Hortipes silvarum Ledoux and Emerit, 1998:166

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 silvarum Ledoux and Emerit, 1998:166 ,

DIAGNOSIS: Males of H. silvarum are easily recognized by the long thin RTA which is curved down, in combination with the absence of a MA and the presence of three rv spines on fe I. Females can be recognized by the weakly sclerotized first stretch of ID, the looped sclerotized second part of ID, the spherical ST1, and the large, ellipsoidal, stalked ST2.

MALE: The male of H. silvarum is found to be identical with the specimen described as ‘‘ Hortipes sp. 1 ’’ in Ledoux and Emerit (1998). Measurements. Total length 1.94; carapace 0.89 long, 0.73 wide; length of fe: I 0.78, II 0.84, III 0.68, IV 0.95. Leg spination. Fe: I rv 3; IV plt 0 rlt 0; ti: I, II vsp 6; mt: III plt 0 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 2 rlt 1. Coloration. Carapace and legs yellow, chelicerae and sternum pale yellow. Abdomen pale yellow, no pattern. Palp. Tibia with long, thin, strongly sclerotized RTA attached to lateral side of ti; cymbium unmodified; sperm duct with wide basal part gradually tapered toward embolus but not with thin distal part; MA absent; embolus originating on posterior part of tegulum with swelling or broadened base; long, whiplike, looped over almost 360° (fig. 12e, f).

FEMALE: Measurements. Total length 3.02; carapace 1.24 long, 1.11 wide; length of fe: I 1.08, II 1.11, III 0.84, IV 1.22. Leg spination. Fe: I rv 3; IV plt 0 rlt 0; ti: I, II vsp 7; mt: III plt 0 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 2 rlt 1. Coloration. Carapace, chelicerae, sternum, and legs yellow ochre. Abdomen pale yellow, no pattern, sparsely covered with thin, pointed grey setae. Genitalia. Vulva: entrance situated between anterior ends of ST2. First stretch of ID weakly sclerotized, hidden along most of its length at dorsal side of second, sclerotized stretch, running outward and in posterior direction; second stretch of ID sclerotized, its origin associated with glandular structure connected with the lumen through a series of pores, first running in anterior direction, then making a complete circular loop before running in posterior direction and connecting to the spherical ST1. Just prior to loop is attached the stalked, ellipsoidal ST2 (figs. 12g, 13d).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Ivory Coast: 16

44 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NO. 256 2000 BOSSELAERS AND JOCQUÉ: HORTIPES 45 46 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NO. 256

( MRAC); 16 sieved from litter in dense forest, Mabi Classified Forest , Bettie´, N06°05' W03°30' (25 November 1993; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) ; 16 sieved from litter in rain forest, Bossematié Classified Forest , Appouesso (15 February 1997; R. Jocqué and L. Baert) ( MRAC) ; 1♀ in pitfall trap in forest, same locality (19 November 1995; R. Jocqué and Tanoh) ( MRAC) ; 1♀ in pitfall trap in rain forest, same locality (29 November 1993; R. Jocqué and N. Seabe´) ( MRAC) ; 2♀ in pitfall trap in forest, same locality (15 January 1995; R. Jocqué and Tanoh) ( MRAC) ; 16, 1♀ in pitfall trap in forest, same locality (29 January 1995; R. Jocqué and Tanoh) ( MRAC, now in AMNH) .

VARIABILITY: There is a variability in size (1.5–2.8 in males, 2.5–4 mm) as well as in the exact course of the female ID loops.

DISTRIBUTION: Southern half of Ivory Coast.