Smeringopus ruhiza, Huber, 2012

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2012, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 3461 (1), pp. 1-138 : 22-23

Smeringopus ruhiza new species

Figs. 20–21, 26 , 34–35 , 50–53 , 94–99

Type. Male holotype from Uganda, Kabale District, Ruhiza, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (~ 1°02’S, 29°46’E), ~ 2300 m a.s.l., roadcut, 25.ix.1996 (C.E. Griswold), in CAS .

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (other species of the rubrotinctus group) by shapes of procursus and embolus ( Figs. 94–97 ); from most other congeners by long apophyses on male chelicerae ( Figs. 26 , 98 ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 5.1, carapace width 1.7. Leg 1: 36.7 (9.3 + 0.6 + 9.3 + 15.2 + 2.3), tibia 2: 6.7, tibia 3: 5.2, tibia 4: 7.6; tibia 1 L/d: 57. Habitus as in Fig. 20 . Carapace with wide median and lateral brown bands, clypeus and sternum dark brown, leg femora and tibiae with indistinct subdistal rings, abdomen with indistinct pattern dorsally, with wide dark band divided by two narrow light lines ventrally. Distance PME-PME 175 µm, diameter PME 170 µm, distance PME-ALE 90 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 135 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with indistinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep but small thoracic pit. Chelicerae as in Figs. 26 and 98 (very similar S. rubrotinctus ), with pair of long apophyses. Palps as in Figs. 34 and 35 , coxa with indistinct bulge, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral indentation but no furrow, without proximal rim and without apophysis, cymbium with projection near tarsal organ, procursus tip with distinctively long ventral apophysis and whitish prolateral process ( Figs. 94, 95 ), bulb with complex embolus with two processes, one with sclerotized teeth, other with membranous tip ( Figs. 96, 97 ). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, with curved hairs ventrally and dorsally on tibiae and metatarsi 1 and 2, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1.

Variation. Tibia 1 in 2 other males: 9.3, 11.1. In the males from Kitahurira and Buhoma the palps are absolutely larger and the sclerotized flaps retrolaterally on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 94 ) are relatively larger. The shapes of the sclerotized teeth on the large embolar process ( Fig. 96 ) vary slightly.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 3 females: 9.7, 10.4, 10.9. Epigynum anterior plate with indentation, without pockets ( Figs. 50–52 ); posterior plate simple, not projecting; internal genitalia as in Figs. 53 and 99 .

Distribution. Known from southwestern Uganda and northern Burundi ( Fig. 58 ).

Material examined. UGANDA: Western Region: Kabale District, Ruhiza, Bwindi Impenetrable N.P.: 1♂ holotype above . Rukungiri District, Kitahurira, Bwindi Impenetrable N.P. (~ 0°58’S, 29°41’E), ~ 1740 m a.s.l., roadcuts in forest, 17.–19.ix.1996 (C.E. Griswold, G. Mayoba), 1♂ 1♀ in CAS ; same data but 18.–20.ix.1996 (C.E. Griswold), 1♀ in CAS . Kanungu District, Bwindi Impenetrable N.P., waterfall trail near Buhoma (0°59.8’–1°00.2’S, 29°36.9–37.2’E), ~ 1500–1600 m a.s.l., 22.xi.2010 (B.A. Huber), 1♂ 1♀ in ZFMK (Ar 8562) ; same data, 1♀ in pure ethanol in ZFMK (Uga 125).

BURUNDI: Parc National de la Kibira, Rwegura, Mt. Musumba [~ 2°55’S, 29°31’E], site 6, forest with Carapa grandiflora and Polyscias fulva, 2100 m a.s.l., 25.vii.2008 (N. Benoit), 1♂ in MRAC (226402) .

Figures

FIGURE 58. Known distributions of the rubrotinctus group, the chogoria group, and S. ngangao. Squares: further undescribed species.

FIGURES 18–27. Smeringopus rubrotinctus group, habitus and male prosomata, oblique frontal views. 18. S. rubrotinctus, female, ventral view. 19. S. bwindi, male, dorsal view. 20–21. S. ruhiza, male and female, dorsal views. 22–23. S. mpanga, male and female, dorsal views. 24. S. rubrotinctus. 25. S. mgahinga. 26. S. ruhiza. 27. S. mpanga.

FIGURES 28–37. Smeringopus rubrotinctus group, left male palps, prolateral and retrolateral views. 28–29.S. rubrotinctus. 30–31. S. bwindi. 32–33. S. mgahinga. 34–35. S. ruhiza. 36–37. S. mpanga.

FIGURES 38–57. Smeringopus rubrotinctus group, epigyna, ventral views (47: lateral view) and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 38–41. S. rubrotinctus (38: syntype, 39: Karisimbi, 40–41: Rwegura). 42–45. S. bwindi (Buhoma). 46–49. S. mgahinga (46–47: Ruhiza, 48–49: Mgahinga). 50–53. S. ruhiza (50: Kitahurira, 51–53: Buhoma). 54–57. S. mpanga (Kanyanchu).

FIGURES 94–99. Smeringopus ruhiza. 94. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view (arrow points to variable structure, see text). 95. Left procursus, dorsal view. 96–97. Left embolus, prolateral and dorsal views. 98. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 99. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm (96–97), 0.5 mm (94–95, 98–99).