Festucula festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925)

Azarkina, Galina N. & Foord, Stefan H., 2014, A revision of the Afrotropical species of Festucula Simon, 1901 (Araneae: Salticidae), African Invertebrates 55 (2), pp. 351-351 : 359-362

Festucula festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925)

Figs 16, 25 , 45–60

Pseudicius festuculaeformis Lessert, 1925: 465 , figs 50—54 (Ô, only first leg, examined)̹

Festucula festuculaeformis: Lessert 1933: 149 ; WesoΙowska 1992 (in part): 46, fig̹ 22̹

F. lawrencei : WesoΙowska & Russell-Smith 2000 (misidentified): 28, figs 49—51̹

F. festuculaeformis: Wesolowska & Edwards 2012: 746 , figs 44—45 (♀) (Misidentification)̹

Diagnosis: F. festuculaeformis resembles F. haddadi sp. n. The male can be distinguished by the shape of its tibial apophysis: VTA is swollen distally (Fig̹ 48) and the LTA is dorsally concave (Fig̹ 49, arrowed), compared to the less swollen VTA (Fig̹ 64) and dorsally straight LTA in F. haddadi sp̹ n̹ (Fig̹ 64, arrowed)̹ The embolus sits at c. 45° to the distal margin of the tegulum in F. festuculaeformis (Fig̹ 45), while the angle is much more acute in F. haddadi sp. n. The female can be distinguished by the structure of the spermathecae, characterised by the long, thin middle part of the insemination ducts (Fig̹ 52)̹

Description:

Male. Measurements: Carapace: 1.80–2.00 long, 1.20–1.30 wide, 0.50 high. Abdomen: 4.40–4.70 long, 1.15–1.20 wide. Eye field: 0.70–0.80 long, anterior 0.90–1.00 wide, posterior 0.95–1.05 wide. Cheliceral length 0.55–0.60. Clypeal height 0.10. Diameter of AME 0.30. Length of leg segments (male from Kenya, NCA 80/99): I 1̹50+1̹15+1̹70+1̹20+0̹45; II 0̹85+0̹40+0̹50+0̹45+0̹35; III 0̹70+0̹35+0̹40+0̹35+0̹35; IV 1̹00+0̹50+0̹75+0̹60+0̹35̹

Leg spination: I: Tb v 0-1-1-1; Mt v 0-2-2ap. III: Mt v 0-1ap.

Coloration ( Figs 53—56 ): Carapace low, flat, dark brown with median brownish-yellow longitudinal stripe, slightly broader in posterior part of ocular area, with two lateral yellow bands, covered with white adpressed hairs. Ocular area black, with brown-yellow patch behind AME̹ Clypeus brown, very low, covered with white hairs (Fig̹ 56)̹ Chelicerae dark brown. Sternum yellow-brown. Abdomen yellowish-grey, with broad brownish stripes laterally (Fig̹ 54)̹ Dorsum with two longitudinal brown and broad yellow stripes (Fig̹ 53)̹ Booklungs and spinnerets brownish̹ Legs I long and robust, brown. The rest of legs yellow. Palps brown. All legs and palps covered with long thin bristles. Palpal structure as in Figs 45–49 .

Female.

Measurements: Carapace: 1.90 long, 1.20 wide, 0.50 high. Abdomen: 6.50 long, 1.50 wide̹ Eye field: 0̹70 long, anterior 0̹95 wide, posterior 1̹00 wide̹ Cheliceral length

0.50. Clypeal height 0.10. Diameter of AME 0.30. Length of leg segments (female from Kenya, NCA 80/99): I 1̹10+0̹80+1̹10+0̹70+0̹40; II 0̹70+0̹40+0̹50+0̹35+0̹30; III 0̹70+0̹35+0̹40+0̹40+0̹35; IV 1̹10+0̹45+0̹80+0̹70+0̹40̹

Leg spination: I: Tb v 0-1-1-1; Mt v 0-2-2ap. IV: Mt v 0-1ap.

Coloration ( Figs 57—60 ): Coloration as in the male ( Figs 57—60 )̹ Structure of epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 50–52 .

Type material examined: Holotype Ô of Pseudicius festuculaeformis Kibonoto [= TANZANIA, Kilimanjaro, Kibongoto , c. 03°11'S 37°06'E, date unknown (R̹ de Lessert)] ( MHNG)̹

Ɵther material examined: KENYA: 3Ô 1♀ Nairobi, L ̹ Nakuru, c. 00°19'S 36°04'E, dead grass Chloris gayana , 19̹xii̹1979, P̹ Reavell ( NCA 80 /99)̹ TANZANIA : 1Ô 1♀ Mkomazi G ̹R̹, Ibaya camp, sweeping, dry grass, 04°00'S 38°00'E, ii̹1994, A̹ Russell-Smith (MRAC 208025); 1Ô 1♀ same locality, dry grass on hillside, 03°58'S 37°46'E, 20̹xi̹1994, A̹ Russell-Smith (MRAC 215585)̹

Distribution: Eastern Africa ( Kenya, Tanzania) (Fig̹ 26)̹

Figures

Figs 8–25. Festucula spp̹: (8) palpal tibia of F. leroyae sp. n., ventral view; (9) ditto, retrolateral view; (10) palpal tibia of F. robustus sp̹ n̹, ventral view; (11) ditto, retrolateral view; (12) palpal tibia of F. australis Lawrence, 1927, retrolateral view; (13) palpal tibia of F. lineata Simon, 1901, basalretrolateral view; (14) ditto, F. australis Lawrence, 1927; (15) ditto, F. lawrencei Lessert, 1933; retrolateral view;(16) palp of F.festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925),ventral view; (17) ditto, F.haddadi sp̹ n̹; (18) epigyne of F. robustus sp̹ n̹, dorsal view view; (19) ditto, F. leroyae sp̹ n̹; (20) ditto, F. australis Lawrence,1927, ventralview; (21) ditto, F. haddadi sp̹n̹; (22) spermathecaeof F. australis Lawrence, 1927, dorsal view; (23) ditto, F. vermiformis Simon, 1901 (from Prószyṅski, 1987; with modification); (24) ditto, F. haddadi sp̹ n̹; (25) ditto, F. festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925)̹

Figs 45–52. Festucula festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925):(45) male palp,ventral view; (46) ditto, retrolateral view; (47) tibial apophysis, dorsal view; (48) ditto, ventro-retrolateral view; (49) ditto, retrolateralapical view; (50) diagrammatic course of the insemination ducts; (51) epigyne, ventral view; (52) spermathecae, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 53–60. Festucula festuculaeformis (Lessert,1925), generalappearance:(53)male,dorsalview;(54)ditto, ventral view; (55) ditto, lateral view; (56) male “face”; (57) female, dorsal view; (58) ditto, ventral view; (59) ditto,lateral view; (60) female“face”̹Scale bars:(53—55,57—59) 1 mm, (56, 60) 0̹2mm̹