Hortipes pollux, BOSSELAERS & JOCQUÉ, 2000

BOSSELAERS, JAN & JOCQUÉ, RUDY, 2000, Hortipes, A Huge Genus Of Tiny Afrotropical Spiders (Araneae, Liocranidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2000 (256), pp. 4-4 : 4-

Hortipes pollux , new species Figures 9b–e , 11c ; Map 2

TYPES: Male holotype: litter in Kasaramba forest, elev. 2350 m, Nyika Plateau, Malawi, S10°40', E33°50' (13 December, 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC 156.577 ). Paratypes: 3♀ together with holotype ( MRAC), 1♀ ( AMNH) ; 16, 1♀ from litter in Juniper Forest , elev. 2150 m, Nyika Plateau, Malawi S10°40', E33°50' (13 December, 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) ; 16 from litter in Mwenembwe Forest , elev. 2300 m, Nyika Plateau, Malawi S10°40', E33°50' (17 December, 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) .

ETYMOLOGY: Because this species is the largest of two very similar species, it is named after the brightest of the two firstmagnitude stars in the constellation Gemini.

DIAGNOSIS: Males of H. pollux are recognized by the presence of an apophysis on palpal pa in combination with the sharply bent RTA and a MA that is visible over a fairly large ratio of the MA’s length. Males are distinguished from those of the closely related H. castor by the distal end of the palpal patellar apophysis being clearly distinguishable from basal part and making an angle with the latter. Females can be recognized by the relatively simple vulvar structure with large, those of the closely related H. castor by the ID making a ventrally oriented U­loop.

MALE: Measurements. Total length 2.27; carapace 1.13 long, 0.86 wide; length of fe: I 0.95, II 1.00, III 0.78, IV 1.22. Leg spination. Fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0 rlt 0; ti: I, II vsp 5–6; mt: III plt 0–1 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 1 rlt 1. Coloration. Carapace yellow, chelicerae and sternum pale yellow. Abdomen offwhite, marbled with pale grey irregular spots. Legs yellow. Palp. Pa with short, slightly procurved, retrolateral apophysis whose distal end is clearly distinguishable from basal part and makes an angle with the latter; ti with evenly recurved, sharp RTA; cymbium elongate without prolateral concavity nor series of curved hairs; sperm duct in tegulum fairly narrow and of same width over almost entire length; MA originating on distal extremity of tegulum, thin, and slightly tapered from base to tip, visible over about one­half its length in ventral view, reaching RTA in retrolateral view; embolus originating on prolateral part of tegulum, without swollen or enlarged base, fairly thin and short, distal part appressed against MA (fig. 9b–d).

FEMALE: Measurements. Total length 3.73; carapace 1.51 long, 1.22 wide. Length of fe: I 1.35, II 1.40, III 1.16, IV 1.62. Leg spination. fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0–1 rlt 0–1; ti: I, II vsp 6–7; mt: III plt 1 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 2 rlt 1. Coloration. Carapace orange yellow, chelicerae yellow. Sternum pale yellow, bordered with orange yellow. Abdomen pale yellow, without pattern. Legs orange yellow. Female genitalia. Vulva: entrance of ID anterior to large, spherical ST1, IDs running parallel to each other along symmetry axis in posterior direction, making a U­loop in ventral direction before connecting to ST1. A short distance from entrance, at anterior end of U­loop, ID is associated with glandular structure connected with the lumen through a series of pores (figs. 9e, 11c).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Malawi: 1♀ from litter in evergreen forest around Chisenga Falls , elev. 1800 m, Nyika Plateau, S10°40', E33°50' (9 December, 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) ; 1♀ from litter alongside waterfall in Juniper Forest , elev. 2150 m, Nyika Plateau, S10°40', E33°50' (13 Decem­

2000 BOSSELAERS AND JOCQUÉ: HORTIPES 37

or 6 in males, 6 or 7 in females), the presence of a plt spine on mt III in males, and the presence of terminal spines on fe IV of females, as well as the transparency of the vulva and the exact shape of the ID vertical Uloop are variable.

DISTRIBUTION: Nyika Plateau, Malawi.

Figures

Map 2. Distribution of Hortipes species in Tanzania. Hortipes angariopsis z, H. bjorni v, H. castor •, H. creber h, H. cucurbita ^, H. delphinus., H. exoptans, H. fastigiensis #, H. narcissus Δ, H. leno, H. libidinosus * H. mulciber, H. ostiovolutus n, H. platnicki D, H. pollux O, H. salticola V, H. scharffi, and H. stoltzei y.

Fig. 9. a. Hortipes platnicki, new species, epigyne. b–e. Hortipes pollux, new species. b. Male palpal pa and ti, dorsal view. c, d. Male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. e. Epigyne. f–i. Hortipes castor, new species. f. Male palpal pa and ti, dorsal view. g, h. Male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. i. Epigyne. j–l. Hortipes salticola, new species. j, k. Male right palp, ventral and retrolateral views. l. Epigyne. m. Hortipes exoptans, new species, epigyne. Scale lines: 0.25 mm.

Fig. 11. a. Hortipes platnicki, new species, vulva, ventral view. b. Hortipes castor, new species, vulva, ventral view. Arrows indicate ID entrances. c. Hortipes pollux, new species, vulva, ventral view. d. Hortipes ostiovolutus, new species, vulva, ventral view. e. Hortipes salticola, new species, vulva, ventral view. Arrows indicate ID entrances. f. Hortipes fastigiensis, new species, vulva, ventral view. Scale line: 0.1 mm.