Sicarius spatulatus Pocock, 1900

Lotz, L. N., 2012, Present status of Sicariidae (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 3522, pp. 1-41 : 10-12

Sicarius spatulatus Pocock, 1900

( Figs. 2D, 3D, 4E, 7A)

Sicarius spatulatus Pocock, 1900: 321 ; Newlands 1986: 56, f. 27–29.

Types: ♂ Lectotype (here designated) and 1♀ allolectotype (here designated) from South Africa: Port Elizabeth , [3358'S, 2538'E], H.A. Spencer & Dr. Broom [probably in the BMNH collection] [not seen].

Note: Specimens from an area close to the type locality were examined and found to correspond to the type description and the redescription given by Newlands (1986).This species might be the new genus from South Africa mentioned by Lehtinen (1986).

Diagnosis: Leg femora in both sexes with scoop shaped enlarged setae dorsal ( Fig. 2D) differing from the setae of all the other species. Male embolus ending in a broad, blunt apex ( Fig. 3D), the embolus of all the other species have thin sharp apexes. Female copulatory tubes consist of a broad chamber, extending posterior in numerous tubes, each ending in one or more spermathecal vesicles ( Fig. 4E), differing from all the other species where the spermathecae are finger-like sacs.

Female: (AMSA 2525): TL = 8.0; CL = 3.2; CW = 3.3; CLL = 0.6. AME-LE 0.3; Longest eye diameter 0.15.

Leg measurements:

Distribution: Sicarius spatulatus is distributed along the southern coastal areas of South Africa ( Fig. 7A).