Hyllus simplex, Haddad & Wiśniewski & Wesołowska, 2024

Haddad, Charles Richard, Wiśniewski, Konrad & Wesołowska, Wanda, 2024, The jumping spiders of Mozambique (Araneae: Salticidae), Zootaxa 5560 (1), pp. 1-92 : 31-32

Hyllus simplex sp. nov.

Fig. 20

Diagnosis. This species is similar to Hyllus acutus Blackwall, 1877 from the Seychelles and Comoros in the body shape and colouration, but can be easily distinguished by the smaller bulb, longer palpal tibia and the very thin tibial apophysis (vs wide in H. acutus ; compare Fig. 20C with fig. 19b, c in Wanless 1984b). Female unknown.

Etymology. The specific name is Latin for “simple” and refers to the structure of the palpal organ.

Type material. Holotype: ♂, MOZAMBIQUE: Inhambane: Morrungulo, Morrungulo Resort , 23°13.983’S, 32°29.587’E, beating shrubs, dune forest, 6.XII.2007, leg. R. Lyle & R. Fourie ( NCA 2020 /163).

Description. Male: Measurements. Cephalothorax length 4.6, width 4.0, height 1.8. Abdomen length 4.9, width 2.9. Eye field length 1.9, anterior and posterior width 2.5. General appearance as in Fig. 20A . Carapace rounded, dark brown, black near eyes and on sides. Large light patch on anterior part of eye field composed of white hairs. Same hairs form wide streak running lateral of eye field and at foveal area. Tufts of long brown bristles form ‘horns’ near eyes of second row. Clypeus low, light brown, naked. Mouthparts dark brown, only tips of endites whitish. Sternum yellowish-brown. Abdomen narrower than carapace, blackish with wide longitudinal yellow streak, white hairs on streak, brown on sides, among them sparse long brown bristles. Venter yellowish, with longitudinal wide dark stripe. Spinnerets black. Legs dark, almost black. First pair longer and thicker than other legs. All legs covered with dense long dark brown hairs. Palps small, dark brown, clothed in dense and very long dark hairs. Tibial apophysis long very thin, with curved tip, bulb rounded, embolus encircling bulb 1.5 times ( Fig. 20B, C ).

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Hyllus simplex sp. nov., male holotype. A. General appearance, dorsal view; B, C. Palpal organ, ventral view.