Pochyta fastibilis Simon, 1903

Wesołowska, Wanda & Szűts, Tamás, 2021, A revision of the genus Pochyta Simon, with descriptions of new species (Araneae: Salticidae: Thiratoscirtina), Zootaxa 5052 (1), pp. 1-41 : 9-11

Pochyta fastibilis Simon, 1903

Figs 23–39

Pochyta fastibilis Simon 1903a: 113 ; 1903c: 722, figs 866–867 (D ♂).

Type material. Holotype, male: CAMEROON: without precise locality (MNHN 22070) [MNHN-AR-AR15863].

Other material examined. GABON: Woleu-Ntem, Monts de Cristal, Tchimbélé , 0°37’N 10°24’E, forest, 600 m a.s.l., 2♂ 2♀, 10.VI.2007, leg. W. Maddison, D. de Bakker, M. Bodner ( BBM) ; same data, 1♂ 1♀ ( MRAC) ; same locality, 0°37’N 10°21’E, roadside, 2♂, 11.VI.2007 ( BBM) ; same locality, 0°38’N 10°23’E, stream valley, 3♂ 5♀, 19.VI.2007 ( BBM). All specimens from Gabon collected by W. Maddison, D. de Bakker, M. Bodner.

Diagnosis. The male of this species may be recognized by the form of the chelicera, which has an unusual fang with large triangular apophysis on both sides, so that it looks winged ( Figs 29, 30 ). The palpal organ is similar to that in P. tendicula sp. n. and P. insulana , but its tibial apophysis is accompanied by an additional dorsal process ( Figs 33, 34 ). The female has a similar epigyne to that in P. pulchra , but the internal structures are different, namely the seminal ducts are very long and looped in P. fastibilis but short in P. pulchra (compare Fig. 39 with Fig. 113 ).

Redescription. Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 3.1–3.5, width 2.3–2.9, height 1.5–1.9. Eye field: length 1.3–1.5, anterior width 2.1–2.3, posterior width 1.8–2.1. Abdomen: length 3.2–4.1, width 1.4–1.7. General appearance as in Figs 23, 24 . Medium sized spider. Carapace high, widest at two thirds of its length, brown with lighter foveal area and thoracic part medially, eyes with black rings. Brown hairs on carapace, some white hairs on eye field. Chelicerae large, promargin with long tooth and additional second small tooth placed lower, on retromargin large tooth with wide base, fang long with two triangular “flaps” and thin tip ( Figs 26 , 29, 30 ). Labium and endites orange, sternum yellow. Abdomen elongated, narrower than carapace, yellowish with faint traces of darker stains, or uniformly dark, greyish brown. Venter yellow, in dark specimens grey. Few bristles at anterior margin of abdomen. Spinnerets light. Legs creamy or yellowish, only first pair brown. First pair of legs clearly longer than others (especially long femora and tibiae), with long dark hairs along dorsal and ventral surfaces of coxae, trochanters and femora I. Spination of leg I ( Fig. 27 ): femur dorsally 1-1-3; tibia ventrally 2-2-2-2, prolaterally 1-1, retrolaterally 1-0; metatarsus ventrally 2-2-2. Few long brown scale-like hairs on dorsal surface of first femur at base, row of short sharp bristles along ventral surface of femur. Pedipalps slender, dark, hairy. White hairs on cymbial base and tip of palpal tibia. Retrolateral tibial apophysis very short, with accompanying lobe-like protuberance (vary in size) dorsal to apophysis ( Figs 33, 34 ), obscured by dense white hairs. Cymbium narrow, bent downwards, bearing dense long dark hairs on prolateral side; bulb rounded, small; embolus long, coiled, forming single loop ( Figs 28 , 32, 33 ). Embolus in holotype is slightly distorted ( Fig. 31 ), but in Simon’s original figure is similar to recently collected specimens from Gabon ( Fig. 32 ).

Female. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 2.1–2.3, width 1.6–1.7, height 1.0–1.1. Eye field: length 1.1– 1.2, anterior width 1.6–1.7, posterior width 1.5–1.6. Abdomen: length 2.3–2.7, width 1.2–1.6. General appearance as in Fig. 27 . Slightly smaller than male. Carapace yellow, eye field yellowish-grey, eyes surrounded by black rings. Mouthparts and sternum light. Abdomen with pattern composed of black and orange patches ( Fig. 25 ), bleached in preserved specimens. Venter light. Spinnerets black. Legs light. Palp with retrolateral spine on tarsus. Epigyne delicate, with two deep hoods anteriorly ( Figs 36, 37 ). Copulatory openings in centre of epigyne, seminal ducts very long, forming several loops ( Figs 38, 39 ).

Distribution. Known from Gabon and Cameroon.

Remarks. The locality of P. fastibilis in the original description by Simon is Equatorial Guinea, but the specimen from MNHN (probably the holotype) is labeled “ Cameroon ” in the handwriting of E. Simon.

The female is described here for the first time.

Figures

FIGURES 23–28. Pochyta fastibilis Simon. 23 male, dorsal view; 24 male, lateral view; 25 female, dorsal view; 26 male chelicera; 27 first leg of male; 28 palpal organ, ventral view.

FIGURES 29–35. Pochyta fastibilis Simon male. 29 chelicera, ventral view; 30 chelicera, retrolateral view; 31, 32 palpal organ, ventral view; 33 palpal organ, ventrolateral view; 34 palpal organ, lateral view; 35 tibial apophysis, dorsal view; 29–31 holotype.

FIGURES 36–39. Pochyta fastibilis Simon female. 36, 37 epigyne; 38 internal structure of epigyne, dorsal view; 39 internal structure of epigyne, ventral view.

FIGURES 110–113. Pochyta pulchra (Thorell) female. 110, 111 epigyne; 112, 113 internal structure of epigyne.