Stenaelurillus darwini Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000

Figs 12, 105–118, 511

Stenaelurillus darwini Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000: 98, figs 269–276 (D♂ ♀); ♂ holotype in MRAC, examined.

Stenaelurillus darwini – Wesołowska 2014b: 598, fig. 2A–E (D♂).

Diagnosis

This species can easily be distinguished from all other species of Stenaelurillus by the structure of DTA bearing a tuft of very long black bristles and the shape of the proximal projection of the functional tegulum (Figs 105–106) in the male, and by a pair of the prominent bulge-shaped protuberances of the epigyne and the conformation of the spermathecae (Figs 109–110) in the female. See also remarks below under Diagnosis of S. fuscatus .

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Mkomazi GR, ca 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, pitfall traps in grassland, Feb. 1994, A. Russell-Smith leg. (MRAC 207.976).

Paratypes

TANZANIA: 1 ♀, together with the holotype (MRAC 207.977); 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp, ca 3°58′ S, 37°46′ E, pitfall traps, grassland, Feb. 1994, A. Russell-Smith leg. (MRAC 207.978).

Other material

TANZANIA: 18 ♂♂, 17 ♀♀, Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp, ca 3°58′ S, 37°46′ E, hillside W of gulley, bushland and grass, pitfall traps, 10–11 Aug. 1993, A. Russell-Smith leg. (MRAC 215.600); 79 ♂♂, 25 ♀♀ (MMUE G7571.48, MMUE G7571.50), 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀ (OUNHM), 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ (ISEA 001.7890), 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀ (ZMMU), same reserve, Ibaya camp, unburned hillside grassland, pitfall traps, 1994–1996, A. Russell-Smith leg.; 2 ♂♂, same reserve, open combretum woodland, ca 3°59′ S, 37°47′ E, yellow pan trap, 26 Nov. 1995, S. van Noort leg. (NCA 2010/4844).

KENYA: 16 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, Mt. Kasigau, Jora Vil., 3°50′ S, 38°39′ E, pitfall traps, 28 Nov.–Dec. 2001, E. Selempo leg. (MRAC 213.038, MRAC 213.111, MRAC 212.901, MRAC 213.046, MRAC 213.057); 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, same locality, 18–22 Jan. 2002, E. Selempo leg. (MRAC 213.011, MRAC 213.017); 6 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Kenya Coast, Tsavo, Taita Discovery Centre, ca 3°25′ S, 38°46′ E, pitfall traps, 11 Nov. 2001 – 22 Jan. 2002, E. Selempo leg. (MRAC 213.046, MRAC 212.901, MRAC 213.121, MRAC 213.119).

Description

Male (from Tanzania, Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp; MMUE G7571.50)

Measurements: carapace: 2.65 long, 1.90 wide, 1.10 high. Abdomen: 2.50 long, 1.85 wide. Ocular area: 1.13 long, 1.53 wide anteriorly, 1.48 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.63. Clypeal height 0.25. Diameter of AME 0.40. Length of leg segments: I 1.30 + 0.70 + 0.80 + 0.75 + 0.55 (4.10); II 1.25 + 0.65 + 0.75 + 0.70 + 0.55 (3.90); III 1.85 + 0.90 + 1.15 + 1.50 + 0.55 (5.95); IV 1.70 + 0.80 + 1.15 + 1.65 + 0.65 (5.95). Leg formula III/IV,I,II. Leg spination: I: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, rt 1ap, v 1-1- 2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1-2ap; Mt pr 2-1-1ap, rt 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. III: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr 1-1-1-1, rt 1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 0-2-2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-4; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-0- 2ap; Mt d 1-0-0, pr 1-2-2ap, rt 1-1-2ap, v 0-1-2-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 111–114). Carapace brownish yellow, densely covered with long brown recumbent scales and with black eye field; there are two longitudinal white stripes of scales on the thorax and two wide white marginal stripes. Clypeus and cheeks yellow, densely covered with long transparent hairs. Sternum yellow, densely covered with white hairs. Endites and labium yellow. Chelicerae yellow, tinged with brown. Abdomen: dorsum dark.

brown, with a large scutum covering two thirds of the abdomen; there is a white spot in the centre of the scutum; the rear end and margins of the dorsum densely covered with brown hairs; the anterior margin of the abdomen bears bunches of very long and dense brown and white hairs; sides and venter whitish. Book-lung covers yellow. Spinnerets whitish, with brownish tinge; the dorsal pair with dark brown tips. Leg I yellow, but all segments anteriorly-ventrally densely covered with acumbent brown hairs. Legs II–IV brownish yellow. Palps brownish yellow, their Fm, Pt and cymbium anteriorly densely covered with brown hairs; Fm and Pt dorso-posteriorly covered with white and transparent hairs; tibial apophysis bears two bunches of strong black bristles: a bunch of long bristles apically and that of short bristles proximally. Palpal structure as in Figs 105–108: VTA poorly marked; RTA nail-shaped, directed dorsad; DTA present, as a thick, pointed dorsal process that bears a wide row of thick black bristles along its retrolateral side and a tuft of very long and thick black bristles at its apex; the cymbium simple, without a cymbial lateral process; the tegulum is relatively small, without a tegular process; the functional tegulum wide and elongated, with well-developed proximal (PP) and long, spade-shaped distal (DP) projections; the embolus relatively short and thick, with a beak-shaped tip and an anvil-shaped base.

Female (from Tanzania, Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp; MMUE G7571.50)

Measurements: carapace: 3.00 long, 2.30 wide, 1.40 high. Abdomen: 3.75 long, 2.80 wide. Ocular area: 1.25 long, 1.63 wide anteriorly, 1.63 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.70. Clypeal height 0.25. Diameter of AME 0.43. Length of leg segments: I 1.45 + 0.70 + 0.75 + 0.70 + 0.45 (4.05); II 1.60 + 0.80 + 0.75 + 0.75 + 0.45 (4.35); III 2.25 + 1.15 + 1.45 + 1.75 + 0.65 (7.25); IV 2.15 + 0.95 + 1.45 + 1.90 + 0.70 (7.15). Leg formula III,IV,II,I. Leg spination: I: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1- 2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, rt 1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr 01-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1-2ap; Mt pr 2-1-1ap, rt 1-2ap, v 2-2ap. III: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 0-2-2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 2-0- 2ap; Mt pr 2-2-2ap, rt 2-1-2ap, v 0-1-2-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 115–118). Carapace brownish yellow, with dark brown eye field, densely covered with long brown recumbent scales; there are two longitudinal white stripes of scales on the thorax and two wide white marginal stripes. Clypeus and cheeks yellow, sparsely covered with yellow hairs. Sternum yellow, densely covered with white hairs. Endites and labium yellow. Chelicerae yellow, tinged with light brown. Abdomen: dorsum brown, with a white spot on its rear half, anterior margin of the abdomen densely covered with long brown and white hairs; sides yellow with brown speckles; venter yellow. Book-lung covers yellow. Spinnerets yellow, tinged with brown. All legs brownish yellow, with yellow round spots on Fm. Palps yellow. Epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 109–110: the epigynal plate with a pair of round, widely separated bulgeshaped protuberances on which the copulatory openings are situated; the epigynal pocket not marked; the insemination ducts relatively short, tube-shaped, directed mediad, towards each other; the primary spermathecae medium-sized, S-shaped.

Distribution

Tanzania and Kenya (Fig. 511) (Wesołowska & Russell-Smith 2000; Wesołowska 2014b; present data).