Peplometus nimba, Wesołowska & Azarkina & Wiśniewski, 2020

Wesolowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Wisniewski, Konrad, 2020, A revision of Pachyballus Simon, 1900 and Peplometus Simon, 1900 (Araneae, Salticidae, Ballini) with descriptions of new species, ZooKeys 944, pp. 47-98 : 47

Peplometus nimba sp. nov. Figures 135 , 184-188 , 198

Holotype.

Guinea • ♂; Nimba Mts, Nion; 7°36'N, 8°28'W; 16.VI.1942; M. Lamotte leg.; BMNH.

Diagnosis.

Male of this species is very similar to that of Pachyballus oyo , it can be distinguished by the lack of a conspicuous, sharp process on tibia I, which is very characteristic for the latter species (compare Fig. 135 with Fig. 134 ). In P. nimba metatarsus and tibia of leg I are of equal length, while in P. oyo metatarsus I is clearly shorter, about half of tibia I length.

Etymology.

The specific name is a noun in apposition referring to the Nimba Mts, type locality of this species.

Description.

Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.4, width1.2, height 0.5. Eye field: length 0.7, anterior width 1.1, posterior width 1.2. Abdomen: length 2.0, width 1.4.

General appearance as in Fig. 184 . Body very flat, covered with strongly sclerotised integument, clearly pitted, brown with blackish area around eyes. Carapace slightly trapezoid, white bristles near eyes of first row. Clypeus very low. Chelicerae with two teeth on promargin and five on retromargin (apical tooth very small), fang short. Endites, labium and sternum yellow. Abdomen elongated, shield shaped (its anterior margin almost straight), dorsum covered with large strongly sclerotised scutum. Ventrally abdomen with typical large scuta (Fig. 185 ), as in other species. In front of epigastric furrow clearly visible narrow wedge-shaped sclerotised swelling. Spinnerets yellow. First pair the stoutest, femora basically yellow, slightly darker on sides; patella light yellow, tibia slightly thickened, brown (prolateral surface darker), with light streak dorsally, dense long whitish (probably bleached) setae ventrally; metatarsus long, creamy with black dorsal hump and black line along prolateral side (Fig. 187 ). Legs II-IV yellow, with thin dark line along prolateral sides of patellae and tibiae. Legs without spines, except two short ventral spines on metatarsus I. Palps yellow, tibial apophysis very thin, bulb triangular, embolus spirally coiled on bulb tip (Fig. 188 ).

Female unknown.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality, Nimba Mts in western Africa (Fig. 198 ).

Figures

Figures 129 - 135. First leg of male 129 Pachyballus castaneus 130 Peplometus biscutellatus 131, 132 P. chlorophthalmus 133 P. congoensis 134 P. oyo 135 P. nimba 132 retrolateral view, others prolateral view.

Figures 184 - 188. Peplometus nimba 184 male, holotype, habitus, dorsal view 185 venter of abdomen 186 first leg, retrolateral view 187 first leg, prolateral view 188 palpal organ, ventral view.

Figures 193 - 198. Distribution maps of Pachyballus and Peplometus species. 193 circle - Pachyballus caelestis, square - P. castaneus, triangle - P. variegatus 194 P. flavipes 195 circle - P. miniscutulus, square - P. mombasensis, triangle - P. ornatus 196 P. transversus 197 circle - Peplometus biscutellatus, square - P. chlorophthalmus 198 circle - P. nimba, square - P. oyo, triangle - P. congoensis.