Smeringopus tombua, 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 : 87-88

Smeringopus tombua new species

Figs. 436–437 , 457–458 , 473–474 , 526–529

Type. Male holotype from Angola, Namib Province, “ Désert de Moçamedes ”, between km 30 and 34 of route [from Moçamedes = Namib] to Porto Alexandre [= Tômbua] [~ 15°26’S, 12°11’E], under Welwitschia leaves, 23.x.1949 (A. de Barros Machado), in SMF ( Ang 1947.6 ) .

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

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners by shapes of procursus (distal structures, Fig. 526 ; similar S. atomarius and S. uisib ), bulb (processes of embolus, Fig. 529 ; similar S. atomarius and S. uisib ), cheliceral apophyses (with proximal humps; Figs. 527, 528 ), shape of epigynum ( Fig. 473 ; wide plate with small round pockets; like S. atomarius and S. uisib ), and spotted leg femora (only proximally).

Male (holotype). Total body length 6.2, carapace width 1.7. Leg 1: 43.6 (12.5 + 0.8 + 10.8 + 17.5 + 2.0), tibia 2: 8.0, tibia 3: 6.0, tibia 4: 8.8; tibia 1 L/d: 55. Habitus as in Figs. 436 and 437 . Carapace ochre-yellow with brown median and very indistinct lateral marks, clypeus with indistinct pair of dark stripes, sternum slightly darkened medially, leg femora with some brown spots proximally, femora and tibiae with indistinct subdistal rings, abdomen monochromous pale whitish. Distance PME-PME 115 µm, diameter PME 150 µm, distance PME-ALE 55 µm, distance AME-AME 60 µm, diameter AME 135 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with small ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae with conical proximal humps and distal apophyses ( Figs. 527, 528 ). Palps as in Figs. 457 and 458 , coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow with distinct proximal rim, procursus with distinctive distal processes in dorsal view ( Fig. 526 ; retrolateral view as in S. uisib ; cf. Fig. 509 ), bulb with complex embolus, distinctive in prolateral view ( Fig. 529 ; dorsal view as in S. uisib ; cf. Fig. 512 ). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, with curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1 and 2; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Gonopore with two epiandrous spigots.

Variation. Tibia 1 in 4 other males: 8.9, 9.3, 10.0, 10.8.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 2 females: 9.3, 9.6. Epigynum a wide plate with round pockets ( Fig. 473 ; very similar S. atomarius and S. uisib ); internal genitalia as in Fig. 474 .

Distribution. Only known from type locality in southwestern Angola ( Fig. 475 ).

Material examined. Angola: Namib Province: between Namib and Tômbua: type above; same data, 4♂ 3♀ (3 vials) in SMF.

Figures

FIGURE 475. Known distribution of the hypocrita group. Squares: further undescribed species.

FIGURES 424–437. Smeringopus hypocrita group, habitus. 424–425. S. hypocrita, male, dorsal view and female, ventral view. 426–427. S. sederberg, male, dorsal and ventral views. 428–429. S. lotzi, male, dorsal and ventral views. 430–431. S. dehoop, male, dorsal view and female, ventral view. 432–433. S. atomarius, female, dorsal and ventral views. 434–435. S. uisib, female, dorsal and ventral views. 436–437. S. tombua, male, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 451–458. Smeringopus hypocrita group, left male palps, prolateral and retrolateral views. 451–452. S. dehoop. 453–454. S. atomarius. 455–456. S. uisib. 457–458. S. tombua.

FIGURES 459–474. Smeringopus hypocrita group, epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 459–460. S. hypocrita. 461–462. S. sederberg. 463–464. S. lotzi. 465–466. S. ubicki. 467–468. S. dehoop. 469–470. S. atomarius. 471–472. S. uisib. 473–474. S. tombua.

FIGURES 526–529. Smeringopus tombua. 526. Left procursus, dorsal view. 527–528. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 529. Left embolus, prolateral view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

FIGURES 505–513. Smeringopus atomarius (505–508) and S. uisib (509–513). 505, 510. Left procursi, dorsal views. 506–507, 511–512. Left emboli, prolateral and dorsal views. 508, 513. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 509. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.