Dendryphantes ruwenzori, Wiśniewski & Wesołowska, 2024

Wiśniewski, Konrad & Wesołowska, Wanda, 2024, Jumping spiders (Salticidae) of Uganda - revised list, new species and distributional data, European Journal of Taxonomy 952, pp. 1-171 : 17-19

Dendryphantes ruwenzori sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:62BBDC7F-8B88-4530-BDCB-51EB7C8698A8

Figs 10–11

Diagnosis

The species is similar to Dendryphantes ethiopicus Wesołowska&Tomasiewicz, 2008 and Dendryphantes nicator Wesołowska & van Harten, 1994 . The male can be distinguished by the details of the embolus structure; moreover, the end of its retrolateral branch is forked, and one of its tips is bent, whereas in the other two species the embolus has the shape of a harpoon blade – compare Fig. 11C with Wesołowska & Tomasiewicz (2008: figs 26–30) and Wesołowska & van Harten (2007: figs 9–11). The female is difficult to distinguish from the females of closely related species, but differs by having strongly sclerotized flanges at the copulatory openings, which are absent in the other species.

Etymology

The species is named after its terra typica, Ruwenzori; it is a noun in apposition.

Material examined

Holotype

Uganda • ♂; Ruwenzori , Bundibugyo; 0°43′ N, 30°03′ E; 1050 m a.s.l.; 1952; G.O. Evans leg.; NHM.

Paratypes

UGANDA • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; NHM.

Description

Male

Flattened spider, general appearance as in Fig. 10A.

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 1.8, width 1.2, height 0.6. Eye field length 0.8, anterior width 1.0, posterior width 1.1. Abdomen length 1.9, width 1.2.

CARAPACE. Oval, flat, brown with lighter eye field, only two darker spots at center of ocular area, eyes surrounded by black rings. Long brown bristles near eyes, white hairs on slopes. Clypeus clothed in white hairs. Chelicerae brown. Labium and endites dark brown with light tips. Sternum light brown.

ABDOMEN. Oval, yellowish grey with brown herringbone pattern. Brown and greyish hairs on dorsum, longer and denser at anterior margin of abdomen. Venter yellow. Spinnerets yellowish grey.

LEGS. First pair longest and darkest, bearing long greyish hairs, three pairs of spines on ventral surface of tibia and two pairs on metatarsus. Legs II–IV light brown with yellow metatarsi and tarsi.

PALPS. Brown. Palpal tibia short, apophysis bent, broad at its base and very sharply tipped ( Figs 10D , 11B ). Bulb oval, sperm ducts meandering. Embolus strong, its prolateral branch with three tips, retrolateral branch forked with curved one tip ( Figs 10C , 11A–C ).

Female

Similar to male.

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 1.8–1.9, width 1.3–1.5, height 0.6. Eye field length 0.7–0.8, anterior width 1.0–1.1, posterior width 1.1–1.2. Abdomen length 2.4–3.0, width 1.6–1.8.

EPIGYNE. With oval central shallow depression ( Figs 10E , 11D ). Internal structure as in Fig. 11E , copulatory openings encircled by sclerotized flanges, accessory glands lead into copulatory ducts, receptacles multi-chambered, first chamber largest, almost spherical.

Figures

Fig. 10. Dendryphantes ruwenzori sp. nov. A–D. Holotype, ♂ (NHM). A. General appearance. B. Palpal organ, ventral view. C. Palpal organ, ventrolateral view. D. Palpal organ, lateral view. E. Paratype, ♀, epigyne (NHM).

Fig. 11. Dendryphantes ruwenzori sp. nov. A–C. Holotype, ♂ (NHM). A. Palpal organ, ventral view. B. Palpal organ, lateral view. C. Embolic division. D–E. Paratype, ♀ (NHM). D. Epigyne. E. Internal structure of epigyne.