Stenaelurillus glaber Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2011

Wesołowska, Wanda, 2014, Further notes on the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1885 (Araneae, Salticidae) in Africa with descriptions of eight new species, Zoosystema 36 (3), pp. 595-622 : 602-604

Stenaelurillus glaber Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2011

Stenaelurillus glaber Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2011: 593 , figs 151, 152, 238-240.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Ghana, Aburi , 5°51’N, 0°11’W, 26.I.1991, leg. W. Puławski, 1 ♂ ( CAS) ; Uganda, [without precise locality], VIII-IX.1913, leg. K. Kittenberger, 1 ♂ ( MTM) ; Pakwach , 2°28’N, 31°30’E, sweep net, 7.IV.1995, leg. D. Penney, 1 ♂ ( MNH) .

DISTRIBUTION. — Hitherto known from Nigeria, recorded for the first time in Ghana and Uganda here.

REMARKS. — Species very similar to S. hirsutus Lessert, 1927 , but differs in having low, light clypeus (high, black with light vertical stripes in S. hirsutus ) and light coloration of palp.

Stenaelurillus hirsutus Lessert, 1927 ( Figs 4 ; 15 )

Stenaelurillus hirsutus Lessert, 1927: 434 , fig. 18a, b.

Stenaelurillus cristatus Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000: 98 , figs 261-268. — Szűts & Scharff 2005: 375, figs 7d, e, 9a-d, n. syn.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Holotype of S. cristatus . Congo (Zaire), Faradje, 3°43’N, 29°43’E, coll. R. Lessert, 1 ♂ ( MHN): Central Africa, Bambari, 5°46’N, 20°41’E, II.1969, leg. G. Pierrard, 1 ♀ ( MRAC 136633 ); Ghana, Banda Nkwanta, 8°21’N, 2°08’W, pitfall trap, 1-14.VII.1965, leg. T. Endrödy-Younga, 6 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 3 imm. ( MTM); Ivory Coast, Kossou, 7°06’N, 5°30’W, savanna, 10.X-8.XI.1974, leg. R. Jocqué, 2 ♂♂ ( MRAC 152635 ); same locality, 1-15.XII.1974, 4 ♂♂ ( MRAC 152630 ); same locality, 18.II-2.III.1975, 1 ♂ ( MRAC 152461 ); same locality, 15.III-2.IV.1975, 2 ♀♀ ( MRAC 152463 ); same locality, 15-28.IV.1975, 12 ♂♂ ( MRAC 152386 ); same locality, 13-23.V.1975, 9 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( MRAC 152414 ); same locality, 23.V-10.VI.1975, 13 ♂♂ ( MRAC 152392 ); same locality, 10.VI.1975, 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀ ( MRAC 152926 ); Senegal, 10 km S from Bignona , 12°49’N, 16°14’W, 12.VII.1991, leg. W. Puławski, 1 ♂ ( CAS); Dakar [ Cape Verde] Peninsula , 14°45’N, 17°20’W, IV.1945, leg. E. Newbomb, 1 ♂ ( NY); same locality, V.1945, 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( NY).

DIAGNOSIS. — The male is easily distinguished by characteristic striped pattern of clypeus (white with two vertical black stripes) and presence of protrudent “mane” on eye field. The female has epigyne with fissured horizontal copulatory openings (see fig. 267 in Wesołowska & Russell-Smith 2000).

DISTRIBUTION. — Species hitherto known from Ghana, Congo and Tanzania, for the first time recorded in Central Africa, Ivory Coast and Senegal.

COMMENTS. — The type of S. hirsutus is slightly bleached, its carapace bald, the majority of hairs rubbed of, only thick rod hairs on anterior half of eye field preserved. Also clypeus is devoid of hairs, uniformly light. Still in original description author reports the presence of two vertical black stripes on cylpeus and long bristles on eye field ( Lessert 1927: fig. 18b). During my studies on Stenaelurillus , I met many times specimens which lost part/majority of their ornamental hairs. Analysis of coloration, palpal structure and distribution of S. cristatus and S. hirsutus justified synonymization of their names, so I propose S. cristatus as a junior synonym of S. hirsutus .

REDESCRIPTION

Measurements

Cephalothorax: length 2.3-2.7, width 1.5-1.9, height 1.0-1.1. Abdomen:length 2.4-2.5, width1.8- 2.3. Eye field:length 0.9-1.1, anterior and posterior width 1.5-1.7.

Male

General appearance as in Figure 15A, B . Carapace oval, slightly broader posteriorly, moderately high, with short eye field.Colouration of carapace brown, white hairs form two parallel stripes on thoracic part, lateral edges of carapace also lighter. Eye field black, very long and dense fawn hairs form punk-like tuft ( Fig. 15B ), in the majority of studied specimens these hairs partially or fully rubbed off and then visible short thick setae usually hidden among them. Long fawn hairs form “brushes” on sides of carapace anteriorly, at femora I and II, sometimes lost.Clypeus relatively high, white with two black vertical streaks, so“face” of spider with contrasting pattern ( Fig.15C ). Chelicerae light brown, unidentate, teeth small. Abdomen blackish, anteriorly with two light lines, area among them shining, three rounded whitish patches posteriorly ( Fig. 4A ), sides and venter light. Spinnerets long, composed of two segments, blackish tips. Legs yellowish, with brown patches formed by brown hairs. Spines long, brown, numerous. Pedipalps light, clothed in dense blackish hairs on prolateral side and white on retrolateral ( Fig. 15C ), black scales on cymbium base. Palpal tibia with thin single short pointed apophysis ( Fig. 4 E-G). Embolic division as in Fig. 4B .

Female

General appearance as in Figure 15D . Description in Wesołowska & Russell-Smith (2000).

Figures

FIG. 4. — Stenaelurillus hirsutus Lessert, 1927, male, holotype: A, abdominal pattern; B, palpal organ, ventral view; C, palpal organ, ventrolateral view; D, palpal organ, lateral view; E, palpal tibia, lateral view; F, palpal tibia, dorsal view; G, basal segments of palp. Scale bars: A, 1.0 mm; B-G, 0.3 mm.

FIG. 15. — Stenaelurillus hirsutus Lessert, 1927: A, male, dorsolateral view; B, male, lateral view; C, male, frontal view; D, female, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.