Smeringopina belinga, Huber, Bernhard A., 2013

Huber, Bernhard A., 2013, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Guineo-Congolian spider genus Smeringopina Kraus (Araneae, Pholcidae, Zootaxa 3713 (1), pp. 1-160 : 44

Smeringopina belinga new species

Figs. 10 , 648–652 , 686–687 , 698 , 756–777

Type. ♂ holotype from Gabon, Ogooué-Ivindo, Monts de Belinga (0°58.7’N, 13°11.5’E), 860 m a.s.l., at large rocks in forest, 13.viii.2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber), in ZFMK (Ar 10295).

Other material examined. GABON: Ogooué-Ivindo: Monts de Belinga , same data as holotype, 6♂ 10♀ in ZFMK (Ar 10296); same data, 2 juvs. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Gab 203).

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

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (large species with long abdomen, cone-shaped modified hairs on male chelicerae, embolus with sclerotized proximal part) by combination of unmodified clypeus, shape of massive procursus (with simple distal projections dorsally and ventrally, Figs. 756–757 ), shape of sclerotized proximal part of embolus ( Figs. 759 , 763 ), and distribution of modified hairs on male chelicerae ( Fig. 758 ). Female not easily distinguished from similar species with roughly triangular anterior epigynal plate evenly curved in lateral view (especially S. ebolowa ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 7.5, carapace width 1.9. Leg 1: 70.9 (16.9 + 0.8 + 16.3 + 33.7 + 3.2), tibia 2: 11.3, tibia 3: 8.0, tibia 4: 10.7; tibia 1 L/d: 84. Distance PME-PME 210 µm, diameter PME 185 µm, distance PME-ALE 115 µm, distance AME-AME 60 µm, diameter AME 170 µm. Carapace ochre-yellow with brown mark posteriorly and wide brown lateral margins; ocular area brown, clypeus brown except below eyes, sternum dark brown; legs light brown, dark rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct dark pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 648– 649 , ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with distinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; clypeus unmodified except slightly longer hairs; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Figs. 758 and 767 , with lateral proximal apophyses and strong distal apophyses, the latter and frontal cheliceral face provided with many modified (cone-shaped) hairs ( Fig. 768 ). Palps as in Figs. 650–652 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with simple retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur proximally with ventral pocket bordered retrolaterally by strong sclerotized ridge ( Fig. 765 ), with small retrolateral apophysis, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint very prominent and strongly shifted toward ventrally; tarsus with some stronger hairs dorsally; procursus with distinct hinge between proximal and distal part, with distinctive distal processes ( Figs. 756–757 , 762 ); bulb with widened and heavily sclerotized proximal part of embolus ( Figs. 759 , 763–764, 766 ), with unidentified opening proximally ( Figs. 763, 766 ; not the sperm duct opening, cf. Fig. 764 ). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible. ALS with eight spigots each ( Fig. 771 ); gonopore with two epiandrous spigots ( Fig. 770 ).

Variation. Tibia 1 in 5 other males: 14.9–18.0 (mean 16.6).

Female. In general similar to male. Tibia 1 in 11 females: 12.3–16.4 (mean 13.8). Clypeus sometimes entirely dark; posterior median light line ventrally on abdomen variably distinct. Epigynum large, consisting of wide, roughly triangular anterior plate evenly curved in lateral view and large posterior plate ( Figs. 686–687 , 761 , 772 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 698 , 760 , 773–774 . Spinnerets as in male ( Fig. 775 ).

Natural history. The specimens were common in large webs among and under large rocks in the forest by the road.

Distribution. Known from type locality only ( Fig. 627 ).

Figures

FIGURE 627. Known distribution of the beninensis species group.

FIGURES 2 – 16. Smeringopina, alive specimens in their natural habitats. 2 – 3. S. bineti, mating pair (Sêbori, Guinea) and female with juveniles (Doucki, Guinea). 4. S. guineensis, female with juveniles (Mount Nimba, Guinea). 5. S. pulchra, male (Ankasa N. P., Ghana). 6. S. ebolowa, male (Kribi, Cameroon). 7. S. essotah, female with eggsac (Essotah, Cameroon). 8 – 9. S. ogooue, male (NE Makokou, Gabon) and female with eggsac (Pahon Pira, Gabon). 10. S. belinga, male (Monts de Belinga, Gabon). 11. S. chaillu, male (near Iboundji, Gabon). 12. S. bwiti, male (Moulandoufouala, Gabon). 13. S. sahoue, male (Sahoué, Gabon). 14. S. tchimbele, male (Monts de Cristal, Gabon). 15 – 16. S. simplex, female with eggsac and juveniles (Mt. Koupé, Cameroon).

FIGURES 648 – 657. Smeringopina belinga n. sp. (648 – 652) and S. beninensis Kraus (653 – 657). 648 – 649, 653 – 654. Males, dorsal and ventral views. 650 – 652, 655 – 657. Left male palps, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views.

FIGURES 678 – 693. Female abdomens in ventral and lateral views, beninensis group. 678 – 679. Smeringopina ebolowa n. sp. 680 – 681. S. essotah n. sp. 682 – 683. S. mayebout n. sp. 684 – 685. S. simintang n. sp. 686 – 687. S. belinga n. sp. 688 – 689. S. beninensis Kraus. 690 – 691. S. kribi n. sp. 692 – 693. S. sahoue n. sp.

FIGURES 694 – 702. Cleared female genitalia in dorsal view, beninensis group. 694. Smeringopina ebolowa n. sp. 695. S. essotah n. sp. 696. S. mayebout n. sp. 697. S. simintang n. sp. 698. S. belinga n. sp. 699. S. beninensis Kraus. 700. S. kribi n. sp. 701. S. sahoue n. sp. 702. S. tchimbele n. sp.

FIGURES 756 – 761. Smeringopina belinga n. sp. 756 – 757. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 758. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 759. Left embolus, prolateral view. 760. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. 761. Epigynum, ventral view. Scale lines: 0.5 (756 – 759), 1.0 (760 – 761).

FIGURES 762 – 777. Smeringopina belinga n. sp. 762. Right procursus and embolus, dorsal view. 763. Left embolus; arrow points at unidentified symmetrical structure. 764. Left bulb and embolus, distal view; arrow points at sperm duct opening. 765. Right palpal trochanter and femur, ventral view; arrow points at ventral pocket. 766. Right embolus; arrow points at unidentified symmetrical structure. 767. Male chelicerae. 768. Modified hairs on male chelicerae. 769. Laminae of male chelicerae. 770. Male gonopore. 771. Male ALS. 772. Epigynum, ventral view. 773 – 774. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal and dorso – posterior views. 775. Female ALS. 776. Right tarsus 4, prolateral view. 777. Tip of left tarsus 4. Abbreviations: e: embolus; pr: procursus; tr: trochanter. Scale lines: 20 µm (771, 775, 777), 40 µm (768), 60 µm (769, 776), 80 µm (770), 100 µm (766), 200 µm (762 – 765, 767, 773 – 774), 400 µm (772).