Icius hortensis, Wiśniewski & Wesołowska, 2024

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 : 55-56

Icius hortensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:870B27B6-68DB-4551-B7E5-F60604935394

Fig. 36

Diagnosis

The male of this species has a palp similar to that in males of Icius insolidus ( Wesołowska, 1999) from southern Africa. The two species can easily be distinguished by the shape of the tibial apophysis. As seen in lateral view, it is curved in Icius hortensis sp. nov. and straight in I. insolidus . Moreover, the newly described species has a unique palpal femur with large outgrowth on retrolateral surface in the distal part.

Etymology

The name is a Latin adjective, referring to a ‘garden’ and alludes to the collecting place of the spider, the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe.

Material examined

Holotype

UGANDA • ♂; Entebbe, Botanical Gardens ; 2 Apr. 1995; D. Penney leg.; NHM.

Paratype

UGANDA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; NHM.

Description

Male

General appearance as in Fig. 36A.

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 1.9–2.2, width 1.6–1.7, height 0.6–0.7. Eye field length 0.8–1.0, anterior width 1.1–1.2, posterior width 1.2–1.3. Abdomen length 2.3–2.4, width 1.3–1.5.

CARAPACE. Pear-shaped, widest at coxae III, low, black, covered with short greyish hairs (denser on sides). Eyes of first row encircled by fawn scale-like hairs, brown bristles next to eyes, eye field pitted. Mouthparts dark brown. Chelicerae big, promargin with two teeth, retromargin with single tooth ( Fig. 36B–C ), inner surface concave at base, sclerotized grate-like structure on external surface (it might be a stridulatory organ). Sternum brown with dark rims.

ABDOMEN. Ovoid, fawn brownish, clothed in very short adpressed grey hairs, among them sparse short brown bristles, long bristles at anterior margin. Venter similarly coloured as dorsum, slightly lighter. Spinnerets light grey.

LEGS. First pair longest and thickest, dark brown, tibia with three short ventral spines at prolateral side and two very short at retrolateral. Legs II–IV light brown, only femora darker. Leg hairs and spines brown.

PALPS. Massive, dark brown. Femur swollen, concave ventrally, with large outgrowth at distal end ( Fig. 36F ). Tibial apophysis long, in retrolateral view bent ( Fig. 36F ). Bulb large, embolus very short ( Fig. 36D–E ).

Female

Unknown.

Figures

Fig. 36. Icius hortensis sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NHM). A. General appearance. B–C. Chelicera. D–E. Palpal organ, ventral view. F. Palpal organ, lateral view.