Smeringopus uisib new species

Figs. 434–435, 455–456, 471–472, 509–513

Type. Male holotype from Namibia, Otjozondjupa Region, Grootfontein, Uisib (19°33’S, 17°14’E), Uhlenhorst Cave, dark zone, 6.vii.1993 (J. Irish), in NMBA (7708).

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. 509, 510), bulb (processes of embolus, Figs. 511, 512; similar S. atomarius), cheliceral apophyses (similar S. peregrinus; cf. Figs. 614, 615), shape of epigynum (Fig. 471; wide plate with small round pockets; like S. atomarius), and spotted leg femora (only proximally).

Male (holotype). Total body length 8.2, carapace width 2.3. Leg 1: 76.1 (20.0 + 1.3 + 18.4 + 33.3 + 3.1), tibia 2: 13.3, tibia 3: 10.0, tibia 4: 14.0; tibia 1 L/d: 69. Habitus as in female (cf. Figs. 434, 435). Carapace ochre-yellow with brown median and lateral marks, clypeus with pair of dark stripes, sternum ochre-yellow with brown pattern, leg femora with brown spots proximally, femora and tibiae with whitish tips and dark subdistal rings, abdomen ochre-gray with distinct dorsal but indistinct ventral pattern. Distance PME-PME 140 µm, diameter PME 210 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 175 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with small ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae similar S. peregrinus (cf. Figs. 614, 615). Palps as in Figs. 455 and 456, coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow with distinct proximal rim, procursus with distinctive distal processes (Figs. 509, 510), bulb with distinctive complex embolus (Figs. 511, 512; very similar S. atomarius). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, with curved hairs on metatarsi 1 and 2; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1.

Variation. The male from near Messum Crater is smaller (tibia 1: 12.9; PME diameter: 160 µm) and differs slightly in the shapes of procursus tip and embolus; it is therefore assigned tentatively.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 3 females from Grootfontein: 8.7, 9.3, 9.8; female from near Messum Crater: 11.4. Epigynum a wide plate with round pockets (Fig. 471; very similar S. atomarius and S. tombua); internal genitalia as in Figs. 472 and 513. The females from Farm Neitsas are tentatively assigned to this species rather than to S. atomarius because of the geographic closeness to the type locality but males are needed to test this assignment.

Distribution. Known from three localities in northern Namibia (Fig. 475), but two of them are based on specimens assigned tentatively (see above).

Material examined. NAMIBIA: Otjozondjupa Region: Grootfontein, Uhlenhorst Cave: 1♂ type above .

Assigned tentatively: NAMIBIA: Otjozondjupa Region: Grootfontein, Farm Neitsas [19°19’S, 18°42’E], 20.ii.1908 (Fock), 3♀ 1 juv. in ZMH . Erongo Region: near Messum Crater [~ 21°23’S, 14°04’E], in large Welwitschia, no date (R. Jocqué), 1♂ 1♀ in MRAC (208737).