Genus Cicynethus Simon, 1910

Type species

Cicynethus peringueyi Simon, 1893 (known from juvenile only).

Diagnosis

Cicynethus are medium-sized, elongated spiders with eyes in two procurved rows and spination on legs reduced to a few small distal spines on the ventral side of the metatarsi. It differs from Chariobas Simon, 1893, which has the eyes in a close group, and from Thaumastochilus Simon, 1897, which has strong spines on the anterior leg pair.

Description

BODY. Medium-sized to large spiders (9.2–14.4 mm) with smooth to finely granulate teguments. Carapace longer than wide (L/W <1.5–2.2) and fairly flat, protruding anteriorly (Figs 12B, 16D), widest at level of coxae II–III, not much narrowed in front to about 0.6–0.65 times maximum width (cephalic width measured on strong frontal bend), with few hairs apart from a few longer hairs in front of fovea and on clypeus. Cervical grooves faint. Profile highest just behind eyes and with slight dip at level of fovea.

COLOUR. Carapace medium to dark brown; chelicerae, mouthparts and sternum medium to orange brown; leg colour complex, frontal legs often darker and more uniform than posteriors; abdomen dorsum grey with species-specific colour pattern. Remark: colour pattern often darker in vivo (Fig. 15 A–B), much more contrasted in alcohol.

EYES. Eyes in two procurved rows (Fig. 5C). All eyes pale and subequal, AME usually the largest. MOQ quadrangular or slightly longer than wide. Clypeus straight, height 0.8 to 2 times diameter of ALE, with dispersed setae.

PROSOMA. Chilum double, poorly sclerotized, about or slightly more than twice as wide as high, lateral margin poorly defined, with a few setae. Chelicerae without teeth, broad from base to tip with evenly dispersed setae; fangs shorter than wide at base. Labium diamond-shaped, widest in distal half, narrowed base. Endites roughly triangular, converging, with basolateral extension accommodating palpal coxa; with field of thick setae in distal half. Sternum elongated, roughly oval (Figs 8C, 9B, E, 12D), longer than wide, widest at middle, without triangular extensions; sometimes with a few precoxal sclerites (Fig. 16B); anterior margin straight or slightly concave.

LEGS. Fairly slender, anterior legs more robust than posterior ones. Formula 1243 or 1423. Spination reduced to a few short ventral spines on Mt, arranged as 1–3 along distal margin and 1 or 2 subdistal behind the middle distal one. Paired tarsal claws with 10–14 teeth (Fig. 1A); unpaired claw smooth, strongly reduced on hind legs. Tarsal organ capsulate (Fig. 1E). Scopulae well developed. Metatarsi with

distal hood (MtS) extended to ventrolateral side (Fig. 1C). Tibial process well developed (Fig. 1D). One dorsal hinged hair on tibiae and metatarsi I and II. Bothria with one ridge (Fig. 1 F–G).

FEMALE PALP. Female palpal tarsus conical, with short but strong prolateral spines (Fig. 8D); palpal claw with some small teeth at base (Fig. 1B); not turned inward; without distal patch of chemosensitive setae. ABDOMEN. Elongated oval or cylindrical, at least twice as long as wide; tracheal spiracle fairly small, somewhat advanced and provided with small rectangular scutellum. Both sexes with six spinnerets. ALS large, conical, biarticulate. PLS cylindrical, biarticulate, with 4 cylindrical gland spigots; PMS small, cylindrical, one-segmented with 2 cylindrical gland spigots. Colulus represented by haired field.

MALE PALP. Structure of male palp stable; RTA characteristic, with broad and long basal shaft ending in widened tip with two blades often perpendicular to each other (Fig. 2 A–H). Cymbium without distal claw (Fig. 2A, D), with a few distal, slightly sinuous truncated spines (Figs 3F, 6B); tegulum often strongly swollen; embolus fairly short, originating prolaterally on posterior part of tegulum (Figs 2D, 3F, 6B); MA strongly curved outwards (Figs 3F, 6B).

EPIGYNE. With two central depressions separated by septum, in front of transverse plate (Figs 4E, 7 D–H). Spermathecae large, reniform, far apart (Fig. 13F); copulatory ducts short, with thick walls.

Natural history

See the Discussion for the few observations concerning the habits of species of Cicynethus .

Distribution

Cicynethus is found in South Africa and Mozambique, with its northernmost locality in the Nyassa Province of Mozambique (Figs 21–22).

Species included

Cicynethus acer sp. nov. (♂ ♀)

Cicynethus decoratus (Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov. (♀)

Cicynethus floriumfontis Jocqué, 1991 (♂ ♀)

Cicynethus mossambicus sp. nov. (♂ ♀)

Cicynethus peringueyi Simon, 1893 (juveniles)

Cicynethus subtropicalis (Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov. (♂ ♀)

Key to the species (specimens in ethanol; C. peringueyi not included)

1. Cephalothorax uniformly dark chestnut brown, with small reddish spot in front of posterior margin (Fig. 12A, C); legs covered with numerous long hairs (Fig. 12 A–D); male palpal bulbus, with well developed distal tegular protrusion (DTP), without retrolateral boss and not strongly swollen (Figs 2D, 13 A–B); epigyne with thick transverse plate and short, well-defined thick median septum (Fig. 13 D–F) ................................................................................................ C. mossambicus sp. nov.

– Cephalothorax differently coloured and with pattern; legs covered with shorter hairs; male palpal bulbus strongly swollen (Figs 2A, F–G, 10A–B, 18A, C–D, F) or with retrolateral boss (Figs 3 D–F, 6A–B), DTP reduced or inconspicuous; epigyne with transverse plate narrower and with longer or faint median septum........................................................................................................................... 2

2. Entire body yellowish brown; base of setae with black spots throughout; legs spotted and with stripes on femora and patellae (Fig. 9 A–F) ....................................... C. floriumfontis Jocqué, 1991

– Differently coloured; base of setae without black spots; leg pattern different ................................. 3

3. Abdomen dorsum with large anterior diamond-shaped spot, without white longitudinal stripe in front of spinnerets (Fig. 7 A–C); femora (F) and tibiae (T) II–IV with black ring (Fig. 8B) .......................................................................... C. decoratus (Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov.

– Abdomen dorsum with simple longitudinal median stripe ending in short white stretch in front of spinnerets (Figs 3A, 4 A–B, 5A, 15A–G); F and T without ring ...................................................... 4

4. Tip of RTA with sharp dorsal appendage (Fig. 3F); tegulum not strongly swollen, but with retrolateral boss (Fig. 3 D–F); MA smoothly curved; embolus long, almost reaching distal tip of cymbium (Fig. 3F); epigyne with well defined, Y-shaped median septum (Figs 4E, 6C) ......... C. acer sp. nov.

– Palp with dorsal excrescence of RTA tip flat, lamellar; tegulum strongly swollen and bulging (Fig. 18A, C–D, F); MA frontal margin with boss; embolus reaching distal margin of cymbial alveolus; epigyne with faint median septum (Fig. 17 A–H) ................................................................ ................................................................................... C. subtropicalis (Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov.