Amblyothele atlantica, Russell-Smith & Jocqué & Alderweireldt, 2009

Russell-Smith, Tony, Jocqué, Rudy & Alderweireldt, Mark, 2009, A revision of the African wolf spider genus Amblyothele Simon, ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 149-180 : 161-162

Amblyothele atlantica sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:780C74D1-D5E6-4B49-9012-FE5BF54DE3D5

Fig. 14 , Map 2

Diagnosis. The appearance of the epigyne is characteristic and unique within the genus with looped ducts extending anteriorly and a triangular posterior projection. The very dark charcoal grey colouration is also distinctive.

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Type material. Holotype. Female. CAMEROON: Atlantic Mountains , 08°31’N 012°36’E, 30.IV.2007, litter at the base of rocks, sieving. R. Jocqué, K. Loosveldt, L. Baert, M. Alderweireldt leg. ( MRAC 221300 ).

Description. Female. Total length 4.17 mm. Carapace: Length 1.75 mm, width 1.08 mm. Dark charcoal grey with a paler yellowish median stripe extending from behind eyes, wide anteriorly and abruptly narrowing posteriorly. With black striae ra-

diating from the relatively long fovea. Eyes. Anterior row straight. AME 2x diameter of ALE and separated by 0.75 × their own diameter and by 0.2 × their diameter from the ALEs. Middle eyes 1.4 × diameter of AMEs and separated by 0.7 × their own diameter. PLE 0.7 × diameter of PME, separated by 2.8 × their own diameter. All eyes with black surrounds and eye region with sparse scattering of shining white spatulate setae. Chelicerae. Pale greyish cream with darker black longitudinal bands, With a sparse clothing of long black setae. Cheliceral dentition not seen. Maxillae and labium. Maxillae 1.87 × length of labium, broadened and truncate at distal end. Pale cream suffused with grey. Labium trapezoidal, 1.86 × wider than long, coloured as maxillae. Legs: Long and slender. Ratio of length to breadth of tibia IV 11.7 Leg IV 1.32 × length of leg I. Dark charcoal grey dorsally, paler ventrally. Ventral spines of leg I; metatarsus 2+2+(2), tibia 2+2+2. Tarsal claws short, with 5 teeth. Abdomen. Dorsally dark charcoal grey with a median pale band extending one third its length. Ventrally pale grey with a pair of narrow white longitudinal stripes extending back from the epigastric fold. With sparse tuft of curved black setae anteriorly. Spinnerets. Long and thin. Posterior lateral spinnerets 1.5 × length of others. Dark charcoal grey. Epigyne. Fig. 14 . Very distinctive in ventral view with a pair of looped ducts extending anteriorly from the epigynal plate and curving towards each other. Epigynal plate with a triangular posterior projection.

Male unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Map 2 ).

Figures

Map 2. Locality of A. atlantica.

Figures 14-15. 14 Amblyothele atlantica sp. n. epigyne of holotype, ventral view 15 A. ecologica sp. n. epigyne of holotype, ventral view. Scale: 0.1 mm.