Leptopholcus kintampo, Huber, Bernhard A. & Kwapong, Peter, 2013

Huber, Bernhard A. & Kwapong, Peter, 2013, West African pholcid spiders: an overview, with descriptions of five new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 59, pp. 1-44 : 28-29

Leptopholcus kintampo sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AB6C8FC0-A0FB-4EFA-82A5-A622435F19CF

Figs 4 , 26 , 63-76

Diagnosis

Distinguished from similar close relatives (species with median process on male clypeus: L. signifer Simon, 1893 ; L. debakkeri Huber, 2011 ; L. guineensis ; L. dschang Huber 2011 ; L. gracilis Berland, 1920 ; L. budongo Huber, 2011 ) by shapes of bulbal processes ( Figs 68 , 72 ).

Etymology

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

Type material

Holotype ♂, in ZFMK ( Ar 10519 ) .

Type data

GHANA: Brong-Ahafo Region: Kintampo Falls (8°05.3’N, 1°41.9’W), 280 m a.s.l., degraded forest along stream, 5 Mar. 2013 (B.A. Huber).

Other material examined

GHANA: Brong-Ahafo Region: 1 ♂ 3 ♀♀ 2 juvs in ZFMK ( Ar 10520 ), same data as holotype ; 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ 2 juvs in ZFMK ( Ar 10521 ), same data but 9 Mar. 2013 ; 2 ♀♀ 2 juvs in pure ethanol in ZFMK ( Gha 161 ), same data as holotype .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 7.5, carapace width 1.1. Leg 1: 33.0 (8.3 + 0.5 + 7.9 + 13.0 + 3.3), tibia 2: 5.9, tibia 3: 3.8, tibia 4: 6.0; tibia 1 L/d: 89. Distance PME-PME 345 µm, diameter PME 95 µm, distance PME-ALE 25 µm, diameter AME 25 µm, distance AME-AME 25 µm.

COLOR. Carapace pale ochre-yellow with large triangular brown mark ( Fig. 66 ), ocular area and clypeus also dark, sternum pale gray with dark margins and small dark spots, legs pale ochre-yellow with dark rings in patella area and at tibia-metatarsus joints, abdomen ochre-yellow with numerous black dorsal marks.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 63-64 ; ocular area slightly elevated, each triad on short stalk directed laterally ( Fig. 65 ); carapace without median furrow; clypeus with distinct median process about 160 µm long; sternum wider than long (0.65/0.55), unmodified. Chelicerae as in Fig. 74 , with pair of tiny lateral processes in rather distal position, without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 68-69 and 72-73 , coxa unmodified, trochanter with long ventral apophysis and short projection at retrolateral trochanter-femur joint, femur with finger-shaped retrolateral process and large ventral bulge distally, procursus with two membranous ventral processes, one arising from ventral ‘knee’, the other more distally, bulb with large uncus with flat curved process and bifid appendix, embolus membranous with many fringes distally.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3.5%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with>30 indistinct pseudosegments.

VARIATION. Tibia 1 in 3 other males: 7.5, 7.8, 8.0. Sternum variably dark.

Female

In general similar to male but only weak V-mark on carapace, ocular area and clypeus not darkened, triads not on stalks and closer together (distance PME-PME 240 µm), clypeus unmodified, abdominal marks indistinct. Tibia 1 in 5 females: 6.2-7.1 (mean 6.8). Epigynum weakly sclerotized, anterior plate simple with median incision posteriorly ( Figs 67, 70 , 75 ); internal genitalia as in Figs 71 , 76 .

Natural history

The spiders were found on the undersides of large leaves, with their bodies flat against the leaf.

Distribution

Known from type locality only ( Fig. 26 ).

Figures

Figs 1 - 13. 1. Pholcus doucki Huber, 2011 from Doucki, Guinea. 2 - 3. Pholcus kakum Huber, 2009 from Forêt Classée de Ziama, Guinea (2) and Kakum N. P., Ghana (3). 4. Leptopholcus kintampo sp. nov. from Kintampo, Ghana. 5. Leptopholcus tipula (Simon, 1907) from Kakum N. P., Ghana. 6. Nyikoa limbe Huber, 2007 from Kakum N. P., Ghana. 7 - 8. Pehrforsskalia conopyga Deeleman-Reinhold & van Harten, 2001 from Atewa, Ghana. 9 - 10. Anansus atewa sp. nov. from Atewa, Ghana. 11 - 13. Spermophora akwamu sp. nov. from Kakum N. P., Ghana (13: web). Photos BAH.

Figs 25 - 26. Known distributions of the genera Crossopriza Simon, 1893 and Leptopholcus Simon, 1893 in West Africa. Question marks denote uncertain identifications [“? (j) ”: juveniles only].

Figs 63 - 71. Leptopholcus kintampo sp. nov. 63 - 64. ♂, dorsal and lateral views. 65 - 66. ♂ prosoma, oblique frontal and dorsal views. 67. Epigynum, ventral view. 68 - 69. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 70 - 71. Cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale lines: 63 - 64 = 2 mm; 66 = 1 mm; 65, 67 - 71 = 0.5 mm.

Figs 72 - 76. Leptopholcus kintampo sp. nov. 72 - 73. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 74. ♂ chelicerae, frontal view. 75 - 76. Cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale lines: 72 - 73 = 0.5 mm; 74 - 76 = 0.3 mm.