Thiratoscirtus patagonicus Simon, 1886

Wiśniewski, Konrad & Wesołowska, Wanda, 2024, Jumping spiders (Salticidae) of Uganda - revised list, new species and distributional data, European Journal of Taxonomy 952, pp. 1-171 : 134-136

Thiratoscirtus patagonicus Simon, 1886

Fig. 87

Thiratoscirtus patagonicus Simon, 1886b: 560 , fig. 1.

Thiratoscirtus patagonicus – Simon 1903a: 739, figs 855–857. — Galiano 1963: 457, pl. XXXIX figs 11–14.

Diagnosis of female

The female is easy to recognize by the structure of the epigyne that is elongated and kite-shaped ( Fig. 87C ).

Material examined

UGANDA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Mpigi distr., Mpanga Forest Reserve ; 32°19′ E 0°13′ N; in litter; 28 Jun. 1998; A. Russell-Smith leg.; MRAC 236 093 • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; Jun. 2001; FSCA .

Other material (examined by T. Szűts)

CAMEROON • 1 ♀; Makak ; 3°33′ N, 11°02′ E; 12–23 Aug. 1949; J. Birket-Smith leg.; Natural History Museum, Copenhagen .

CONGO • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Sibiti Reserve , esőerdő [rainforest]; 3°41′ S, 13°20′ E; 25 Nov. 1963; S. Endrődy-Younga leg.; Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, 393 • 1 ♂; Lefini Reserve , Mbéokala erdő [forest]; 2°59′ S, 15°39′ E; 10 Jan. 1964; J. Balogh and A. Zicsi leg.; Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, 394 .

Redescription

Male

For description of male see Galiano (1963). Palpal organ as in Fig. 87A .

Female

General appearance as in Fig. 87B.

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 3.0, width 2.3, height 1.7. Eye field length 1.5, anterior width 2.0, posterior width 1.9. Abdomen length 3.0, width 2.0.

CARAPACE. High, brown, blackish on slopes, brown hairs on thoracic area. Eye field dark brown, clothed in transparent hairs, vicinity of eyes black. Clypeus short, yellow with white hairs. Sternum and labium brown, endites with light tips. Chelicerae massive, unidentati, fang short.

ABDOMEN. Ovoid, grey with many yellow dots, medially lighter, venter grey. Short grey hairs on abdominal dorsum, among them longer bristles. Spinnerets yellowish.

LEGS. Brown, distal ends of femora, patellae and tibiae of leg I and II darker. Legs bearing brown hairs and spines.

EPIGYNE. Large, kite-shaped ( Fig. 87C–D ). Internal structure as in Fig. 87E , copulatory openings placed centrally, inlet parts of copulatory ducts wide.

Distribution

The species is known from Cameroon, Congo and it is recorded in Uganda for the first time.

Remarks

The species is distributed in tropical Africa, and Simon’s original description from Argentina is a labeling error. This fact was pointed out by T. Szűts in his unpublished PhD dissertation.

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

Figures

Fig. 87. Thiratoscirtus patagonicus Simon, 1886. A. ♂, palpal organ, ventral view (MRAC 236 093). B–E. ♀ (MRAC 236 093). B. General appearance. C–D. Epigyne. E. Internal structure of epigyne.