Spermophora Hentz, 1841

Bernhard A. Huber, Philippe Le Gall & Jacques Francois Mavoungou, 2014, Pholcid spiders from the Lower Guinean region of Central Africa: an overview, with descriptions of seven new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 81 (81), pp. 1-46 : 18

Spermophora Hentz, 1841

With currently 25 species, Spermophora is quite diverse in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, but only the widespread S. kyambura Huber & Warui, 2012 has previously been reported from Central Africa ( Huber & Warui 2012). Three additional species are here reported from Central Africa ( Fig. 34 ). Of these, S. abibae sp. nov. and S. akwamu Huber & Kwapong, 2013 are very similar to each other and to the West African S. dieke Huber, 2009 . Spermophora awalai sp. nov. appears most similar to a group of East African species (node 5 in Appendix 4 in Huber 2003a). A further undescribed species seems to occur on São Tomé and Príncipe (of Santo Antonio, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ deposited in CAS). Females from Cameroon (Mt. Etinde, 1 ♀ in USNM; near Oku , 1 ♀ in pure ethanol in ZFMK, Cam 117) might represent further undescribed species.

Figures

Figs 33 - 34. Known distributions of the genera Smeringopus Simon, 1890 and Spermophora Hentz, 1841 in Central Africa. For detailed distribution maps of Smeringopus species see Huber (2012). Question marks denote uncertain identifications (females from Cameroon; one pair from Príncipe Island).