Euophrys bifida, 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 : 11-12

Euophrys bifida sp. nov.

Figs 7–17

Holotype: male, SOUTH AFRICA, Eastern Cape Province, Amatola Mountains, Hogsback , 32°36'S: 26°58'E, 1145 m a.s.l., invaded forest, leaf litter, 1 October 2011, leg. J.A. Neethling & C. Luwes ( NCA 2013 /584).

Paratypes: same locality as holotype, 1 male, 3 females, sifting litter, 3 April 2012, leg. UFS entomology students ( NCA 2013 /575) ; same locality, afromontane forest, sifting leaf litter, 2 males, 23 March 2013, leg. C. Haddad, J.A. Neethling & R. du Preez ( AMGS) ; SOUTH AFRICA, Fort Fordyce Forest Reserve , 32°42'S: 26°31'E, afromontane forest, roadside, leaf litter, 1 female, 2 October 2011, leg. J.A. Neethling & C. Luwes ( NCA 2013 / 581) ; same locality, 2 females, 29 November 2012, leg. J.A. Neethling ( NCA 2013 /651) ; Stutterheim , Sandile’s Rest Lodge, 32°40'S: 27°18'E, 1 male, 1 female, indigenous forest, leaf litter, 1 December 2012, leg. J.A. Neethling ( NCA 2013 /657) .

Diagnosis. The characteristic feature (both sexes) distinguishing this species from congeners is the structure of the chelicerae with a bicuspid retromarginal tooth. The palpal organ is slightly similar to that of E. purcelli Peckham & Peckham, 1903 but may be distinguished by the larger diameter of the embolic coil and the shape of the tibial apophysis (compare Figs 9, 11 herein with Wesołowska 2012: fig. 2). The female has an epigyne with two small round depressions encircled by sclerotized flanges.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the shape of the retromarginal cheliceral tooth.

Description. Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax: length 1.2–1.3/1.3–1.4, width 0.9/1.0–1.1, height 0.6/0.5–0.6. Abdomen: length 1.2/1.5–1.7, width 0.8–0.9/1.1. Eye field: length 0.6–0.7, anterior width 0.9/1.0, posterior width 1.0/1.0.

Male. General appearance as in Fig. 7 . Carapace oval, moderately high, thoracic part dirty brown with black striae radiating from fovea, eye field black, delicately pitted, some short colourless hairs on carapace, numerous long bristles at eyes and laterally from eye field. Eyes relatively large, especially anterior medians. Clypeus black. Mouth parts blackish with light tips, sternum large, convex. Chelicerae as in Fig. 8 , retrolateral tooth bicuspid, some stiff setae located on small protuberances on prolateral margin. Abdomen oval, dark (with mosaic of small blackish brown patches) with two thin longitudinal orange yellowish lines, sides whitish with thin diagonal black belts, venter dark with four streaks composed of whitish spots. Spinnerets dark grey. Legs blackish (coxae and trochanters too), only dorsal surfaces of femora slightly lighter, with dark longitudinal line, tarsi yellowish grey. Leg hairs and spines brown. Pedipalps dark, embolus basally coiled, tibial apophysis long, pointed at tip ( Figs 9–12 ).

Female. General appearance as in Fig. 13 . Carapace as in male, thoracic part slightly lighter. Chelicerae as in male. Abdomen dorsally and ventrally covered with mosaic of small dark patches on light background, traces of lighter chevrons on dorsum posteriorly. Legs light brown. Epigyne with two rounded anterior depressions with their edges forming sclerotized rims ( Figs 14, 16 ). Spermathecae large, ovoid, accessory glands placed in spermatheca wall ( Figs 15, 17 ).

Distribution. Known from the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 7–12. Euophrys bifida sp. nov. 7 male holotype, dorsal view; 8 cheliceral dentition; 9, 11 palpal organ, ventral view; 10, 12 palpal organ, retrolateral view. 9, 10 holotype; 11, 12 paratype.

FIGURES 13–17. Euophrys bifida sp. nov. 13 female paratype, dorsal view; 14, 16 epigyne, 15, 17 internal structure of epigyne.