Alfenus SIMON, 1902

Szűts, T. & Scharff, N., 2005, Redescriptions Of Little Known Jumping Spider Genera (Araneae: Salticidae) From West Africa, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 51 (4), pp. 357-378 : 358-359

Alfenus SIMON, 1902

( Figs 1–3 )

Alfenus SIMON, 1902 a: 411 . – SIMON 1903 a: 722, 729, 733, 739, f. 868–870; 1903 b: 112. – DIPPENAAR- SCHOEMAN & JOCQUÉ 1997: 264. ( Alfenus considered a nomen dubium due to lost type material, p. 264).

Type species – Alfenus calamistratus SIMON, 1902 by monotypy.

Brief history – The genus was established for A. calamistratus from Congo by SIMON (1902 a) and was based on a single male. Later, SIMON (1903 b) described another species, A. chrysopheus , from Cameroon, also based on just a single male specimen. No females have been described and the holotypes of both species were considered lost ( DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN & JOCQUÉ 1997). In our view, the two species are so different, that they may not belong in the same genus. Until more material appear, and especially females, it is impossible to decide whether these species are congeneric. We here include descriptions and illustrations of both species, including the type material.

Diagnosis – The type species of the genus ( Alfenus calamistratus ) has a characteristic hairy appearance ( Figs 1C , 2 A-B, 3A-B), which cannot be observed in A. chrysophaeus (either due the poor condition of the specimen ( Figs 1B , 3G ), or because it is truly lacking). Superficially similar strange hair-features are also present in some Stenaelurillus species ( Stenaelurillus hirsutus LESSERT, 1925 and S. cristatus see: WESOŁOWSKA & RUSSELL-SMITH 2000), but Alfenus is clearly different ( Figs 2 A-B). The carapace as seen from in front ( Fig. 2A ) and the copulatory organs ( Figs 3 C-D) (tegulum provided with a prolateral ‘lobe’) of A. calamistratus slightly resembles those of Plexippus C. L. KOCH, 1846 . However, it can be distinguished from Plexippus by the short and stout tibial apophysis curved invards and by the long and thin embolus. The other species of Alfenus , A. chrysophaeus , has a bifid tibial apophysis and quite different from both A. calamistratus and Plexippus . SIMON (1903 a) placed the genus into his group Plexippeae together with genera such as: Plexippus , Pharacocerus , Malloneta , Dasycyptus , Thiratoscirtus , Pochyta , to mention a few.

Description – Large (6.9–9.2) and hairy salticid spiders, with unidentate chelicerae ( Figs 1–3 ). Carapace dark brown, medium height, highest at the PLE’s, which is slightly raised. Chelicerae rather robust, and hairy. Promargin with two small teeth, retromargin with one large tooth. Chelicerae, gnathocoxae, labium and sternum brownish. Legs of almost equal length, with dense spination.

Copulatory organs – with rather simple structure. Due the questionable placement of A. chrysophaeus it is hard to give a diagnosis which applies to both species ( Figs 3 C-F). Tibia with a single, short and stout retrolateral apophysis. Tegulum opaque, sperm duct hardly visible. Embolus length medium to short. Females unknown.

Species included – A. calamistratus SIMON, 1902 and A. chrysophaeus SIMON, 1903 .

Distribution – Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon or Equatorial Guinea. PLATNICK (2005) list A. chrysophaeus from Equatorial Guinea, but SIMON’ s original label say ‘Cameroun’, even though the species was described in a paper with the title ‘Arachnides de la Guinée Espagnole’ (now Equatorial Guinea). The exact origin of the holotype of A. chrysophaeus is therefore uncertain.

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus of Alfenus. A= Alfenus calamistratus; B= A. chrysophaeus; C= A. calamistratus. Scale = 1.0 mm

Fig. 2. Automontage images of Alfenus. Alfenus calamistratus A = male holotype, fronto-lateral view, B = specimen from Congo, fronto-lateral view, C = male holotype, dorsal view, D = palp of the holotype, ventral view, E = specimen from Congo, dorsal view, F = same, palp dorsal view; A.

Fig. 3. Alfenus species. Alfenus calamistratus A= carapace, frontal view, B = same, fronto-lateral view, C = palp, ventral view, D = same, retrolateral view.A.chrysophaeus E = palp, ventral view, F = same, retrolateral view, G = carapace, fronto-lateral view. Scales 0.2 mm for palps, 1.0 mm for cara-