Pachyballus flavipes Simon, 1910

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 flavipes Simon, 1910 Figures 1 , 3 , 5 , 29-35 , 36-40 , 41-46 , 47-50 , 51-57 , 194

Pachyballus flavipes Simon 1910: 414 (♀); Lessert 1925: 434, f. 7-9 (♀); Wanless and Clark 1975: 290, f. 27-28 (♀); Dawidowicz and Wesołowska 2016: 449.

P. flavipes aurantius Caporiacco 1949: 464 (♀), syn. nov.

Pachyballus cordiforme Berland and Millot 1941: 396, f. 90 (♂), syn. nov.

Pachyballus cordiformis Wesołowska and Cumming 2011: 87, f. 40-45 (♂).

Neotype.

Cameroon • ♀; Biniiba, Bétaré-Oya; 5°36'N, 14°05'E; 20.VII.1949; B. Malkin leg.; CAS.

Other material examined.

Angola • 1♀; Hulla prov., Caconda; 13°46'S, 15°05'E; 30.IX.1949; B. Malkin leg. CAS. Botswana • 1♀; Okavango Delta, Pom-Pom Camp; 19°18'S, 22°54'E; VII.2001; E. Kassimatis leg.; sweeping; NCA 2009/5688. Cameroon • 1♀; Faro Game Reserve; 8°30'N, 12°30'E; 25.IV.2007; R. Jocqué, K. Loosveldt, L. Baert and M. Alderweireldt leg.; gallery forest, sieving; MRAC 221 442. Congo D.R. • 1♀; South Kivu prov., Itombwe; 3°15'S, 28°50'E; 3200 m a.s.l.; XII.1958; N. Leleup leg.; forest with Hagenia and bamboo; MRAC 113 229 • 1♀; Semliki river valley; 9.VIII.1968; R. P. M. Lejeune leg.; MRAC 135 557 • 2♂; Mayombe, Bas Congo, Luki Forest Reserve; 5°37'S, 13°05'E; 17.IX.2007; D. De Bakker and J. P. Michiels leg; old secondary rainforest, fogging; MRAC 226 092 • 1♂; the same data; 18.IX.2007; MRAC 226 097 • 1♂; the same data; 20.IX.2007; MRAC 226 095 • 1♀; the same data; 23.IX.2007; MRAC 226 103 • 2♀; the same data; 18.IX.2007; MRAC 226 096 • 1♀; the same data; 20.IX.2007; MRAC 226 094 • 2♀; the same data; 21.IX.2007; MRAC 226 093 • 1♂ 2♀ 2 subad. ♂; the same data; 17.IX.2007; MRAC 226 101 • 2♂; the same locality; 28.IX.2007; primary rainforest, fogging; MRAC 226 109 • 1♀; the same data; 1.X.2007; MRAC 226 116 • 1♂ 1♀; the same data; 1.X.2007; MRAC 226 120 • 3♀; the same data; 7.XI.2006; MRAC 220 945 • 3♀; the same data; 13.XI.2006; MRAC 220 971 • 1♀; the same locality; 14.IX.2007; secondary rainforest, beating; MRAC 223 432 • 2♂; Kivu prov., Ngoma; 4°24'S, 26°05'E; L. Burgeon leg.; MRAC 15 552/15 553 • 1♀; Kivu prov., Rutshuru, Kako; 1°11'S, 29°27'E; IX.1932; L. Burgeon leg.; MRAC 31 267 • 1♀; Kivu prov., Sanga plateau; 4°50'S 14°58'E; N. Leleup leg.; MRAC 119 189. Gabon • 1♂; Biso-Binam [Biso stream?]; 0°52'N, 11°39'E; 3.XI.1985; A. Pauly leg.; on Borreria verticillata ; MRAC 172 765. Guinea • 1♂; Nimba Mts, "Mare d’hivernage” (in UNESCO Biosphere reserve); 7°38'N, 8°27'W; 1650 m a.s.l.; 1.X.2008; D. van den Spiegel leg.; wet grassland with dispersal shrubs; MRAC 225 978. Ivory Coast • 1♂; Man; 7°24'N, 7°33'W; VIII,1937; J. Millot leg.; type of P. cordiformis : only two, left palps and legs left; MNHN • 1♀; Bingerville; 5°21'N, 3°54'W; VIII.1962; J. Decelle leg.; MRAC 122.004. Kenya • 1♂; Kwale prov., 30 km S to Mombasa; 4°10'S, 39°40'E; 12.XI.1992; V. Roth leg.; CAS • 1♀; Kitale; 1°01'N, 35°00'E; 2000 m a.s.l.; 23.I.1938; MEU • 1♀; Nairobi; 1°17'S, 36°49'E; 12.I.1970; on bamboo; SMF • 1♂; Mt Elgon, E slope; 1°07'N, 34°31'E; 2130 m a.s.l.; 6.I.1938; NHRS • 1♀; Mt Elgon, Salt lake estate; 2100 m a.s.l.; 17.XII.1937; Acacia steppe; MEU. Tanzania • 1♀; Kilimanjaro, Kibonoto; 3°11'S, 37°06'E; Sjöstedt leg.; NHRS. Uganda • 1♀; Victoria Lake, Gaya Bay, Island Buvuma; 0°13'N, 33°16'E; III.1968; E. Vertriest leg.; MRAC 134 737. South Africa • 1♂; Free State, Weltevreden Nature Reserve; 28°57'S, 26°23'E; 15.VIII.2006; H. Kilion leg.; NCA 2007/3429 • 1♀; Mpumalanga Prov., Nelspruit, Agricultural College; 25°27'S, 30°59'E; 22.XII.1998; P. Stephen leg.; on grapefruit; NCA 99/160 • 1♀; Limpopo Prov., Nylsvley Nature Reserve; 24°39'S, 28°41'E; 7.III.1998; sweeping, grass; A.S. Dippenaar leg.; NCA 98/586. Zambia • 1♂; 30km SW of Mkushi; 13°43'S, 29°15'E; 1390 m a.s.l.; 22.IX.2009; J.Lenz leg.; NMZ. Zimbabwe • 1♂ 2 imm.; Batoka Gore; 17°57'S, 26°04'E; 30-31.X.1990; V. Roth leg.; CAS • 1♂ 2♀; Matabeleland, Doddieburn Dam; 21°24'S, 29°21'E; 12.XII.1985; J. Minshull leg.; NMZ A4202 • 5♀ 2 subad. ♂ 8 imm.; Matetsi safari Area, Tshowe river rapids; 18°31'S, 25°52'E; 5.XII.1988; J. Minshull leg.; NMZ A6873 • 2♂; Matetsi safari Area, Kasetsheti Weirs; 18°01'S, 25°49'E; 11.X.1988; F. Nyati leg.; NMZ A6759.

