Thyenula haddadi, 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 : 55-56

Thyenula haddadi sp. nov.

Figs 200–206

Holotype: male, SOUTH AFRICA, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Pietermaritzburg , 29°36'S: 30°22'E, Town Bush, on pine trunks, 15 April 1976, leg. A. Russell-Smith ( NHM).

Paratypes: together with holotype, 8 males, 2 females; same data, 1 male, 1 female ( MRAC); same locality, clearing in humid forest, 2 males, 18 April 1976, leg. A. Russell-Smith ( NHM); same locality, 1 female, 23 August 1983, leg. P. Croeser & C. Griswold ( NMSA 26496 ); same data, 1 male, 1 female, 19 October 1985 ( NMSA 26442 ); 25 km NNW of Pietermaritzburg, Karkloof Forest , 29°26'S: 30°19'E, 1400 m a.s.l., leaf litter, 1 female, 9 December 1983, leg. C. Griswold ( NMSA 26501 ) .

Diagnosis. The species is very similar to T. leighi ( Peckham & Peckham, 1903) in the coloration but differs by the location of white hairs on eye field. These hairs form a thin line along the anterior margin of the eye field in T. leighi , whereas T. haddadi has patches between the anterior eyes (compare Fig. 200 herein with Wesołowska 2012: fig. 59). The copulatory organs of this species are very similar to those of T. clarosignata described above. T. haddadi is easily distinguished from T. clarosignata by the abdominal pattern (lack of light transverse strip) and the lack of small denticles on the tibial apophysis of the male palp, as well as the placement of the epigynal depressions (lateral in T. clarosignata versus anterior in T. haddadi ) and the broader spermathecae in female.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Charles Haddad, an arachnologist from University of the Free State of South Africa, specialist in African corinnids.

Description. Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax: length 1.9–3.1/2.5–2.6, width 1.5–2.3/1.7–2.0, height 0.9–1.1/1.2–1.3. Abdomen: length 1.9–2.7/2.0–2.2, width 1.5–2.0/2.0–2.7. Eye field: length 1.0–1.3/ 1.1–1.3, anterior width 1.5–1.8/1.8–1.9, posterior width 1.4–1.6/1.7–1.8.

Male. General appearance as in Fig. 200 . Carapace moderately high, gently sloping posteriorly, brown with darker eye field and lighter patch on foveal area. White hairs form wide streaks on sides and two small rounded patches at fovea (only in some specimens). Anterior eyes surrounded by whitish scales. Eye field with characteristic pattern forming by white hairs; two oblique short streaks between anterior median and lateral eyes and a patch in shape of turned V between anterior medians ( Fig. 200 ). Chelicerae with two promarginal teeth and single tooth on retromargin. Endites and labium brown with paler tips, sternum orange brownish. Abdomen ovoid, with wide brown streak medially, sometimes broken into chevrons posteriorly, sides yellowish with small dark irregular patches. Venter light with some darker markings, in darker specimens with broad median brown stripe. Spinnerets yellowish grey. Legs yellowish to brown, femur III with broad dark rings at base and tip (similar rings on femur IV, but poorly contrasting). Long dense blackish hairs on tibia I ventrally. Pedipalps orange with slightly darker distal parts. Tibial apophysis thin, diameter of embolic spiral large, equal breadth of cymbium ( Fig. 201 ).

Female. General appearance as in Fig. 203 . Carapace brown with slightly darker eye field, clothed in brown hairs and bristles. Anterior eyes surrounded by fawn scales. Clypeus low, light brown. Mouth parts as in male. Abdomen generally greyish beige with ill defined pattern composed of small lighter patches and chevrons, covered with thin shiny hairs. Venter light with small darker patches. Legs light brown, bearing brown hairs. Epigyne oval with large anterior depression framed with sclerotized flanges ( Figs 204, 205 ). Internal structure as in Fig. 206 , seminal ducts short.

Distribution. Known only from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 200–202. Thyenula haddadi sp. nov. 200 male paratype, dorsal view; 201 palpal organ, ventral view; 202 palpal organ, retrolateral view.

FIGURES 203–206. Thyenula haddadi sp. nov. 203 female paratype, dorsal view; 204, 205 epigyne; 206 internal structure of epigyne.