Smeringopus chibububo, 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 : 109-110

Smeringopus chibububo new species

Figs. 566–567, 570 , 582–583 , 602–603 , 673–678

Type. Male holotype from Mozambique, Inhambane Province, Vilankulos, Casa Chibububo (22°01.2’S, 35°19,2’E), leaf litter, coastal bush, 3 m a.s.l., 12.xii.2007 (C. Haddad, R. Lyle, R. Fourie), in ZFMK ( Ar 8492 ) .

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

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners by tip of procursus (distinctive sclerotized and membranous elements, prolateral flap; Figs. 673–675 ; similar S. kalomo ), shape of embolus ( Figs. 676–678 ; distinctive prolateral view); from S. peregrinoides also by longer and more downward directed cheliceral apophyses (similar S. peregrinus ; cf. Figs. 614, 615 ) and absence of v-shaped or u-shaped structure frontally in female internal genitalia ( Fig. 602 ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 6.5, carapace width 2.0. Leg 1: 46.4 (12.0 + 0.8 + 11.9 + 18.9 + 2.8), tibia 2: 8.4, tibia 3: 6.5, tibia 4: 8.8; tibia 1 L/d: 56. Habitus as in Fig. 566 . Carapace ochre-yellow with brown median and lateral marks, clypeus with pair of dark stripes, sternum brown with light marks near bases of coxae 2–4 and medially, legs light brown, femora and tibiae with lighter tips and subdistal dark rings, abdomen ochre-gray with distinct dorsal and ventral dark pattern. Distance PME-PME 160 µm, diameter PME 150 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 35 µm, diameter AME 150 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae as in S. peregrinus (cf. Figs. 614, 615 ), with one pair of distal apophyses. Palps as in Figs. 582 and 583 , coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis and shallow wide furrow, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow, procursus with distinctive distal elements (prolateral membranous flap; Figs. 673–675 ), bulb with distinctively shaped prolateral process on embolus ( Figs. 676–678 ). 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.

Variation. Tibia 1 in other male: 13.6.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 2 females: 11.7, 11.9. Epigynum very similar S. peregrinus ( Fig. 602 ); internal genitalia as in Fig. 603 (very similar S. kalomo , S. similis ).

Distribution. Known from two localities in Mozambique ( Fig. 608 ).

Material examined. MOZAMBIQUE: Inhambane Prov.: Vilankulos, Casa Chibububo : 1♂ type above; same data, 2♂ 2♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 8493). Bartolomeu Dias Point , BD Lodge (21°15.6’S, 35°06.9’E), 5 m a.s.l., leaf litter, mangroves, 10.xii.2007 (C. Haddad, R. Lyle, R. Fourie), 1♀ in ZFMK (Ar 8494) .

Figures

FIGURE 608. Known distribution of the peregrinus group. S. butare and S. peregrinus are represented by triangles in order to facilitate distinction from S. peregrinoides. Squares: further undescribed species.

FIGURES 558–571. Smeringopus peregrinus group, habitus and male prosomata, oblique frontal views. 558–559. S. peregrinus, male, dorsal and ventral views. 560–561. S. peregrinoides, female, dorsal view and male, ventral view. 562. S. butare, male dorsal view. 563. S. similis, male, dorsal view. 564–565. S. kalomo, male and female, dorsal views. 566–567. S. chibububo, male, dorsal view and female, ventral view. 568. S. katanga, male, dorsal view. 569. S. moxico, male, dorsal view. 570. S. chibububo. 571. S. kalomo.

FIGURES 572–583. Smeringopus peregrinus group, left male palps, prolateral and retrolateral views. 572–573. S. peregrinus. 574–575. S. peregrinoides. 576–577. S. butare. 578–579. S. katanga. 580–581. S. kalomo. 582–583. S. chibububo.

FIGURES 592–607. Smeringopus peregrinus group, epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 592–593. S. peregrinus. 594–595. S. peregrinoides. 596–597. S. butare. 598–599. S. katanga. 600–601. S. kalomo. 602–603. S. chibububo. 604–605. S. dundo. 606–607. S. similis.

FIGURES 673–678. Smeringopus chibububo. 673. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. 674–675. Left procursus, prolateral and dorsal views. 676–678. Left embolus, prolateral, dorsal, and prolatero-ventral views. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

FIGURES 609–616. Smeringopus peregrinus. 609. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. 610. Left procursus, prolateral view. 611–613. Left embolus, prolateral, dorsal, and ventral (slightly prolateral) views (arrow points to variable structure; see text). 614–615. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 616. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.