Spermophora kyambura, Bernhard A. Huber & Charles M. Warui, 2012

Bernhard A. Huber & Charles M. Warui, 2012, East African pholcid spiders: an overview, with descriptions of eight new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 29 (29), pp. 1-44 : 36-39

Spermophora kyambura sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:62CDAD37-6334-4C5F-AE18-EAF1F8F21D8F

Figs 57-58, 69 , 107-110

Spermophora Uga 31 : Dimitrov, Astrin & Huber 2012 (DNA sequence data).

Spermophora Cam 64 : Dimitrov, Astrin & Huber 2012 (DNA sequence data).

Diagnosis

Tiny monochromous species, distinguished from superficially similar African species ( Nyikoa limbe Huber, 2007 , some ‘ Spermophora ’ and Quamtana species) by shape of simple short procursus ( Fig. 108 ), simple bulbal apophysis and embolus with slightly sclerotized distal projection ( Fig. 107 ), by shape of male cheliceral apophyses (provided with one modified hair each; Fig. 109 ), and by sac-like internal structure frontally in female genitalia ( Figs 69 , 110 ; usually visible through cuticle).

Etymology

The species name is derived from the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

Holotype

♂, in ZFMK ( Ar 8764 ) .

Paratypes

4 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, in ZFMK ( Ar 8765 ) .

Type locality

UGANDA, Bushenyi District, Kyambura River Gorge (~ 0°10.7’S, 30°05.8’E), 900 m a.s.l., 29 Nov. 2010 (B.A. Huber).

Other material examined

UGANDA: Western Region: 1 ♂, 1 ♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ( Uga 140 ), Bushenyi District, Kyambura River Gorge , same data as types above . CAMEROON: South Region: 6 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, 1 juv., in ZFMK ( Ar 8766 ), near Ebolowa (2°54.9’N, 11°08.3’E), 620 m a.s.l., underside of banana leaves, 11-12 Apr. 2009 (B.A. & J.C. Huber) ; 3 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, 2 juvs. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK ( Cam 102 ), same data . CONGO D.R.: Congo Centrale Province: 25 ♂♂, 13 ♀♀, in MRAC (separated from 219850-852, 219854-855, 224313-315 ), Mayombe, Luki Forest Reserve [5°37.5’S, 13°06.0’E], fogging in primary rainforest, 4-5, 7, 12-13 Nov. 2006, 27-29 Sep. 2007 (8 vials) (D. de Bakker, Michiels) ; 6 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, in MRAC (separated from 224303, 309 ), same data but fogging in old secondary rainforest, 17 & 23 Sep. 2007 . Mongala Province: 5 ♂♂, 16 ♀♀ (3 vials), in MRAC, Mbangi (2°07’N, 21°44’E), fogging, 23-24 Jun. 2009 (D. de Bakker) . Tshopo Province: 28 ♂♂, 57 ♀♀ (4 vials), in MRAC, Monzé ( Engengele ), old secondary forest, periodically inundated (2°02’N, 22°44’E), fogging, 29-30 Jun. 2009 (D. de Bakker) ; 22 ♂♂, 35 ♀♀ (2 vials), in MRAC, Basoko (Bokungu) , old palm plantation, 60 years old (1°14’N, 23°36’E), fogging, 7 Mar. 2009 (D. de Bakker) .

Material assigned tentatively

GHANA: Central Region: 24 ♂♂, 32 ♀♀ (7 vials), in MRAC ( 217692, 95, 217705, 15, 20, 24, 29 ), Kakum forest (5°20’N, 1°23’W), fogging in primary and secondary forest, 14-19 & 25 Nov. 2005 (R. Jocqué, D. de Bakker, L. Baert) .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.35, carapace width 1.0. Leg 1: 7.8 (2.0 + 0.2 + 2.1 + 2.6 + 0.9), tibia 2: 1.4, tibia 3: 0.9, tibia 4: 1.2; tibia 1 L/d: 43. Distance PME-PME 90 µm, diameter PME 70 µm, distance PME-ALE 10 µm, no AME.

COLOR. Prosoma monochromous pale ochre-yellow, legs ochre yellow, without darker rings, abdomen monochromous pale grey.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 57 and 58 ; ocular area barely elevated, carapace without thoracic furrow; clypeus unmodified. Chelicerae as in Fig. 109 , each distal frontal apophysis with one modified hair at tip. Sternum wider than long (0.65/0.55), unmodified.

PALPS. As in Figs 107 and 108 , coxa with small ventral apophysis, trochanter with retrolateral apophysis (slightly longer than appears in Fig. 108 ), procursus very simple, without hinged process, without ventral flap; bulb with large proximal sclerite, small rectangular apophysis, embolus with slightly sclerotized distal projection.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 21%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with ~20 pseudosegments, distinct distally.

VARIATION. Tibia 1 in 22 other males from Uganda, Congo DR and Cameroon: 2.3-2.6 (mean 2.4). Males from Ghana seem to have indistinguishable palps but slightly longer and more widely spaced cheliceral apophyses and slightly shorter legs: tibia 1 in 21 males from Ghana: 2.0-2.3 (mean 2.1); they are therefore assigned tentatively.

Female

In general similar to male. Tibia 1 in 34 females from Uganda, Congo DR and Cameroon: 1.6-2.0 (mean 1.8). Epigynum extremely simple, no external modification visible in dissecting microscope; only internal frontal sac-like structure visible through cuticle; pair of pockets only visible in compound microscope ( Fig. 110 ). In females from Ghana, these pockets are barely visible and slightly wider apart; tibia 1 in 20 females from Ghana: 1.4-1.6 (mean 1.55).

Distribution

Widely distributed in tropical Africa (Uganda, Congo DR, Cameroon; possibly also Ghana). Figure 27 shows the only record from East Africa.

Figures

Figs 50-69. — 50-52. Spermophora kirinyaga sp. nov., ♂ (50) and ♀ (51, 52). — 53-56. Spermophora minotaura Berland, 1920, ♀♀, dark morph (53, 54) and light morph (55, 56). — 57-58. Spermophora kyambura sp. nov., ♂. — 59-61. Quamtana nyahururu sp. nov., ♂ (59, 60) and ♀ (61). — 62-63. Crossopriza johncloudsleyi Deeleman-Reinhold & van Harten, 2001, cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. — 64-65. Buitinga batwa sp. nov., cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. — 66-67. Spermophora maathaiae sp. nov., cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. — 68. Spermophora bukusu sp. nov., cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral view. — 69. Spermophora kyambura sp. nov., cleared ♀ genitalia, dorsal view .

Figs 107 - 110. Spermophora kyambura sp. nov. 107 - 108. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 109. ♂ chelicerae, frontal view. 110. ♀ genitalia, cleared dorsal view. b: genital bulb; e: embolus; ep: epigynal pockets; pr: procursus. Scale lines: 0.2 mm (109 - 110), 0.3 mm (107 - 108).

Figs 24 - 27. Known distributions of the genera Physocyclus, Quamtana, Smeringopus and Spermophora in East Africa. For detailed maps of Quamtana see Huber (2003 b), of Smeringopus see Huber (2012) and of Spermophora see Huber (2003 a). Squares: unidentified / undescribed specimens.