Myrmarachne corusca, 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 : 72

Myrmarachne corusca sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:69FCB15C-397C-46C1-AE88-455D99F833B5

Fig. 47

Diagnosis

The female is similar to those of Myrmarachne hesperia ( Simon, 1887) and Myrmarachne mussungue Wanless, 1978 (= M. evidens , see below), but can be recognized by its characteristic black colouration and strongly shining, white streaks on abdomen, whereas other species are lighter, without this pattern on abdomen.

Etymology

The name is Latin, meaning ‘flashing’ and referring to the shiny metallic abdomen.

Material examined

Holotype

UGANDA • ♀; Entebbe ; Apr. 2001; FSCA.

Description

Male

Unknown.

Female

General appearance as in Fig. 47A–C , body slender.

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 2.5, width 1.0, height 0.8. Eye field length 1.0, anterior width 0.9, posterior width 1.0. Abdomen length 4.0, width 1.0.

CARAPACE. Dark brown, bearing long thin transparent hairs, cephalic part higher than thoracic, light patches composed of white hairs in constriction laterally. Mouthparts brown with lighter tips. Chelicerae with six promarginal and five retromarginal teeth. Sternum brown, narrow posteriorly.

ABDOMEN. Long and thin, black with metallic lustre, white hairs form on sides large triangular spots reaching to dorsum as stripes. White hairs form poorly contrasted light transverse streaks on dorsum. Venter black with weakly sclerotized ventral scutum. Spinnerets black.

LEGS. Leg IV longest, coxa black with triangular yellowish spot on ventral surface, trochanter yellowish with black thin streak on external side, femur dark brown with slightly lighter median ring, other segments yellow. Legs I–III yellow. First tibia with three pairs and metatarsus with two pairs of ventral spines.

EPIGYNE. With paired pouches ( Fig. 47D–E ), internal structure as in Fig. 47F , inlet part of copulatory ducts very weakly sclerotized.

Remarks

Identifying the females of Myrmarachne proves to be extremely difficult, while they have very similar genitalia. The overall appearance is often also of little help as all the myrmarachnines are ant-like spiders. However, this female has such a distinctive habitus that we believe it represents a previously unknown species.

Figures

Fig. 47. Myrmarachne corusca sp.nov., holotype, ♀ (FSCA). A. General appearance, dorsal view. B. General appearance, lateral view. C. General appearance, ventral view. D–E. Epigyne. F. Internal structure of epigyne.