Diagnosis.

The male is almost indistinguishable from that of P. mombasensis , though it differs a little by having a protruding tibial apophysis while in the latter species tibial apophysis is adpressed to cymbium. The female resembles females of P. castaneus and P. mombasensis , but has very long copulatory ducts, forming several loops, whereas in two other species these ducts are relatively short (cf. Fig. 51 with Fig. 73 and Fig. 28 ).

Redescription.

Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.2-1.6, width 1.4-1.7, height 0.5-0.6. Eye field: length 0.6-0.8, anterior width 1.1-1.4, posterior width 1.4-1.7. Abdomen: length 1.9-2.5, width 1.8-2.3.

General appearance as in Figs 29-31 . Shape of body typical for Pachyballus ; small, flat, with heart-shaped abdomen. Body covered with strongly sclerotised and clearly pitted integument. Colouration of body brown to black dorsally and dark brown ventrally, dorsum iridescent, almost hairless. Some light hairs near anterior eyes and below anterior median eyes. Anterior margin of abdomen covers distal part of carapace. Venter with typical scuta and small sclerotised bumps (Fig. 1 ). Cheliceral dentition variable, with three teeth on promargin and two, three or (exceptionally) four on retromargin (Figs 41-43 ). Tips of mouth parts whitish. First pair of legs the stoutest, femora and patellae dark brown, tibiae black with dense long dark setae ventrally and two pairs of very short thick spines (Fig. 31 ), dorsal part of tibia slightly flattened, metatarsi and tarsi creamy. Other legs with clear contrasts: brown femora, other segments light, only sometimes dark ring on tibiae proximally (Fig. 30 ). Palps dark, tip of cymbium light. Structure of palpal organ as in Figs 3 , 37 , 44-46 .

Female. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.2-1.3, width 1.3-1.4, height 0.5. Eye field: length 0.6-0.8, anterior width 1.1-1.3, posterior width 1.3-1.4. Abdomen: length 1.9-3.1, width 1.7-2.9.

General appearance as in Figs 32 - 36 . Similar to male, abdomen more oval. Anterior median eyes surrounded by short light hairs. All legs yellowish (Fig. 35 ), only femora brownish (or yellow with darker streak). Palps yellow (Figs 32 , 36 ). Epigyne as in Figs 5 , 38 , 47-50 , with horseshoe-shaped anterior depression. Internal structure of epigyne as in Figs 39 , 40 , 51-57 , inlet part of copulatory ducts wide.

