Heliocapensis mirabilis ( Wesołowska, 1986 )

Haddad, Charles Richard & Wesołowska, Wanda, 2024, On some new and poorly-known Chrysillini from arid western South Africa (Araneae, Salticidae), African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 127-159 : 127-159

Heliocapensis mirabilis ( Wesołowska, 1986)

Figs 3 B, E , 4 , 5

Heliophanus mirabilis Wesołowska, 1986: 14, figs 50–53; Haddad and Wesołowska 2013: 480, figs 44–47, 53.

Heliocapensis mirabilis Wesołowska 2024: 85.

Material examined.

South Africa • Northern Cape Province; 1 ♂ 5 ♀; Richtersveld National Park, Halfmens Pass ; 28 ° 07.789 ' S, 16 ° 57.667 ' E; 235 m a. s. l.; 8 Jan 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; leaf litter, open plain; NCA 2021 / 292 • 2 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; NCA 2021 / 304 • 2 ♂ 3 ♀; same locality; 10 Jul 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; beating short shrubs, open plain; NCA 2021 / 414 • 4 ♀; Richtersveld National Park, near Akkedis Pass ; 28 ° 07.884 ' S, 16 ° 59.700 ' E; 330 m a. s. l.; 6 Jan 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; beating, karooid bushes; NCA 2024 / 17 • 1 ♀; Richtersveld National Park, Near Hand of God ; 28 ° 05.874 ' S, 16 ° 58.736 ' E; 35 m a. s. l.; 6 Jan 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; hand collecting, under rocks; NCA 2021 / 66 • 3 ♂ 3 ♀ Richtersveld National Park , SE of Akkedis Pass; 28 ° 11.123 ' S, 17 ° 02.543 ' E; 535 m a. s. l.; 7 Jul 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; leaf litter, dry river bed; NCA 2021 / 354 • 1 ♂ 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; NCA 2021 / 389 • 7 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 7 Jan 2021; NCA 2021 / 279 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; NCA 2021 / 267 • 4 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; NCA 2021 / 280 • 5 ♀ (together with 1 ♂ Heliophanus deformis ); Richtersveld National Park, Site 3 near Akkedis Pass ; 28 ° 07.882 ' S, 16 ° 59.700 ' E; 330 m a. s. l.; 6 Jan 2021; C. Haddad et al. leg.; beating, karooid bushes; NCA 2021 / 471 • 1 ♀; Richtersveld National Park, Sendelingsdrif Camp , 28 ° 07.496 ' S, 16 ° 53.445 ' E; 40 m a. s. l.; 8 Jan 2021; C. Haddad & R. Booysen leg.; hand collecting at night; NCA 2021 / 34 .

Diagnosis of female.

The female can be distinguished from its congeners by the course of the seminal ducts, which initially run anteriorly from the epigynal depressions (Fig. 5 E ), while posteriorly in other species.

Description.

For description of the male, see Haddad and Wesołowska (2013). General appearance of male in alcohol as in Fig. 4 A, B ; palpal organ in Figs 4 C – E , 5 A – C .

Female: Measurements: Cephalothorax length 1.6–1.8, width 1.1–1.2, height 0.5–0.6. Abdomen length 1.6–2.5, width 1.1–1.7. Eye field length 0.6, anterior width 1.0, posterior width 1.1. General appearance of live female as in Fig. 3 B, E , of female in alcohol in Fig. 4 F . Carapace dark brown, clothed in yellowish-grey scale-like hairs, eye field black, amongst scales some long brown bristles. Mouthparts and sternum dark brown. Abdomen black, covered with greyish scales, pair of diagonal or rounded white spots at mid-point, some specimens also with single pair of small spots posteriorly. Venter dark grey, spinnerets black. Legs yellow. Epigyne with pair of large, rounded depressions (Figs 4 G , 5 D ). Internal structure as in Fig. 5 E .

Distribution.

Species previously known from the Western Cape in South Africa ( Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2023), recorded from the Northern Cape for the first time.

Remark.

The female of this species is described here for the first time.

Figures

Figure 3. Dorsal habitus (A – C) and anterior view (D – F) of living Heliocapensis maluti Wesołowska & Haddad, 2014 male (A, D), H. mirabilis (Wesołowska, 1986) female (B, E) and Heliophanus deformis Wesołowska, 1986 male (C, F).

Figure 4. Heliocapensis mirabilis (Wesołowska, 1986), male (A – E) and female (F, G): A, F general appearance, dorsal view B same, lateral view C palpal organ, ventral view D same, retrolateral view E palpal femur G epigyne, ventral view.

Figure 5. Heliocapensis mirabilis (Wesołowska, 1986), male (A – C) and female (D, E): A palpal organ, ventral view B same, retrolateral view C palpal femur D epigyne, ventral view E internal structure of epigyne.