Selenogyrus foordi, Sherwood & Henrard & Van Den Spiegel, 2024

Sherwood, Danniella, Henrard, Arnaud & Van Den Spiegel, Didier, 2024, Selenogyrus foordi, a new species and the first record of the subfamily Selenogyrinae Smith, 1990 from Guinea (Araneae, Theraphosidae), African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 37-48 : 37-48

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.3897/afrinvertebr.65.128284

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6D1528B6-39B6-46C1-B46E-3E1C2EF65C42

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13332798

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F659090C-B69A-4DB2-8D0F-810C4413E5C6

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:F659090C-B69A-4DB2-8D0F-810C4413E5C6

treatment provided by

African Invertebrates by Pensoft

scientific name

Selenogyrus foordi
status

sp. nov.

Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov.

Material examined.

Holotype: Guinea • 1 ♂; Keoulanta , Mount Nimba, Guinea, (7 ° 42 ' 23 " N, 8 ° 20 ' 48 " W; 515 m a. s. l.; 20 / 11 / 2017; C. Allard, P. Bumou, A. Henrard, D. Van den Spiegel, A. Samoura, and M. Bamba leg.; NIMBA-2017-088 ; BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara.246088 . GoogleMaps

Paratype: Guinea • 1 ♀; Seringbara , Mount Nimba, Guinea, 7 ° 40 ' N, 8 ° 26 ' W; 599 m a. s. l.; gallery forest; 09 / 10 / 2008; D. Van den Spiegel leg.; BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara.222490 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Males of Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. aureus by the thinner apical taper of the embolus (embolus wider at apex in S. aureus ) and the presence of darkened femora and white markings on the distal third tibiae in vivo (femora with golden tinge and lacking white markings on the distal third of the tibiae in S. aureus ). Females of S. foordi sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. africanus , S. austini , and S. caeruleus by the medially flared receptacles of the spermathecae (not medially flared in S. africanus , S. austini , and S. caeruleus ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is an eponym honouring our colleague the late Stefan Foord (1971–2023), in recognition of his significant contributions to African arachnology, and in remembrance of his kind and collaborative spirit.

Description of holotype male

( BE _ RMCA _ Ara. 246088). Total length including chelicerae: 26.7. Carapace: (damaged) length 12.0, width 10.5. Caput: slightly raised. Ocular tubercle: (damaged during capture, not measurable). Eyes (interpreted in life): AME> ALE, ALE> PLE, PLE> PME, anterior eye row procurved, posterior row slightly recurved. Clypeus: narrow; clypeal fringe: long. Fovea: deep, procurved. Chelicera: length 4.3, width 1.8. Abdomen: length 10.4, width 6.4. Maxilla with 100–150 cuspules covering approximately 32 % of the proximal edge. Labium: length 1.2, width 1.5, with 200–220 cuspules most separated by 0.5–1.0 × the width of a single cuspule. Labio-sternal mounds: separate, raised. Sternum: length 4.9, width 3.6, with three pairs of sigilla. Tarsi I – II and IV fully scopulate, tarsus III missing (but confirmed undivided in paratypes examined). Metatarsal scopulae: I 85 %; II 78 %; III 43 %; IV 17 %. Lengths of legs and palpal segments: see Table 1 View Table 1 , legs 4, 1, 2, 3. Spination: femur I d 0–0 – 1, II d 0–0 – 1, palp d 0–0 – 1, patella III p 0–0 – 1, tibia II d 0–2 – 1, v 2–1 – 3, III d 2–2 – 2, v 3–1 – 3, IV d 1–1 – 2, v 2–1 – 3, palp p 0–1 – 2, metatarsus I v 0–0 – 1 (apical), II v 2–0 – 3 (apical), III d 2–2 – 3, v 3–2 – 3 (apical), IV d 4–6 – 3, v 4–6 – 6 (3 apical). Tibia I with paired tibial apophysis, RB longer than PB, PB with 2 prolateral megaspines situated medially, almost as long as branch; RB with one prolatero-apical megaspine, much shorter than branch (Figs 4 A – F View Figure 4 , 5 A – F View Figure 5 ). Femur III: slightly incrassate. Palpal tibia: unmodified. Palpal cymbium: unmodified. Metatarsus I: straight, unmodified. Posterior lateral spinnerets with three segments, basal 1.1, median 0.5, digitiform apical (missing). Posterior median spinnerets with one segment. Palpal bulb with TH weakly developed; embolus filiform, tapering strongly in apical third; PS, RS, and A weakly developed, PS and RS apically fused (Figs 2 A – I View Figure 2 , 3 A – D View Figure 3 ). Stridulation organ: prolateral face of chelicera furnished with clavate stridulatory lyra. Colour in alcohol: brown (Figs 1 A – B View Figure 1 ).

