Smeringopina etome, Huber, Bernhard A., 2013

Huber, Bernhard A., 2013, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Guineo-Congolian spider genus Smeringopina Kraus (Araneae, Pholcidae, Zootaxa 3713 (1), pp. 1-160 : 36

Smeringopina etome new species

Figs. 489–493 , 517–518 , 529 , 575–580 , 609–614

Smeringopus africanus Thorell (misidentification): Simon 1907: 249–250.

Type. ♂ holotype from Cameroon, Southwest Region, Fako Div., Limbe Subdiv., 1.4 km NE Etome (4°03.0’N, 9°07.5’E), ~ 400 m a.s.l., 13.–19.i.1992 (Larcher, Hormiga, Coddington, Griswold, Wanzie), in CAS.

Other material examined. CAMEROON: Southwest Region: Fako Div., Limbe Subdiv., 1.4 km NE Etome , same data as holotype, 4♂ 6♀ in CAS; same data, 12♂ 22♀ 1 juv. (2 vials) in USNM; same locality but 4°02’N, 9°07’E, 11.i.1992 (Hormiga, Larcher), 1♂ 1♀ in USNM. Mamfe [5°45.0’N, 9°18.6’E], 7.–11.i.1949 (B. Malkin), 1♂ 1♀ in CAS. Buea [4°09.0’N, 9°13.9’E], 1902 (L. Fea), 1♂ 1♀ in MSNG [this is presumably the material identified by Simon (1907) as Smeringopus africanus , even though he mentioned only the male specimen].

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from similar congeners (large species with long abdomen, cone-shaped modified hairs on male chelicerae, simple unbranched procursus) by distinctive male cheliceral apophyses (directed slightly upwards rather than downwards; Figs. 578 , 609 ). Females are not easily distinguished from similar species: anterior epigynal plate straight in lateral view but strongly protruding toward posteriorly ( Fig. 518 ; similar in S. bwiti which differs by presence of transversal light element ventrally on abdomen).

Male (holotype). Total body length 7.0, carapace width 1.6. Leg 1: 66.8 (15.5 + 0.7 + 14.9 + 32.5 + 3.2), tibia 2: 10.5, tibia 3: 7.3, tibia 4: 9.5; tibia 1 L/d: 96. Distance PME-PME 220 µm, diameter PME 160 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 140 µm. Carapace ochre-yellow with brown triangular mark posteriorly and brown lateral margins; ocular area slightly darker, clypeus with pair of brown marks distally, sternum dark brown; legs ochre-yellow, slightly darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct black pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 489–490 , ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with distinct ‘pseudolenses’; clypeus unmodified except longer than usual hairs; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 578 , with distinctive apophyses directed slightly upwards and carrying proximally the lateral proximal apophyses, the former provided with several modified (cone-shaped) hairs, one pair of modified hairs close to fang joints. Palps as in Figs. 491–493 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur proximally with ventral sclerotized ridge but apparently without pocket, with retrolateral apophysis, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint shifted toward ventrally (though not extremely); tarsus with some stronger hairs dorsally; procursus with fairly distinct hinge dividing proximal from distal part, with slightly rounded sclerotized tip ( Figs. 575–576 ); bulb with widened but weakly sclerotized proximal part of embolus ( Fig. 577 ). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible. ALS with seven spigots each ( Fig. 612 ); gonopore with two epiandrous spigots ( Fig. 611 ).

Variation. Distinctive cheliceral apophyses slightly longer in male from Mamfe. Tibia 1 in 12 other males: 15.3–18.9 (mean 16.9).

Female. In general similar to male; clypeus with shorter hairs and variably dark. Tibia 1 in 21 females: 11.7– 14.7 (mean 13.2). Epigynum relatively small, consisting of semicircular anterior plate straight in lateral view but strongly protruding toward posteriorly, large posterior plate ( Figs. 517–518 , 614 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 529 and 580 . ALS as in male ( Fig. 613 ).

Distribution. Known from three localities in southwestern Cameroon ( Fig. 468 ).

Figures

FIGURE 468. Known distribution of the simplex species group. The square in western Cameroon denotes the probably misidentified juvenile paralectotypes of S. africana (Thorell) from Kitta in NHRS.

FIGURES 489 – 498. Smeringopina etome n. sp. (489 – 493) and S. africana (Thorell) (494 – 498). 489 – 490, 494 – 495. Males, dorsal, ventral, and lateral views. 491 – 493, 496 – 498. Left male palps, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Arrow points at ventral sclerotized ridge.

FIGURES 509 – 524. Female abdomens in ventral and lateral views, simplex group. 509 – 510. Smeringopina camerunensis Kraus. 511 – 512. S. djidji n. sp. 513 – 514. S. ogooue n. sp. 515 – 516. S. bioko n. sp. 517 – 518. S. etome n. sp. 519 – 520. S. africana (Thorell). 521 – 522. S. simplex Kraus. 523 – 524. S. bwiti n. sp.

FIGURES 525 – 533. Cleared female genitalia in dorsal view, simplex group. 525. Smeringopina camerunensis Kraus. 526. S. djidji n. sp. 527. S. ogooue n. sp. 528. S. bioko n. sp. 529. S. etome n. sp. 530. S. africana (Thorell). 531. S. simplex Kraus. 532. S. bwiti n. sp. 533. S. luki n. sp.

FIGURES 575 – 580. Smeringopina etome n. sp. 575 – 576. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 577. Left embolus, prolateral view. 578. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 579. Epigynum, ventral view. 580. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 (577), 0.5 (575 – 576, 578 – 580).

FIGURES 609 – 620. Smeringopina etome n. sp. (609 – 614) and S. bwiti n. sp. (615 – 620). 609. Male chelicerae. 610. Male palpal tarsal organ. 611. Male gonopore. 612. Male ALS. 613. Female ALS. 614. Epigynum, ventral view. 615. Left palp, dorsal view. 616 – 617. Processes of procursus, males from near Tchad (616) and from Moulandoufouala (617). 618. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. 619. Modified hairs on male chelicerae. 620. Male chelicerae. Abbreviations: b: bulb; e: embolus; pr: procursus. Scale lines: 20 µm (610, 612 – 613), 40 µm (619), 50 µm (616 – 617), 100 µm (611), 200 µm (609, 615, 620), 300 µm (614, 618).