Baryphas ahenus Simon, 1902

Azarkina, Galina N. & Foord, Stefan H., 2013, Redescriptions of poorly known species of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from South Africa and Namibia, Zootaxa 3686 (2), pp. 165-182 : 166-169

Baryphas ahenus Simon, 1902

Figs 1–17

Baryphas ahenus Simon, 1902: 42 (Ƥ, examined, lectotype here designated).

B. ahenus: Simon 1903: 681 , figs 807–809 (3); Peckham & Peckham 1903: 207, pl. 24, fig. 2-2b (3); Lessert 1925: 349, fig. 13 (Ƥ); Prószyński 1987: 5 (Ƥ); Wesołowska & Cumming 2008: 169, figs 2–8 (Ƥ); Wesołowska & Haddad 2009: 23 ; Haddad & Wesołowska 2011: 53 , figs 1–2 (Ƥ).

Type material: Lectotype 3, designated here ( MNHN, #20204) Zululand / C. M. [= Republic of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, exact locality and date unknown (C. Martin)].

Paralectotypes: 33, 14Ƥ ( MNHN, #20204) together with lectotype.

Other material: 23 ( MNHN, #20393, Baryphas ahenus major ) Natal / C.M. [= Republic of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, exact locality and date unknown (C. Martin)].

Diagnosis. This species differs from other Baryphas species in the shape of the tibial apophysis which is relatively short, with apical teeth, and the absence of a clearly visible basal bulb on palpal tegulum ( Figs 2–4 ).

Description. Male: Carapace: 3.40–5.40 long, 2.90–4.30 wide, 2.00–2.70 high. Abdomen: 3.40–4.90 long, 2.60–3.30 wide. Eye field: 1.30–1.50 long, anterior 1.60–2.10 wide, posterior 1.80–2.50 wide. Cheliceral length 1.50–2.30. Clypeal height 0.25–0.30. Diameter of AME 0.50–0.70. Length of leg segments: I 2.10+1.40+1.50+1.40+0.85; II 1.90+1.10+1.20+1.10+0.60; III 2.00+1.10+1.10+1.40+0.70; IV 1.90+1.00+1.20+1.30+0.70. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1-1-4; Pt pr 1; Tb pr 1-1, rt 0-1, v 1-2 -2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2 ap. II: Fm d 1-1-4; Pt pr 1; Tb pr 1-1-1, v 1-2 -2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2 ap. III: Fm d 1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1 -0-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-0-2ap, v 2-2 ap. IV: Fm d 1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 2 -0-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1-2ap; v 0-2-2ap. Carapace high, red-brown, covered with dark brown hairs and whitish-transparent iridescent scales ( Figs 11–12 ). Clypeus and cheeks brown to yellow-brown, with one row of brown bristles, covered with whitish-transparent scales ( Fig. 14 ). Chelicerae large, robust, with small fangs, redbrown, covered with long brown hairs. Sternum brown. Abdomen yellow-brown, ventrally with brown hairs and whitish-transparent scales. Dorsum brown, covered with dense long brown hairs, with pattern of white scales: small patch in center of abdomen and two transversal short stripes on lateral sides. Book-lungs are yellow.

Spinnerets are brown. All legs brown, covered with long brown hairs and whitish-transparent iridescent scales. Ventrally with dense brown hairs. Palps brown, covered with brown hairs and whitish-transparent scales. Palpal structure as in Figs 2–4 .

Female. Carapace: 3.10–3.60 long, 2.50–3.00 wide, 1.70 high. Abdomen: 3.20–4.80 long, 2.20–3.60 wide. Eye field: 1.30–1.40 long, anterior 1.70–1.90 wide, posterior 1.80–2.00 wide. Cheliceral length 1.20–1.60. Clypeal height 0.20–0.25. Diameter of AME 0.55–0.60. Length of leg segments: I 1.90+1.20+1.30+1.00+0.70; II 1.80+1.10+1.00+0.90+0.60; III 2.20+1.30+1.20+1.30+0.70; IV 2.10+1.10+1.40+1.70+0.65. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1-1-4; Pt pr 1; Tb pr 1-1-1, v 1-2 -2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, rt 0-1ap, v 2-2 ap. II: Fm d 1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb pr 1-1-1, rt 1-1, v 1-2 -2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2. III: Fm d 1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1 -0-2ap; Mt d 0-1-0, pr and rt 1-0-2ap, v 2-2 ap. IV: Fm d 1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1 -0-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1-2ap; v 1-1 -2ap. Coloration same as male. Some females have are lighter. Abdominal pattern with white or orange transverse stripes and a central patch ( Figs 15–16 ). Structure of epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 8–10 .

Distribution. Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Comments. Baryphas ahenus is the type species of Baryphas Simon, 1902 , which includes four species (Platnick 2013) that are common in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Simon did not designate a holotype and a lectotype is designated here because Baryphas ahenus varies considerably in size and coloration and we wanted to avoid any nomenclature confusion. Simon, based on his observations of this body size variation, labelled type specimens as Baryphas ahenus and non-type specimens as Baryphas ahenus major ( Figs 6–7 ). However, despite this considerable body size variation (2×) in males, the size of the bulbus is almost identical ( Figs 2–3 ). Coloration of patterns on dorsal side of abdomen in females is also very variable – with stripes and a central patch formed by white or orange scales ( Figs 15–16 ). Females vary slightly in size, but epigynes are very variable within populations ( Figs 8–9 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution records of Baryphas ahenus (circle;? exact locality unknown), Brancus muticus (star), Hyllus dotatus (square) and Mogrus macrocephalus (triangle).

FIGURES 2 – 10. Baryphas ahenus. 2 male left palp (major form), ventral view; 3 male left palp (paralectotype), ventral view; 4 ditto, retrolateral view; 5 scheme of insemination ducts; 6 label of type specimens; 7 Baryphas ahenus major label; 8 epigyne, ventral view; 9 ditto; 10 spermathecae, dorsal view. Scale bars: 2 – 4, 8 – 10, 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 11 – 17. Baryphas ahenus. 11 male habitus, dorsal view (paralectotype); 12 ditto, dorsal view (major form); 13 ditto, ventral view; 14 male " face ", 15 female habitus, dorsal view (" orange stripes "); 16 ditto, dorsal view (" white stripes "); 17 ditto, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.