Icius nigricaudus, Wesolowska & Haddad, 2009

Wesolowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2009, Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) of the Ndumo Game Reserve, Maputaland, South Africa, African Invertebrates 50 (1), pp. 13-103 : 51-53

Icius nigricaudus sp. n.

Figs 87–92, 215–217

Etymology: From Latin niger (black) and cauda (tail); the name refers to the colouration of the abdomen.

Diagnosis:A distinctive species. The male may be recognised by the colour pattern and the structure of the pedipalp, particularly the long posterior lobe of the tegulum. The female genitalia slightly resembles that of I. dendryphantoides Strand, 1909 from South Africa, but the seminal ducts are narrower and the receptacles elongate (spherical in I. dendryphantoides ); compare Fig. 92 herein with figure on p. 46 in Prószyński (1987).

Description:

Measurements (male/female): Carapace length 1.3–1.4/1.4, width 0.9–1.0/1.0, height 0.4–0.5/0.4. Abdomen length 1.2–1.3/1.6, width 0.6–0.8/1.0. Eye field length 0.7/0.7, anterior width 0.8–0.9/0.9, posterior width 0.9–1.0/1.0.

Male.

Small, slender spider; general appearance as in Figs 87, 215. Carapace low, sloping posteriorly, brown with black line along margins; eye field black, reticulate pitted; delicate translucent hairs cover carapace, with some white scales near eyes; white hairs form four small patches located at lateral margins of carapace; clypeus very low. Chelicerae brown, unidentate; labium and endites fawnish brown, sternum light brown.Abdomen elongate, anterior two thirds olive-yellow, posterior part black; white scales form five patches on abdomen, one at anterior margin, first pair at one third abdomen length, and second pair in border of light and black parts ( Fig. 87); venter coloured similar to dorsum, light with blackish posterior third ( Fig. 216); spinnerets black. First pair of legs slightly larger than others, blackish with lighter metatarsi and tarsi; legs II–IV light brown, darker strips along anterior surface of femur III and both lateral surfaces of femur IV; leg hairs fine, brown. Pedipalps dark, some white hairs along retrolateral edge of cymbium and tibia; tegulum triangular, with long posterior lobe, embolus straight ( Fig. 88); tibial apophysis hooked ( Figs 88–90).

Female.

General appearance in Fig. 217. Carapace similar to male, but without white patches. Labium brown, endites with pale inner margins, sternum yellow. Abdomen black with narrow longitudinal whitish median line and narrow streak on anterior margin extending to sides; venter blackish with large yellowish area behind epigastric furrow and three small patches near spinnerets. Legs yellow; spination of first leg: femur 1-1-1 dorsally, 0-0-3 prolaterally, tibia 2-2 ventrally, metatarsus 2-2-2 ventrally. Pedipalps yellow. Epigyne weakly sclerotised, slightly depressed anteriorly ( Fig. 91); internal structure simple ( Fig. 92).

Holotype: ơ Eastern shore of Shokwe Pan, 26 ° 52.516'S: 32 ° 12.407'E, grass litter, 16.vi.2005 ( NCA 2009 / 668).

Paratypes: 1ơ 1^Crocodile Farm, Pongola R . floodplain, 26 ° 54.426'S: 32 ° 19.185'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 6.ii.2005 ( NCA 2008 /618); 1^same locality, beats, various trees, 24.i.2006, R . Lyle ( MRAC 224651 ); 1^South-western shore of Banzi Pan, 26 ° 53.118'S: 32 ° 16.927'E, A. xanthophloea bark, 23.i.2006 ( NCA 2008 /1847) .

Habitat and biology: This rare species was collected from the base of grasses in wetland habitats. Several specimens were collected from under bark of A. xanthophloea . This species somewhat resembles Crematogaster ants in colour and size.