Pachyballus caelestis, Wesołowska & Azarkina & Wiśniewski, 2020

Wesolowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Wisniewski, Konrad, 2020, A revision of Pachyballus Simon, 1900 and Peplometus Simon, 1900 (Araneae, Salticidae, Ballini) with descriptions of new species, ZooKeys 944, pp. 47-98 : 47

Pachyballus caelestis sp. nov. Figures 9-13 , 14-17 , 193

Holotype.

Congo D.R. • ♀; Mayombe, Bas Congo, Luki Forest Reserve; 5°37'S, 13°05'E; 23.IX.2007; D. De Bakker and J. P. Michiels leg.; canopy fogging, old secondary rainforest; MRAC 226 102.

Paratypes.

Congo D.R. • 1♀; same locality as the holotype; 25.IX.2007; canopy fogging, old secondary rainforest; MRAC 226 107 • 1♀; the same locality; 1.X.2007; canopy fogging, primary rainforest; MRAC 226 114 • 1♂; the same locality; 13.XI.2006; canopy fogging, primary rainforest; MRAC 226 113.

Diagnosis.

This species is covered very densely with short hairs, which is the best feature to distinguish it from congeners. Male palpal organ has a characteristic embolus that forms a considerably high and narrow coil similar to that of P. castaneus . The coil comprises four loops (two and a half in the latter species). The female is distinctive in having the epigyne with broad, short ridge on posterior edge of the epigynal depression; the copulatory ducts are relatively straight (they do not form any loops).

Etymology.

The specific name is from Latin, meaning “soaring” and refers to this species living high in a forest canopy.

Description.

Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.4, width 1.5, height 0.5. Eye field: length 0.7, anterior width 1.2, posterior width 1.5. Abdomen: length 1.8, width 2.0.

General appearance as in Fig. 9 . Small, very flat spider with strongly sclerotised, pitted integument. Carapace black, clothed in dense short light hairs. Eye field trapezoid, distance between anterior lateral eyes shorter than between posterior laterals. Eyes encircled by white scales. Clypeus low, with a few white hairs. Chelicera with two teeth on promarginal edge and four retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium light brown with whitish tips. Abdomen heart-shaped, wider than long, blackish with white scales on sides and posterior part. Anterior margin of abdomen covers posterior part of carapace. Venter brown, with typical scuta. Spinnerets black. Legs I the stoutest, femur and patella brown, tibia slightly thickened, black with long dark setae ventrally, metatarsus and tarsus yellowish. Tibia with one short ventral spine distally, metatarsus with two pairs of ventral spines. Legs II the same in colour as the first pair. Legs III and IV brown with yellow distal segments. Pedipalp yellowish, its structure similar to that in other species, embolus forms a considerably high and narrow coil that comprises four loops as in Figs 12 - 15 .

Female. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.1-1.2, width 1.3-1.4, height 0.5. Eye field: length 0.6-0.7, anterior width 1.0-1.1, posterior width 1.2-1.3. Abdomen: length 2.0-2.2, width 2.2-2.4.

General appearance as in Figs 10 , 11 . Slightly larger than male, shape of body similar. Carapace covered with white hairs. Colouration of abdomen a little lighter than in male, brown, blackish in the mid part and along edge. Palps light brown. Epigyne oval, central depression divided posteriorly by short, wide ridge (Fig. 16 ). Copulatory ducts wide, spermathecae slightly smaller than in other species, small accessory glands opening into copulatory ducts (Fig. 17 ).

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 193 ).

Remarks.

All specimens were collected by fogging. Probably, this species lives high in the forest canopy.

Figures

Figures 9 - 13. Pachyballus caelestis sp. nov. 9 male, habitus, dorsal view 10 female, habitus, dorsal view 11 female, habitus, lateral view 12 palpal organ, ventral view 13 palpal organ, lateral view.

Figures 14 - 17. Pachyballus caelestis sp. nov. 14 palpal organ, ventral view 15 palpal organ, lateral view 16 epigyne 17 internal structure of epigyne.

Figures 193 - 198. Distribution maps of Pachyballus and Peplometus species. 193 circle - Pachyballus caelestis, square - P. castaneus, triangle - P. variegatus 194 P. flavipes 195 circle - P. miniscutulus, square - P. mombasensis, triangle - P. ornatus 196 P. transversus 197 circle - Peplometus biscutellatus, square - P. chlorophthalmus 198 circle - P. nimba, square - P. oyo, triangle - P. congoensis.