Anansus ewe, Huber, Bernhard A., 2007

Huber, Bernhard A., 2007, Two new genera of small, six-eyed pholcid spiders from West Africa, and first record of Spermophorides for mainland Africa (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 1635, pp. 23-43 : 32-36

Anansus ewe , n. sp.

( Figs. 6–9 , 38–42 , 52–56 )

Type material. Male holotype from Ghana, Kakum forest (5°20’N, 1°23’W), fogging in secondary forest, November 15, 2005 (R. Jocqué, D. De Bakker, L. Baert), in MRAC (217.722).

Etymology. Named for the Ewé people in southeastern Ghana and the southern parts of neighboring Togo and Benin. The species name is used as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from known congeners by the morphology of the procursus ( Figs. 38, 40 ) and the internal female genitalia ( Fig. 42 ). Otherwise very similar (including male chelicerae).

Male (holotype). Total length 1.16, carapace width 0.50. Legs 1 and 2 missing (also missing in second male examined), tibia 3: 0.56, tibia 4: 0.80. Habitus as Figs. 6–8 ; carapace and clypeus brown, mottled with black, sternum as in Fig. 8 , legs light brown to ochre-yellow, abdomen gray with distinct black line dorsally reaching spinnerets; distance PME–PME 25 µm; diameter PME ~80 µm (oval shape); distance PME–ALE 15 µm; AME missing. Sternum wider than long (0.40/0.30), unmodified. Clypeus with short median projection at ventral rim; chelicerae as in A. aowin (cf. Fig. 34). Palps as in Figs. 39, 40 ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with distinct ventral apophysis, femur small, with prominent prolatero-ventral projection, tibia very large, procursus ( Figs. 38 , 52 ) consisting of proximal part with pointed ventral projection and distinctive sclerite set with hairs ( Fig. 53 ), and large distal part, the latter hinged towards proximal part and complex; bulb simple, consisting of globular part and weakly sclerotized curved embolus; palpal tarsal organ capsulate ( Fig. 52 ). Male gonopore with four epiandrous spigots ( Fig. 54 ). ALS with one widened, one pointed, and five cylindrically shaped spigots ( Fig. 55 ).

Female. In general similar to male but clypeus unmodified. Tibia 1 in two females: 1.20, 1.27; tibia 1 L/d: 19; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 23%, prolateral trichobothrium apparently absent on tibia 1, present on other legs. Epigynum a simple dark frontal plate with pair of small pockets close together near posterior rim, and narrow posterior plate ( Figs. 9 , 41 ); internally with conspicuous dark structures of unknown significance and pair of small pore plates ( Figs. 42 , 56 ).

Distribution. Known from type locality in Ghana only ( Fig. 74 ).

Material examined. GHANA: Kakum forest, secondary forest: type above, together with 1Ψ; same data but primary forest, Nov. 16, 21, 25, 2005, 1ɗ2Ψ in MRAC (217.686, 217.710, 217.739).

Figures

FIGURE 74. Map showing the known distributions of Nyikoa n. gen. and Anansus n. gen., as well as the only known record of Spermophorides in Africa.

FIGURES 2 – 12. Photographs of habitus and female abdomens. 2, 3. Nyikoa limbe, male in dorsal and lateral views. 4, 5. Anansus aowin, male in dorsal and lateral views. 6 – 8. Anansus ewe, male in dorsal, lateral, and ventral views. 9. Anansus ewe, female abdomen, ventral view. 10. Spermophorides africana, female abdomen, ventral view. 11, 12. Spermophorides africana, male in dorsal and lateral views.

FIGURES 37 – 42. Anansus aowin n. sp. (37) and A. ewe (38 – 42). 37, 38. Left procursus, retrolateral views (same magnification). 39, 40. Left palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 41, 42. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. b, genital bulb; e, embolus; ep, epigynal pocket; p, procursus; pp, pore plate. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 50 – 56. Anansus aowin (50, 51) and A. ewe (52 – 56). 50, 51. Comb hairs on male tarsus 4, lateral and ventral views. 52. Details of left male palp, retrolateral view. 53. Distinctive sclerite of procursus set with brush of hairs (hairs lost in this specimen). 54. Male gonopore with four epiandrous spigots. 55. Male ALS. 56. Dorsal view of cleared female internal genitalia. p, procursus; pp, pore plate; tr, trochanter. Scale lines: 10 µm (53, 55), 20 µm (50, 51, 54), 100 µm (52, 56).