Smeringopus sederberg, Huber, 2012

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2012, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 3461 (1), pp. 1-138 : 77-79

Smeringopus sederberg new species

Figs. 426–427 , 439, 445–446 , 461–462 , 483–486

Type. Male holotype from South Africa, Western Cape Province, Clanwilliam Distr., Sederberg [~ 32°24’S, 19°06’E], “dans humus sous buissons ou de grosses pierres”, vii.1958 (J. Smith), in MRAC ( 124946 ).

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners by shapes of procursus (distal structures, Figs. 483, 484 ), bulb (processes of embolus, Figs. 485, 486 ), very lateral cheliceral apophyses ( Fig. 439 ; similar S. hypocrita and S. atomarius ), and shape of epigynum ( Fig. 461 ; simple plate with small round pockets in very lateral position, like S. hypocrita ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 4.7, carapace width 1.7. Leg 1: 37.9 (10.3 + 0.7 + 9.9 + 14.8 + 2.2), tibia 2: 7.3, tibia 3: 5.6, tibia 4: 8.0; tibia 1 L/d: 51. Habitus as in Figs. 426 and 427 . Carapace ochre-yellow with brown median and lateral marks, clypeus with pair of dark stripes, sternum ochre-yellow with brown pattern, leg femora and tibiae with indistinct darker subdistal rings, abdomen ochre-gray with distinct dorsal and ventral pattern. Distance PME-PME 140 µm, diameter PME 135 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 55 µm, diameter AME 115 µ m. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with small ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae as in S. hypocrita (cf. Figs. 478, 479 ). Palps as in Figs. 445 and 446 , coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow with distinct proximal rim, procursus with distinctive distal processes ( Figs. 483, 484 ), bulb with distinctive complex embolus ( Figs. 485, 486 ; very similar S. hypocrita ). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, with curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1 and 2; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Gonopore with two epiandrous spigots.

Variation. In the male from Mamre, the distinctive projection on the embolus (arrow in Fig. 485 ) is even more pronounced; in the male from Constantia Neck, the prolateral process on the procursus (arrow in Fig. 484 ) is slightly wider. In some males, the dark color pattern is in general much more distinct. Tibia 1 in 4 other males: 9.7, 10.0, 10.1, 12.3.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 9 females: 8.6–11.5 (mean 9.7). Epigynum a simple plate with round pockets in very lateral position ( Fig. 461 ; similar S. hypocrita ); internal genitalia also similar S. hypocrita ( Fig. 462 ).

Distribution. Widely distributed in southwestern South Africa ( Fig. 475 ).

Material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Prov.: Clanwilliam Distr., Sederberg : 1♂ type above, together with 1♀. Mamre [33°31’S, 18°28’E], fynbos, ix.1999 (T.v.d. Berdt), 1♂ in NCP (99/328). Ladismith, “Gans Kap 136” (33°39’, 21°01’E), 28.x.1987 (L.N. Lotz), 2♂ 3♀ + juvs. in NMBA (2605) . Constantia Neck [34°00.7’S, 18°24.3’E], 11.iii.2001 (G. Binford), 1♂ in ZFMK (Ar 8563) . [Near] Prince Albert (33°10’S, 22°15’E), 1.ii.1996 (W. Pulawski), 3♀ 4 juvs. in CAS . Northern Cape Prov.: Deelfontein [30°59.4’S, 23°48.1’E], no date, collector unreadable, 1♂ 3♀ in BMNH .

Figures

FIGURE 475. Known distribution of the hypocrita group. Squares: further undescribed species.

FIGURES 424–437. Smeringopus hypocrita group, habitus. 424–425. S. hypocrita, male, dorsal view and female, ventral view. 426–427. S. sederberg, male, dorsal and ventral views. 428–429. S. lotzi, male, dorsal and ventral views. 430–431. S. dehoop, male, dorsal view and female, ventral view. 432–433. S. atomarius, female, dorsal and ventral views. 434–435. S. uisib, female, dorsal and ventral views. 436–437. S. tombua, male, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 438–450. Smeringopus hypocrita group, male prosomata, oblique frontal views and left male palps, prolateral and retrolateral views. 438. S. hypocrita. 439. S. sederberg. 440. S. ubicki. 441. S. dehoop. 442. S. atomarius. 443–444. S. hypocrita. 445–446. S. sederberg. 447–448. S. lotzi. 449–450. S. ubicki.

FIGURES 459–474. Smeringopus hypocrita group, epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 459–460. S. hypocrita. 461–462. S. sederberg. 463–464. S. lotzi. 465–466. S. ubicki. 467–468. S. dehoop. 469–470. S. atomarius. 471–472. S. uisib. 473–474. S. tombua.

FIGURES 476–486. Smeringopus hypocrita (476–482) and S. sederberg (483–486). 476, 483. Left cymbia and procursi, retrolateral views. 477, 484. Left procursi, dorsal views (arrows point to variable structures; see text). 478–479. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 480–481, 485–486. Left emboli, prolateral and dorsal views (arrow points to variable structure; see text). 482. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.