Immature specimens. Similar to adults, abdomen dorsally covered with one large scutum.

Distribution.

Species widely distributed in Africa (Fig. 194 ). Some of the records from Kenya were already mentioned in Dawidowicz and Wesołowska (2016).

Synonymisation.

Caporiacco (1949) described P. flavipes aurantius from Kenya on the basis of a single female. According to him, the epigyne of this subspecies was the same as in P. flavipes and the only difference consisted of colouration. However, this feature is variable. Moreover, according to Berdondini and Whitman (2003) type specimen of P. flavipes aurantius kept in the Natural History Museum of Florence collection is juvenile. Thus, we recognise P. f. aurantius as a synonym of the name P. flavipes .

Type of P. cordiformis was destroyed and only two palps and three legs persisted in the vial. Although Berland and Millot (1941) reported that they had collected only a single male by the city Man, the two palps in the sample are left palps, so they must have been taken from two males. Structure of palpal organ and the figure in Berland and Millot (1941) suggest that this species is identical with P. flavipes . Therefore, we recognise the name P. cordiformis as the synonym of P. flavipes .

Designation of neotype.

Simon (1910) described this species from Bioko (Fernando Po) on the basis of a single female. Wanless and Clark (1975) compared a female from Ivory Coast with the type and concluded their conspecificity. Unfortunately, the type specimen was lost (we were informed that the type could not be found in Simon’s collection in MNHN) and the female collected by the latter authors lacked epigyne. Original description was insufficient to recognise the species; only the shape of body and colouration of legs were given. Taking this under consideration it is justified to propose the neotype to stabilise the nomenclature. The neotype, a female collected in Cameroon, the nearest continental country to Bioko (ca. 40 km), is herein designated.

Remarks.

This species probably lives both in the forest canopy and in the understory. Given this fact, i.e. the variety of preferred microhabitats, the large geographical range and high variation of cheliceral dentition, it is possible that it consists of several cryptic species. The sole morphology may be insufficient to solve this taxonomic problem and there is a need to support further analysis with molecular methods.

Figures

Figures 1 - 6. Some morphological characters of Pachyballus and Peplometus 1 Pach. flavipes (specimen from Gabon), male, ventral abdominal scuta 2 Pach. ornatus (specimen from Tanzania), female, ventral abdominal scuta 3 Pach. flavipes (specimen from Congo), embolus 4 Pepl. biscutellatus (specimen from Ivory Coast), palpal organ in ventral view 5 Pach. flavipes (specimen from Zimbabwe), epigyne with broken embolus in copulatory opening 6 Pach. castaneus, pitted integument of abdomen.

Figures 29 - 35. Pachyballus flavipes 29 male, habitus, dorsal view 30 male, habitus, ventral view 31 male, habitus, lateral view 32, 33 female, habitus, dorsal view 34 female, habitus, ventral view 35 female, habitus, lateral view (29, 30, 32 specimen from Congo 31 specimen from Kenya 33 - 35 specimen from Cameroon).

Figures 36 - 40. Pachyballus flavipes (specimen from Congo) 36 female, habitus, frontal view 37 palpal organ, ventral view 38 epigyne 39 internal structure of epigyne, ventral view 40 internal structure of epigyne, dorsal view.

Figures 41 - 46. Pachyballus flavipes, male 41 - 43 variation of cheliceral dentition 44 - 46 palpal organ, ventral view (44 specimens from Congo 45 specimen from Gabon 46 type of P. cordiformis).

Figures 47 - 50. Pachyballus flavipes, female, epigyne (47, 48 specimens from Congo 49 specimen from Kilimanjaro 50 specimen from Cameroon).

Figures 51 - 57. Pachyballus flavipes, female, internal structure of epigyne 51, 53, 55, 56 ventral view 52, 54, 57 dorsal view (51, 52 specimens from Cameroon 53 - 55 specimen from Congo 56, 57 specimen from Zimbabwe).

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.

Figures 68 - 74. Pachyballus mombasensis sp. nov. 68 female, holotype, habitus, dorsal view 69 female, habitus, ventralal view 70 palpal organ, ventral view 71 palpal organ, lateral view 72 holotype, epigyne 73 internal structure of epigyne, ventral view 74 internal structure of epigyne, dorsal view.

Figures 22 - 28. Pachyballus castaneus 22 cheliceral dentition 23 - 25 palpal organ, ventral view (24 specimen from Zimbabwe) 26 palpal organ, lateral view 27 epigyne 28 internal structure of epigyne.