Rhene hexagon, 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 : 118-119

Rhene hexagon sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3F9388DC-9275-4126-B3B8-10C84C486721

Figs 77–78

Diagnosis

The species is most similar to Rhene pinguis Wesołowska & Haddad, 2009 . The male may be recognized by the form of the embolus, which ends in a bent ‘tongue’, while it has a small flag-like structure in the former species (compare Fig. 78C–D with Wesołowska & Haddad 2009: fig. 169). The female has shorter copulatory ducts and large accessory glands connected with initial part of copulatory ducts, not observed in Rh. pinguis (compare Fig. 78F with Wesołowska & Haddad 2018: fig. 1931).

Etymology

The name is a noun in apposition, refers to the carapace shape of this species.

Material examined

Holotype

UGANDA • ♂; Masindi distr., Budongo Forest ; 1°45′ N, 31°25′ E; dry season; 11–20 Jun. 1995; T. Wagner leg.; ZFMK 2979 .

Paratypes

UGANDA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 5–18 Jan. 1997; ZFMK 2885 • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 15–25 Jan. 1997; ZFMK 2980 • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 5–15 Jan. 1997; ZFMK 3029 • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 5–12 Feb. 1997; ZFMK 3831 • 1 ♀; Entebbe; Jun. 2001; FSCA .

Description

Male

General appearance as in Fig. 77A

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 2.0, width 1.8, height 0.8. Eye field length 1.2, anterior width 1.3, posterior width 1.8. Abdomen length 2.5, width 1.9.

CARAPACE. Hexagonal, widest at posterior row of eyes, dark brown, eye field almost black, pitted. White patch formed by hairs between anterior median eyes, second similar patch behind eye field. Long brown bristles near anterior eyes, dense brown hairs on lateral margins of carapace. Mouthparts brown.

ABDOMEN. Ovoid, dark brown, clothed in shiny hairs, venter brown. Spinnerets brownish grey.

LEGS. First leg thick, its segments swollen, dark brown, patella and tibia with dense long hairs on ventral surface ( Fig. 77A ). Other legs yellow with brown streaks along lateral sides.

PALPS. Brownish, palpal tibia with pointed apophysis ( Figs 77C , 78B ). Tegulum large, spermophore meandering, anterior haematodocha delicately ribbed ( Fig. 78A ), embolus with rounded bent tip ( Fig. 78A, C–D ).

Female

Similar to male, general appearance as in Fig. 77D.

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 1.8, width 1.7, height 0.8. Eye field length 1.0, anterior width 1.2, posterior width 1.7. Abdomen length 2.2, width 1.8.

ABDOMEN. Dark brown with lighter anterior edge. Wide, transverse strip on posterior half, interrupted in the middle, formed by white hairs.

LEGS. First pair brown with white hairs on femur. Legs II–IV brown.

EPIGYNE. With two strongly sclerotized ‘cups’ hiding copulatory openings ( Figs 77E , 78E ). Internal structure as in Fig. 78F , copulatory ducts long and thin, accessory glands close to their inlet part, spermathecae long, semicircular, curved.

Figures

Fig. 77. Rhene hexagon sp. nov. A–C. Paratype, ♂ (ZFMK 2885). A. General appearance. B. Palpal organ, ventral view. C. Palpal organ, ventrolateral view. D–E. Paratype, ♀ (ZFMK 2885). D. General appearance of female. E. Epigyne.

Fig. 78. Rhene hexagon sp. nov. A–D. Paratype, ♂ (ZFMK 2885). A. Palpal organ, ventral view. B. Palpal organ, lateral view. C. Embolus, ventral view. D. Embolus, ventroapical view. E–F. Paratype, ♀ (ZFMK 2885). E. Epigyne. F. Internal structure of epigyne.