Dendryphantes silvestris, Wesołowska & Haddad, 2013

Wesołowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2013, New data on the jumping spiders of South Africa (Araneae: Salticidae), African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 177-177 : 193-195

Dendryphantes silvestris sp. n.

Figs 8, 54–60

Etymology: From Latin silvestris (of a forest), referring to the habitat of the species.

Diagnosis: This species may be easily distinguished from congeners: the male by the distinctive, very long and thin embolus accompanied by a very long terminal apophysis, and the female by having very deep epigynal atria.

Description:

Measurements (♂ / ♀). Cephalothorax: length 2.0/1.8–2.0, width 1.5/1.4–1.5, height 0.7/0.6–0.7.Abdomen: length 2.2–2.3/2.3–2.5, width 1.5–1.8/1.5–1.7. Eye field: length 0.8/0.8, anterior width 1.2/1.2–1.3, posterior width 1.3/1.3–1.4.

Male.

General appearance as in Fig. 8. Shape of body typical for the genus, slightly elongated and very flattened. Carapace oval, brown, with yellow-silver translucent guanine crystals spread throughout eye field; two rounded black stains present in centre of ocular area ( Fig.8). Eyes surrounded by black rings. Dorsum of carapace clothed in dense short greyish hairs; long brown bristles near anterior row of eyes. Clypeus low, brown. Mouthparts and sternum dark. Abdomen ovoid, generally dark; dense small brown patches and dots forming pattern on yellowish grey background ( Fig. 8); abdominal dorsum with brown and grey hairs. Venter with broad dark area, with two lines formed by pale dots on it. Spinnerets grey. Legs brown, first pair slightly stouter than others; sides of femora, tibiae and patellae almost black. Leg hairs and spines dark. Pedipalps dark brown; tegulum oval, embolus very long and thin, terminal apophysis also long ( Figs 54–56).

Female.

Similar to male, slightly lighter in colour.Anterior eyes surrounded by white hairs. Clypeus clothed in whitish hairs. Spinnerets grey. Legs yellow, lateral surfaces of proximal segments sometimes darker. Epigyne with copulatory openings hidden in very deep sclerotized atria ( Figs 57, 58); accessory glands lead into the ducts in their inlet parts ( Figs 59, 60).

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: Amatola Mtns, Hogsback , 32°35.649'S 26°56.638'E, beating shrubs, Afromontane forest, 9.iv.2010, University of the Free State students (NCA, 2012/1098).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: 2♂ 5♀ Amatola Mtns, Hogsback , 32°35.605'S 26°56.153'E, invaded forest, canopy fogging Podocarpus falcatus , 9.iv.2010, C. Haddad, V. Swart & A. Kirk-Spriggs (NCA, 2012/1122) ; 2♂ 1♀ same locality, 32°35.605'S 26°56.153'E, canopy fogging P. falcatus , 8.iv.2010, C. Haddad, V. Swart & A. Kirk-Spriggs (NCA, 2012/1115) ; 1♂ 1♀ same data ( MRAC) ; 7♀ same locality, 32°35.508'S 26°56.538'E, 1210 m, pine plantation, canopy fogging P. falcatus , 1.iv.2012, C. Haddad & J. Neethling ( NMBA) ; 1♂ same data ( NMBA) ; 4♀ same locality, 32°35.530'S 26°56.570'E, 1200 m, pine plantation, canopy fogging P. falcatus , 1.iv.2012, C. Haddad & J. Neethling ( NMSA, 26427) ; 2♀ Amatola Mtns, Katberg State Forest, 32°28.407'S 26°40.346'E, 1210 m, Afromontane forest , canopy fogging, mixed trees, 8.i.2011, C. Haddad, C. Griswold & H. Wood (NCA, 2010/2710) . KwaZulu­Natal: 1♂ iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, St Lucia , 28°23.038'S 32°24.428'E, 21 m, coastal forest, canopy fogging Trichilia dregeana , 13.v.2012, J. Neethling & C. Luwes ( NMSA, 26437) .

Distribution: Known only from two localities in the Amatola Mountains and a single locality in northern KwaZulu-Natal ( Fig. 61).

Habitat: The species was mainly collected from yellow-wood trees and mixed tree canopies by fogging in indigenous Afromontane forests invaded by exotic species (Hogsback) and undisturbed forest (Katberg), respectively. Single specimens were collected by beating shrubs in Afromontane forest and by fogging a tree in coastal forest.