Artema bunkpurugu, Huber, Bernhard A. & Kwapong, Peter, 2013

Huber, Bernhard A. & Kwapong, Peter, 2013, West African pholcid spiders: an overview, with descriptions of five new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 59, pp. 1-44 : 24-26

Artema bunkpurugu sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:05986623-C648-495E-AA88-C708FEF1A926

Figs 14-15 , 24 , 48-62

“ Artema mauriciana ” (misidentification) – Millot 1941: 3-5, figs 1A-E, G-I (fig. 1F is the true A. mauriciana = A. atlanta ).

Diagnosis

Distinguished from the widespread A. atlanta by shape of procursus (arrows in Figs 57-58 ), bulbal processes (arrow in Fig. 58 ), relatively longer male palpal tibia, less prominent male cheliceral projections, more straight posterior epigynal margin ( Figs 54 , 61 ), and more prominent anterior epigynal projections ( Fig. 49 ). Middle East and Central Asian species have a very different epigynum (cf. fig. 10 in Spassky 1934).

Etymology

The species name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Type material

Holotype ♂, in ZFMK ( Ar 10515 ) .

Type data

GHANA: Northern Region: Bunkpurugu (10°31.1’N, 0°05.5’E), 230 m a.s.l., in building, 7 Mar. 2013 (B.A. Huber).

Other material examined

GHANA: Northern Region: 1 ♀ together with holotype ; 2 ♀♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol in ZFMK ( Gha 126 ), same data ; 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 10516 ), between Bunkpurugu and Nakpanduri (10°32.9’N, 0°00.2’E), 270 m a.s.l., under concrete bridge, 8 Mar. 2013 (B.A. Huber) ; 1 ♀ in pure ethanol in ZFMK ( Gha 128 ), same data ; 1 ♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 10517 ), near Bimbaga (10°34.5’N, 0°03.8’W), 330 m a.s.l., under concrete bridge, 8 Mar. 2013 (B.A. Huber) ; 2 ♀♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 10518 ), near Nakpanduri (10°35.0’N, 0°06.4’W), 345 m a.s.l., under concrete bridge, 8 Mar. 2013 (B.A. Huber) ; 1 ♀ 2 juvs in pure ethanol in ZFMK ( Gha 140 ), between Gambaga and Nakpanduri (10°34.0’N, 0°17.5’W), 400 m a.s.l., under large rocks, 8 Mar. 2013 (B.A. Huber) .

TOGO: 3 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ 6 juvs in MRAC ( 136024 ), Namoundjoga [10°53.4’N, 0°23.4’E], 27/ 29 Jul. 1969 (F. Puylaert) .

BURKINA FASO: Sud-Ouest: 1 ♂ in MRAC ( 128076 ), Ouagadougou [12°22’N, 1°32’W], Apr.-May 1965 (B. Roman) ; 1 ♀ in MNHN, same locality, Sep. 1937 (J. Millot) ; 3 ♂♂ 9 ♀♀ 13 juvs (2 vials) in MNHN, Batié [9°52’N, 2°55’W], Sep. 1937 (J. Millot) .

MALI: 1 ♀ 3 juvs (?, abdomens missing in two specimens) in MNHN, Bamako [12°38’N, 8°00’W], Oct. 1937 (J. Millot) ; 1 ♀ in AMNH, Gao [16°16’N, 0°03’W], 23-25 Nov. 1948 (B. Malkin) . GUINEA: 1 ♂ (1 palp and chelicerae missing), 2 ♀♀ (1 epigynum missing), 2 juvs in MNHN, Kouroussa [10°39’N, 9°53’W], Oct. 1937 (J. Millot) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 9.0, carapace width 4.2. Leg 1: 77.1 (20.3 + 1.9 + 21.1 + 29.1 + 4.7), tibia 2: 16.3, tibia 3: 12.7, tibia 4: 16.1; tibia 1 L/d: 54. Distance PME-PME 230 µm, diameter PME 220 µm, distance PME-ALE 115 µm, distance AME-AME 60 µm, diameter AME 210 µm.

