Smeringopus ngangao, 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 : 31-33

Smeringopus ngangao new species

Figs. 6–7 , 138–154 , 165–168

Type. Male holotype from Kenya, Coast Province, Taita Hills , Ngangao Forest (3°22.2’S, 38°20.4’E), 1810 m a.s.l., 19.i.2010 (B.A. Huber), in ZFMK ( Ar 8546 ) .

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

Diagnosis. Small species, easily distinguished from known congeners by shapes of procursus and embolus ( Figs. 149–152 ) and by cheliceral armature (one pair of relatively large apophyses in unusual frontal and proximal position; Figs. 144 , 153 ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 4.5, carapace width 1.7. Leg 1: 39.6 (10.6 + 0.6 + 9.6 + 17.5 + 1.3), tibia 2: 6.9, tibia 3: 5.5, tibia 4: 7.1; tibia 1 L/d: 62. Habitus as in Figs. 138 and 139 . Carapace brown with lighter areas beside ocular area, clypeus with indistinct pair of brown lines and brown rim, sternum monochromous brown, legs brown, tips of femora and tibiae lighter, abdomen with distinct pattern dorsally and ventrally. Distance PME-PME 115 µm, diameter PME 170 µm, distance PME-ALE 45 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 140 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes apparently without ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 153 , with one pair of relatively large apophyses in unusual frontal and proximal position; each with one modified hair at tip ( Fig. 166 ). Palps as in Figs. 142 and 143 , coxa unmodified, trochanter with small retrolateral projection, femur with retrolateral furrow, proximal rim with apophysis, cymbium without projection near tarsal organ, procursus with large whitish protrusion prolaterally ( Figs. 149, 150 ), bulb with simple hooked embolus ( Figs. 151, 152 ). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, without curved hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Gonopore with two epiandrous spigots ( Fig. 165 ).

Variation. Tibia 1 in 9 other males: 8.0–9.6 (mean 9.1). In males from Amani ( Figs. 140, 141 ), the tip of the procursus is minimally different and the embolus is slightly more slender.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 10 females: 7.6–8.4 (mean 7.9). Epigynum simple anterior plate with pair of dark dots, without pockets, simple arc-shaped posterior plate ( Figs. 145, 146 , 168 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 147 and 154 . ALS with eight spigots each ( Fig. 167 ). Females from Amani with distinct x-shaped structure in internal female genitalia ( Fig. 148 ).

Distribution. Known from Taita Hills in southern Kenya and Usambara Mountains in northeastern Tanzania ( Fig. 58 ).

Material examined. KENYA: Coast Prov.: Taita Hills, Ngangao Forest: 1♂ holotype above ; same data, 3♂ 7♀ in ZFMK (2♂ 6♀, Ar 8547-48) and NMKE (1♂ 1♀) ; same data, 3♀ 2 juvs in pure ethanol in ZFMK (Ken 90). Taita Hills, roadside near Ngangao Forest (~ 3°22.2’S, 38°20.4’E), 1810 m a.s.l., 19.i.2010 (B.A. Huber), 1♂ in ZFMK (Ar 8549). Taita Hills, Chavia Forest (3°28.8’S, 38°20.4’E), 1590 m a.s.l., 20.i.2010 (B.A. Huber), 4♂ 1♀ in ZFMK (Ar 8550); same data, 1♂ 2♀ in pure ethanol in ZFMK (Ken 96) .

TANZANIA: Tanga Region: East Usambara Mountains, Amani (5°05.7’S, 38°38’E), 950 m a.s.l., 27.x.–9.xi.1995 (C.E. Griswold, N. Scharff, D. Ubick), 2♂ 4♀ in CAS .

Figures

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

FIGURES 2–13. Smeringopus, alive specimens in their natural habitats. 2. S. bwindi, female with eggsac (Uganda, Bwindi). 3–4. S. chogoria, females with eggsac and spiderlings (Kenya, Mau Mau and Chogoria). 5. S. mpanga, female with spiderlings (Uganda, Kalinzu). 6–7. S. ngangao, male and web with silk-balls (Kenya, Ngangao). 8–10. S. peregrinus, web with silk-balls (Kenya, Gonkonyi), female (Kenya, Hell’s Gate), female with eggsac (Gonkonyi). 11. S. pallidus, female with eggsac (Uganda, Semuliki). 12. S. lesserti, male (Gabon, Mayebout). 13. S. cylindrogaster (Guinea, Dieke).

FIGURES 138–148. Smeringopus ngangao. 138–141. Males from Ngangao (138–139) and Amani (140–141), dorsal and ventral views. 142–143. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views (Amani). 144. Male prosoma, oblique frontal view (Ngangao). 145. Epigynum, ventral view (Ngangao). 146–147. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views (Ngangao). 148. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (Amani).

FIGURES 149–154. Smeringopus ngangao. 149. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. 150. Left procursus, dorsal view. 151–152. Left embolus, prolatero-dorsal and retrolatero-dorsal views. 153. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 154. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view (Ngangao). Scale lines: 0.2 mm (151–152, 154), 0.3 mm (149–150, 153).

FIGURES 155–168. Smeringopus chogoria (155–164) and S. ngangao (165–168). 155–156. Right palp, retrolatero-dorsal and prolatero-dorsal views. 157–158. Left palp, dorsal and prolatero-dorsal views. 159. Male gonopore. 160–161. Male chelicerae and cheliceral apophysis (arrow points to modified hair). 162–163. Male and female ALS. 164. Epigynum. 165. Male gonopore. 166. Modified hair on male cheliceral apophysis. 167. Female ALS. 168. Epigynum. Scale lines: 10 µm (166), 20 µm (161, 167), 30 µm (162, 163), 50 µm (165), 80 µm (159), 100 µm (160), 200 µm (155–158, 168), 300 µm (164).