Icius pulchellus Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011

Haddad, Charles Richard & Wesołowska, Wanda, 2024, On some new and poorly-known Chrysillini from arid western South Africa (Araneae, Salticidae), African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 127-159 : 127-159

Icius pulchellus Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011

Figs 12 A, B, D, E , 13 , 14

Icius pulchellus Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011: 76, figs 47 and 57–62.

Material examined.

South Africa • Northern Cape Province; 2 ♀; Namaqua National Park , 2.7 km W of Koeroebees; 30 ° 08.683 ' S, 17 ° 42.177 ' E; 345 m a. s. l.; 14 Jan 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; beating short shrubs; NCA 2021 / 814 • 3 ♂ 8 ♀; Tankwa Karoo National Park, Paulshoek ; 32 ° 16.556 ' S, 20 ° 06.626 ' E; 500 m a. s. l.; 20 Jan 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; beating shrubs, open plain; NCA 2021 / 976 • 2 ♂ 3 ♀; Tankwa Karoo National Park, Tankwa River ; 32 ° 24.598 ' S, 20 ° 20.215 ' E; 375 m a. s. l.; 20 Jan 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; beating shrubs, river bed; NCA 2021 / 962 .

Diagnosis of female.

The female of this species has an epigyne somewhat similar to that in Icius minimus but has the spermathecae placed parallel to the posterior edge of the epigyne, while in I. minimus they lie obliquely (compare Fig. 14 B with fig. 81 in Wesołowska and Tomasiewicz 2008). These species also differ in carapace colour: in I. minimus , white hairs create a cross pattern in the eye field (fig. 78 in Wesołowska and Tomasiewicz 2008), while I. pulchellus has a dark eye field (Fig. 13 D – G ).

Description.

Male: See Haddad and Wesołowska (2011). General appearance of living male as in Fig. 12 A, D , in alcohol as in Fig. 13 A, B ; palpal organ as in Fig. 13 C .

Female: Measurements: Cephalothorax length 2.0–2.4, width 1.4–1.7, height 0.8–0.9. Abdomen length 2.3–2.7, width 1.6–1.9. Eye field length 0.8–0.9, anterior width 1.1–1.2, posterior width 1.3–1.4. General appearance of living female as in Fig. 12 B, E , in alcohol as in Fig. 13 D – G . Carapace brown, with lighter median streak on thoracic part, lateral sides dark yellow, eye field black. Dense light grey hairs on carapace, amongst them long brown bristles, more numerous on eye field. Chelicerae unidentati, light brown. Sternum, labium and endites yellow. Abdomen ovoid, yellow, with leaf-shaped brownish pattern (Fig. 13 D, E ). In some specimens, abdomen light, creamy-yellow (Fig. 13 F ), sometimes with brownish marks (Fig. 13 G ). Venter covered with silver spots (translucent guanine). Spinnerets light. Legs yellow, their hairs faint, spines long, brown. Epigyne short and wide (Figs 13 H , 14 A ). Copulatory openings large, widely separated. Internal structure simple (Fig. 14 B ), seminal ducts tubuliform, spermathecae elongated, accessory glands present.

Distribution.

Species previously known only from the Free State Province, recorded from the Northern Cape for the first time based on this material ( Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2023).

Remark.

The female of this species is described here for the first time.

Figures

Figure 12. Dorsal habitus (A – C) and anterior view (D – F) of living Icius pulchellus Haddad & Wesołowska, 2013 female (A, D) and male (B, E) and Menemerus foordi sp. nov. subadult male (C, F).

Figure 13. Icius pulchellus Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011, male (A – C) and female (D – H): A, D – G general appearance, dorsal view B same, lateral view C palpal organ, ventral view H epigyne, ventral view D, E are dark variants of the female and F, G are pale variants.

Figure 14. Icius pulchellus Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011, female: A epigyne, ventral view B internal structure of epigyne.