COLOR. Carapace pale ochre-grey with light brown median band and small brown spots laterally, clypeus with pair of narrow light brown bands below AME, legs pale ochre-gray to light brown, with dark rings on femora subdistally, patellae + tibiae proximally, and tibiae subdistally, tips of femora and tibiae whitish, sternum pale gray with narrow dark brown margins, abdomen pale gray with large dark marks dorsally.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 48 ; ocular area slightly elevated; carapace with large median pit and distinct median furrow posteriorly; clypeus unmodified; sternum wider than long (2.5/2.0), unmodified. Chelicerae as in Figs 59-60 , with heavily sclerotized frontal projections provided with about ten modified (cone-shaped) hairs each, without stridulatory ridges. Gonopore with five epiandrous spigots.

PALPS. As in Figs 50-52 and 56-58 , coxa unmodified, trochanter with short ventral projection, femur with distinct retrolateral process proximally, large ventral membranous area proximally bordered on both sides by heavily sclerotized ridges, and small dorsal projection proximally; femur-patella hinges close together dorsally; patella very short; procursus with proximal dorsal apophysis and weakly developed ventral pocket, with distinctive ventral projection distally (arrow in Fig. 57 ), bulb with two apophyses flanking membranous process (putative embolus).

LEGS. Without spines, with some very weakly curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi, few vertical hairs mainly on distal leg segments; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 5.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae (also tibia 1); pseudosegmentation not visible.

VARIATION. Tibia 1 in 8 other males: 15.5-23.1 (mean 19.8). Lateral spots on carapace sometimes fused to three pairs of large marks. Sternum posteriorly with variably distinct pattern of light brown marks. Gonopore with variable number of epiandrous spigots (4-6).

Female

In general similar to male but chelicerae with distinct sclerotized patches laterally provided with stidulatory files (cf. fig. 1G in Millot 1941); tibia 1 in 20 females: 12.0-18.9 (mean 16.1). Epigynum consisting of trapezoidal anterior plate and simple posterior plate, with pair of large distinctive projections in front of epigynum ( Figs 49, 53-54 , 61 ); internal genitalia as in Figs 55 , 62 .

Natural history

The spiders were found both in natural habitats (among large rocks) and in human-made habitats (under low concrete bridges, in buildings; see also Millot 1941). When disturbed, the spiders try to hide in crevices, running short distances and then vibrating at low amplitude but high frequency.

Distribution

Widely distributed in Sudanian West Africa ( Fig. 24 ).

Note

Millot (1941) was aware of the fact that most of his specimens from West Africa did not agree well with published figures of A. mauriciana (= A. atlanta ). He tentatively interpreted this as intraspecific variation. However, comparison of numerous specimens of this new species with specimens of A. atlanta from all over the World shows that the two species differ in several characters (see above) and that no intermediate specimens seem to occur.

Millot’s (1941) specimens from Kindia , Guinea (2 juvs; ♀ missing), Ferkessedougou, Ivory Coast (1 juv.), and Gao, Mali (2 juvs) are in MNHN but juveniles of A. atlanta and A. bunkpurugu sp. nov. are indistinguishable so their identity is unclear.

Figures

Figs 14 - 22. 14 - 15. Artema bunkpurugu sp. nov. from near Bunkpurugu (14) and from Bunkpurugu (15), Ghana. 16. Crossopriza lyoni (Blackwall, 1867) from Conakry, Guinea. 17 - 18. Physocyclus globosus (Taczanowski, 1874) from near Mpraeso, Ghana. 19. Smeringopus cylindrogaster (Simon, 1907) from Ankasa N. P., Ghana. 20. Smeringopina pulchra (Millot, 1941) from Kakum N. P., Ghana. 21 - 22. Smeringopina bomfobiri Huber, 2013 from Atewa, Ghana. Photos BAH.

Figs 23 - 24. Known distributions of the genera Anansus Huber, 2007 and Artema Walckenaer, 1837 in West Africa. Question marks denote uncertain identifications (Anansus ewe: two localities with females only) or impossible identifications [“? (j) ”: juveniles only].

Figs 48 - 55. Artema bunkpurugu sp. nov. 48. ♂, dorsal view. 49. Female genitalia and spinnerets, lateral view. 50 - 52. Left ♂ palp, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 53. ♀ abdomen, ventral view. 54 - 55. Cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale lines: 48 = 2 mm; 49 - 55 = 1 mm.

Figs 56 - 62. Artema bunkpurugu sp. nov. 56 - 57. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 58. Left procursus and genital bulb, dorsal view (e: embolus). 59 - 60. ♂ chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 61 - 62. Cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Arrows point at distinctive structures (as compared with A. atlanta). Scale lines: 1 mm.