Euophrys elizabethae, Wesołowska & Azarkina & Russell-Smith, 2014

Wesołowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Russell-Smith, Anthony, 2014, Euophryine jumping spiders of the Afrotropical Region-new taxa and a checklist (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae), Zootaxa 3789 (1), pp. 1-72 : 13

Euophrys elizabethae sp. nov.

Figs 34–39

Holotype: male, SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape Province, Cape Town, Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens , 33°57'S: 18°36'E, woodland, 9 May 1976, leg. A. Russell-Smith ( NHM).

Paratype: together with holotype, 1 female.

Diagnosis. The species is closely related to E. purcelli Peckham & Peckham, 1903 known from the same province in South Africa. The male differs in the shape of the tibial apophysis, which is shorter and wider (compare Fig. 36 herein with Wesołowska 2012: fig. 3). The course of the sperm duct is also different (meandering in E.purcelli , while almost straight in the newly described species). The female can be recognized by the slightly longer, more strongly curved seminal ducts and the shorter accessory glands than those in E. purcelli (compare Fig. 39 herein with Wesołowska 2012: fig. 5).

Etymology. The species is named after Elizabeth Peckham, an early American arachnologist who was also active in the women's suffrage movement, a pioneer in the study of African jumping spiders.

Description. Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax: length 2.3/2.2, width 1.8/1.6, height 0.9/0.9. Abdomen: length 2.2/2.6, width 1.4/1.7. Eye field: length 1.0/1.0, anterior width 1.4/1.4, posterior width 1.5/1.5.

Male. General appearance as in Fig. 34 . Carapace oval, brown, vicinity of eyes black, colourless hairs covering eye field. Clypeus low, clothed in white hairs. Chelicerae with two promarginal teeth and single tooth on retromargin, mouth parts and sternum light brown. Abdomen oval, generally dark grey, with pattern typical for the majority of Euophrys spp. , composed of mosaic of very dense small dark patches, slightly lighter medially, with chain of darker chevrons. Sides yellowish with faint dark marks, venter greyish yellow. Spinnerets light. Legs brown, first pair darker than others. Palpal structure as in Figs 35, 36 , diameter of embolic coil very small ( Fig. 35 ), tibial apophysis relatively wide, spermaphore not meandering ( Fig. 36 ).

Femal e. General appearance as in Fig. 37 . Shape as in male, body more hairy. Traces of lighter patch on foveal area. Abdomen, dark grey with mosaic of small lighter patches and two pairs of larger light patches and a few chevrons along median line, venter yellowish. Legs yellowish grey with slightly darker femora, especially distally. Epigyne as in Fig. 38 , weakly sclerotized. Seminal ducts very short, relatively broad, looped anteriorly, accessory glands large, placed in spermatheca wall ( Fig. 39 ).

Distribution. Only the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 34–39. Euophrys elizabethae sp. nov. 34 male holotype, dorsal view; 35 palpal organ, ventral view; 36 palpal organ, retrolateral view; 37 female paratype, dorsal view; 38 epigyne; 39 internal structure of epigyne.