from the female only, cannot be conspecific with D. leroyorum sp. nov., known from the holotype male only. The two species have very different patterns and leg spination arrangements.

Distribution. Type locality only (Fig. 14).