Description of paratype female

( BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 222490). Total length including chelicerae: 52.3. Carapace: length 20.0, width 18.0. Caput: raised. Ocular tubercle: slightly raised, length 3.3, width 1.5. Eyes: ALE> AME, AME> PLE, PLE> PME, anterior row procurved, posterior row recurved. Clypeus: narrow; clypeal fringe: short. Fovea: deep, procurved. Chelicera: length 12.3, width 8.3. Abdomen: length 24.0, width 15.5. Maxilla with 160–180 cuspules, covering approximately 40 % of proximal edge. Labium: length 2.7, width 3.4, with 130–160 labial cuspules most separated by 0.5–1.0 × the width of a single cuspule. Labio-sternal mounds: separate, raised. Sternum: length 8.7, width 7.8, with three pairs of sigilla. Tarsi I – IV fully scopulate. Metatarsal scopulae: I 83 %; II 65 %; III 49 %; IV 23 %. Lengths of leg and palpal segments: see Table 2 View Table 2 , legs 4, 1, 2, 3. Spination: femur palp d 0–0 – 1, tibia I v 0–0 – 3, II v 0–0 – 3, III v 2–1 – 2, p 0–1 – 0, r 0–1 – 0, IV v 1–1 – 3, p 0–1 – 0, r 0–1 – 1, palp p 0–2 – 2, r 0–0 – 2, metatarsus I r 0–0 – 3, II r 0–0 – 3, III d 0–0 – 2, v 2–2 – 4 (3 apical), p 1–1 – 2, r 1–1 – 0, IV v 3–4 – 5 (3 apical), r 1–1 – 0. Posterior lateral spinnerets with three segments: basal 2.2, medial 2.0, digitiform apical 3.3. Posterior median spinnerets with one segment. Spermathecae with two distinct and separate receptacles, basally wider than apex, medially with prolateral and retrolateral flaring, tapering gently thereafter to apex, each receptacle with a single indistinct lobe without neck constriction (Fig. 2 D View Figure 2 ). Stridulation organ: prolateral face of chelicera furnished with clavate stridulatory lyra (Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 ). Colour in alcohol: brown (Figs 2 A – B View Figure 2 ).

Colour

in vivo. Male with carapace with turquoise pubescence, with alternating radial bands of fawn and dark green, lateral margins with bands of sepia-coloured bristles, anterior margin fawn. Chelicerae with tawny-brown bristles, endites with long red-brown bristles apically. Palp dark brown, apically with a white blotch. Legs: femora dark brown, with long brown bristles ventrally; patellae dark brown with some lighter bristles; tibiae brown in proximal half and white in distal half; metatarsi light brown with distal part paler; tarsi light brown; all legs with numerous long light bristles, more densely distributed on legs 3 and 4. Abdomen dark brown, with a slightly coppery sheen and light, long, brown bristles; spinnerets brown (Figs 6 A – C View Figure 6 ). Female overall black, with orange-red hairs densely distributed on legs (Fig. 7 E View Figure 7 ).

Distribution.

Known only from Mount Nimba, Guinea.

New distribution record

RMCA

Royal Museum for Central Africa

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Theraphosidae

Genus

Selenogyrus