Savigniorrhipis topographicus Crespo

Crespo, Luís Carlos, Bosmans, Robert, Cardoso, Pedro & Borges, Paulo A. V., 2013, On the endemic spider species of the genus Savigniorrhipis Wunderlich, 1992 (Araneae: Linyphiidae) in the Azores (Portugal), with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3745 (3), pp. 330-342 : 336-338

Savigniorrhipis topographicus Crespo new species

(figs. 9–16; 19–20)

Type material. Holotype male, São Jorge: Topo Natural Reserve, (UTM 26S 421857 4272031, datum WGS84), VIII.2000 (P.A.V. Borges et al. leg.), deposited at EDTP; Paratypes: from same locality and date as holotype: 1 ♂ and 2 ♀ (P.A.V. Borges et al. leg.), deposited at EDTP; 2 ♂ and 3 ♀ (P.A.V. Borges et al. leg.), deposited at SNM.

Additional material. 1 ♂, same locality and date as holotype (without opisthosoma). São Jorge: Topo Natural Reserve (UTM 26S 422089 4271756, datum WGS84) 13.IX-1.X.2010: 2 ♂ and 1 ♀ (P.A.V. Borges et al. leg.), deposited at EDTP.

Diagnosis. The males of this species differ from S. acoreensis by the shape of the anterior radical process, the posterior radical process, the coiled embolus and the tibial apophysis. Females can be diagnosed by the epigynal folds that divide the dorsal plate only slightly and converge anteriorly, and by the shape of the copulatory ducts.

Etymology. The species name “ topographicus ” is an adjective, showing its affinity with the soil stratum (in contrast to S. acoreensis , dwelling in canopies). The species epithet, composed of two segments “ topo ” and “ graphicus ”, also relates to the fact that topo is the site of the discovery, the Topo Natural Reserve, and that graphicus could also refer to the presence of an abdominal pattern.

Description. Male. Total length 1.45 (1.37–1.50). Prosoma 0.67 (0.58–0.72) long, 0.52 (0.50–0.55) wide. Male cephalic area slightly elevated, without tubercles or sulci but with distinct concavity behind the eyes (fig. 14). Clypeus not protruding. Eye region of prosoma with few small hairs. Eyes in a compact group. Anterior row of eyes recurved. Posterior row procurved. AME separated from ALE by the diameter of the former. AME separated by half their diameter. PME separated from AME roughly two times the diameter of the former. PLE touching ALE. PME separated by their diameter. PME separated from PLE by 1.5 times the diameter of the former. Coloration of prosoma and legs yellowish to brown. Sternum slightly darker. Chelicerae with 10 to 15 imbricated stridulatory striae, with 5 promarginal and 4 smaller retromarginal denticles. Opisthosoma generally black with a dorsal pattern of non-pigmented patches along its dorsal side (specimens were captured with pitfall traps and the conservation of the abdominal marks might differ from living specimens).

Legs with basal and apical spines on tibiae I and II, and one basal in tibiae III and IV (2211). L Sp Ti I-II = 1.4; L Sp Ti III–IV = 2.2. Patelar apical spine present on all legs. Measurements of legs in Table 3 .

Male palp ( Figs. 9–13 ). Tibia with stiff setae, with a large unciform prolateral apophysis, curving retrolaterally. Paracymbium simple without apophyses or hairs, with a narrow base. Cymbium with a dorsal depression that accommodates the terminal section of the tibial apophysis. Suprategular apophysis with a bifid marginal apophysis, and a curved widened terminal lobe. Anterior radical process a sharpened process that points out frontally, posterior radical process a filiform ventral process, in close contact with the embolus. Embolus coiling backwards while descending in front of tegulum.

Female. Total length 1.63 (1.50–1.75). Prosoma 0.72 (0.70–0.75) long, 0.51 (0.47–0.53) wide. Clypeus not protruding. Anterior row of eyes recurved. Posterior row procurved. AME separated from ALE by the diameter of the former. AME separated by their diameter. PME separated from AME by the diameter of the former. PLE touching ALE. PME separated by half their diameter. PME separated from PLE by half their diameter. Coloration of prosoma and legs yellowish to brown. Sternum slightly darker. Chelicerae with 5 to 7 small stridulatory striae, with four promarginal teeth and five smaller retromarginal denticles. Opisthosoma as in the male (see above).

