Anansus debakkeri, Huber, Bernhard A., 2007

Huber, Bernhard A., 2007, Two new genera of small, six-eyed pholcid spiders from West Africa, and first record of Spermophorides for mainland Africa (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 1635, pp. 23-43 : 36

Anansus debakkeri , n. sp.

( Figs. 57–61 )

Type material. Male holotype from Congo Democratic Republic, Bas-Congo, Mayombe, Luki Forest Reserve, primary rain forest, “fogging 4”, November 12, 2006 (D. De Bakker, J. P. Michiels), in MRAC (separated from 219.854).

Etymology. Named for Domir De Bakker (Musée royal de l’Afrique Centrale, Tervuren), collector of the present material.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from the two known congeners by the morphology of the procursus ( Figs. 58, 59 ) and by details of internal female genitalia ( Fig. 61 ). Otherwise very similar (including male chelicerae).

Male (holotype). Total length 1.20, carapace width 0.50. Leg 1: 4.30 (1.10 + 0.20 + 1.13 + 1.30 + 0.57), tibia 2: 0.77, tibia 3: 0.57, tibia 4: 0.90. Tibia 1 L/d: 21. Habitus as in A. ewe (cf. Figs. 6–8 ); carapace ochregray, mottled with black, sternum with distinctive pattern of black lines on each side (cf. Fig. 8 ), legs ochreyellow, abdomen gray with distinct black line dorsally reaching the spinnerets; distance PME–PME 20 µm; diameter PME ~80 µm (slightly oval shape); distance PME–ALE 15 µm; AME missing. Sternum wider than long (0.38/0.34), unmodified. Clypeus with tiny median projection on ventral rim (cf. Fig. 43 ); chelicerae with pair of simple frontal apophyses similar to A. aowin (cf. Fig. 34), with proximal apophyses directed backwards, without stridulatory ridges. Palps as in Figs. 57, 58 ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with distinct ventral apophysis, femur small, with prominent prolateral projection, tibia very large, procursus ( Fig. 59 ) consisting of proximal part with ventral pointed projection and distinctive sclerite set with brush of hairs, and large distal part, the latter complex and hinged towards proximal part; bulb simple, consisting of globular part and weakly sclerotized curved embolus ( Fig. 57 ); palpal tarsal organ capsulate. Legs without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 25%, prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other legs; tarsus 1 with about 10 pseudosegments, only distally fairly distinct.

Variation. Tibia 1 in 7 other males: 0.93–1.13 (mean: 1.07). No other variation seen.

Female. In general similar to male but clypeus unmodified. Tibia 1 in 8 females: 0.93–1.10 (mean: 1.03). Epigynum a simple dark frontal plate with pair of small pockets close together near posterior rim, and narrow posterior plate ( Fig. 60 ); externally similar to A. ewe (cf. Fig. 9 ); internally with conspicuous dark structures of unknown significance and pair of small pore plates ( Fig. 61 ).

Distribution. Known from type locality in Congo DR only ( Fig. 74 ).

Material examined. CONGO DR: Bas-Congo, Mayombe, Luki Forest Reserve: type above, together with 2ɗ2Ψ; same data but Nov. 4–10, 2006, 6ɗ6Ψ in MRAC (4 vials, separated from 219.850–3).

Figures

FIGURE 74. Map showing the known distributions of Nyikoa n. gen. and Anansus n. gen., as well as the only known record of Spermophorides in Africa.

FIGURES 57 – 61. Anansus debakkeri n. sp. 57, 58. Left palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 59. Left procursus, retrolateral view. 60, 61. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. b, genital bulb; e, embolus; ep, epigynal pocket; p, procursus; pp, pore plate. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 12. Photographs of habitus and female abdomens. 2, 3. Nyikoa limbe, male in dorsal and lateral views. 4, 5. Anansus aowin, male in dorsal and lateral views. 6 – 8. Anansus ewe, male in dorsal, lateral, and ventral views. 9. Anansus ewe, female abdomen, ventral view. 10. Spermophorides africana, female abdomen, ventral view. 11, 12. Spermophorides africana, male in dorsal and lateral views.

FIGURES 43 – 49. Anansus aowin n. sp. 43. Male prosoma, frontal view; arrow points to tiny clypeus projection. 44. Male chelicerae, distal area in frontal-ventral view. 45. Details of right male palp, retrolateral view. 46. Male prosoma and chelicerae, oblique view; arrow points to proximo-lateral cheliceral apophysis. 47. Embolus. 48. Male gonopore with epiandrous spigots. 49. Male ALS (four of the five “ piriform gland spigots ” damaged). Scale lines: 10 µm (48, 49), 30 µm (44, 47), 100 µm (43, 45, 46).