Stenaelurillus SIMON, 1886

Szűts, T. & Scharff, N., 2005, Redescriptions Of Little Known Jumping Spider Genera (Araneae: Salticidae) From West Africa, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 51 (4), pp. 357-378 : 369-371

Stenaelurillus SIMON, 1886

( Figs 7–9 )

Stenaelurillus SIMON 1886: 351 ; 1901: 71; 1902 b: 37; 1906: 1174; LESSERT 1925: 478, f. 64–65; 1927: 433, f. 18; REIMOSER 1934: 504, f. 25–26; CAPORIACCO 1936: 79; 1939: 374, f. 24; 1940: 859, f. 51; BERLAND & MILLOT 1941: 313, f. 14.; CAPORIACCO 1949: 474, f. 89a-b; DENIS 1966: 114, f. 15–17; CLARK 1974: 12 PRÓSZYŃSKI 1984: 138–139; SONG & CHAI 1991: 25, f. 16A-D; PRÓCHNIEWICZ & HĘCIAK 1994: 39, f. 7a-k, 8a-e; PENG 1995: 36, f. 6–12; SONG et al. 1999: 560, f. 317L-N, 318C, 329O; WESOŁOWSKA & RUSSELL-SMITH 2000: 96–102, f 269–289; LOGUNOV 2001 b: 66, f. 27–30.

Philotherus THORELL, 1895: 381 .

Philotheroides STRAND, 1934: 275 – nom. nov. pro Philotherus THORELL, 1895 non Philotherus GRAY, 1855 (Aves).

Type species – Stenaelurillus nigricaudus SIMON, 1886 .

Brief history – The genus Stenaelurillus was established by SIMON in 1886 to accommodate three salticid species from Senegal ( Stenaelurillus nigricauda SIMON, 1886 ), Algeria ( Stenaelurillus nigritarsus SIMON, 1886 ) and Tibet ( Stenaelurillus triguttatus SIMON, 1886 ). All three species was described on the same page ( SIMON, 1886: p. 43) and even though SIMON (1886) did not specifically establish Stenaelurillis nigricauda as the type species of the genus, this species was the first species on the page to be described and the description of this species was more detailed than for the others. Later in his monograph ( SIMON 1903 a) he mentioned S. nigricauda as type species of the genus. The original descriptions of SIMON (1886) mentioned only males (for all the three species) although mature female is present in both vials. Later specimens identified as Stenaelurillus nigricauda were illustrated by BERLAND and MILLOT (1941; male and female habitus, and male palp, ventral view). We examined the type material of Stenaelurillus nigricauda SIMON, 1886 and Stenaelurillus nigritarsis SIMON, 1886 and hereby provide illustrations and redescription of Stenaelurillus nigricaudus . We also formally suggest that Stenaelurillus nigritarisis is a junior synonym of Stenaelurillus nigricauda (see discussion later).

Diagnosis – All known Stenaelurillus species have two white longitudinal stripes on the carapace ( Fig. 7C ). Ocular area with strong bristles, present in both sexes. Male palp with a short, more or less straight, not coiled, visible embolus ( Figs 7A, D ). Tegular apophysis is visible, simple, finger-like, and situated some distance from embolus ( Figs 7B, E ).

Copulatory organs – Tegulum with characteristic retrobasal process or lobe ( Figs 7A, D ). Tibial apophysis simple, strongly sclerotized. PRÓCHNIEWICZ and HĘCIAK (1994) described another apophysis that should be characteristic for the genus. This apophysis is “broad, positioned dorso-laterally, and covered with short, strong hairs”. It seems to be present in S. kronestedti PRÓCHNIEWICZ et HĘCIAK, 1994 ; S. fuscatus WESOŁOWSKA et RUSSELL-SMITH, 2000 and S. darwini WESOŁOWSKA et RUSSELL-SMITH, 2000 , but missing in S. cristatus WESOŁOWSKA et RUSSELL-SMITH, 2000 , and S. mirabilis WESOŁOWSKA et RUSSELL-SMITH, 2000 (to mention a few). This kind of tibial apophysis can also be found in representatives of Langelurillus PRÓCHNIEWICZ, 1994 (e.g. L. difficilis WESOŁOWSKA et RUSSELL-SMITH, 2000 ; L. manifestus WESOŁOWSKA et RUSSELL-SMITH, 2000 ). The male palp of Stenaelurillus in general is rather similar to that of Microheros WESOŁOWSKA et CUMMING, 1999 .

Female epigyne is simple, with thick-walled copulatory openings. Copulatory ducts short (in Microheros they are long), often with accessory glands.

Species included – Stenaelurillus now include 22 species ( PLATNICK 2005).

Distribution – Africa, Asia.

Figures

Fig. 7. Stenaleurillus species. Stenaelurillus nigricaudus A = palp, ventral view, B = same, retrolateral view. C = habitus, dorsal view; S. cristatus D = palp, ventral view, E = same, retrolateral view. Scales 0.1 mm for palps

Fig. 8. Automontage images of SIMON’s species. Stenaelurillus nigricauda. A = male holotype, B = female in the same vial; Stenaelurillus nigritarsis. C = male holotype, D = female in the same vial

Fig. 9. Habitus of male S. cristatus. A = lateral view, B = dorsal view, C = fronto-lateral view; D = palp, ventral view