Leg spination as in the male. Tm IV present. Tm I values (for 5 females): 0.51 (0.49–0.57). Measurements of legs in Table 4 .

Epigynum ( Figs. 15, 16 ). Ventral plate wide, unsclerotized, divided slightly by epigynal folds, which converge anteriorly. Dorsal plate nearly triangular, in ventral view visible for its greater part by reduction of the ventral plate. Receptacula U-shaped, with coiled slender copulatory ducts.

Ecology. This species dwells only at the soil stratum of the largest Natural Reserve of São Jorge (Topo). Specimens were solely collected by the use of pitfall traps and never by direct hand sampling. The dominant habitat in Topo is the Juniperus brevifolia high altitude cloud forest. Endemic trees, such as Juniperus brevifolia or Ilex perado subsp. azorica are present but do not form large forested areas, the trees being spread in patches with some open spaces with natural hyper-humid grassland. Several small streams cross the area.

Phenology. Adults of both sexes were collected in August and September. This might not represent its phenology. No sampling was made in the island of São Jorge in other months.

Distribution. The island of São Jorge, and most precisely, the Topo Natural Reserve.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Savigniorrhipis topographicus new species. Male from São Jorge: 9 — retrolateral aspect of pedipalp; 10 — frontal aspect of pedipalp; 11 — prolateral aspect of pedipalp; 12 — dorsal aspect of tibia; 13 — dorsal aspect of suprategular apophysis; 14 — lateral aspect of the prosoma. Female from São Jorge: 15 — ventral aspect of the epigynum; 16 — dorsal aspect of vulva. Scale bars = 0, 1 mm.

Tables

TABLE 3. Measurements of leg segments in male Savigniorrhipis topographicus new species: average (minimum – maximum) in mm (n = 5).

	Femur	Patella	Tibia	Metatarsus	Tarsus	Total
I	0.56 (0.55–0.58)	0.18 (0.18–0.18)	0.51 (0.45–0.62)	0.39 (0.35–0.42)	0.31 (0.27–0.33)	1.94 (1.88–2.05)
II	0.51 (0.50–0.53)	0.18 (0.17–0.20)	0.42 (0.42–0.43)	0.37 (0.33–0.40)	0.29 (0.28–0.32)	1.78 (1.72–1.85)
III	0.47 (0.45–0.48)	0.17 (0.17–0.17)	0.35 (0.35–0.37)	0.35 (0.33–0.37)	0.26 (0.25–0.28)	1.59 (1.57–1.62)
IV	0.60 (0.58–0.63)	0.18 (0.17–0.20)	0.45 (0.37–0.48)	0.45 (0.37–0.48)	0.30 (0.30–0.30)	2.06 (2.02–2.15)

TABLE 4. Measurements of leg segments in male Savigniorrhipis topographicus new species: average (minimum – maximum) in mm (n = 5).

	Femur	Patella	Tibia	Metatarsus	Tarsus	Total
I	0.53 (0.52–0.55)	0.19 (0.18–0.20)	0.43 (0.42–0.45)	0.38 (0.37–0.42)	0.30 (0.28–0.30)	1.83 (1.82–1.85)
II	0.48 (0.45–0.52)	0.19 (0.18–0.20)	0.39 (0.37–0.40)	0.34 (0.33–0.35)	0.29 (0.27–0.32)	1.69 (1.62–1.73)
III	0.44 (0.42–0.45)	0.16 (0.15–0.18)	0.34 (0.33–0.35)	0.31 (0.30–0.33)	0.25 (0.25–0.27)	1.50 (1.47–1.55)
IV	0.58 (0.55–0.62)	0.18 (0.17–0.20)	0.51 (0.48–0.53)	0.31 (0.30–0.33)	0.29 (0.28–0.30)	1.99 (1.92–2.03)